Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange
Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
19
votes
2 answers

Does a post-dated check have any *valid* use for delaying payment?

I was recently witness to a salesman claiming that a customer could post-date a check to guarantee their check would not be cashed before the item they just ordered was received. I was under the impression that this is false, and that writing…
Robert Cartaino
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19
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1 answer

What US law requires a bank to reopen a closed account if a third party sends money to it?

I used to have an account with a local credit union. I moved, then closed the account. The credit union mailed me a check for my remaining balance and confirmed the account was closed. This was 14 months ago. Last week, someone tried to send me…
user9760
19
votes
5 answers

Is it true that it's better to have bad credit than no credit?

There's a popular saying: It's better to have bad credit than no credit. Is this true?
spong
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19
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2 answers

If I donate depreciated stock to charity, can I deduct both the market value and the capital loss?

I have stock that's depreciated in value since I bought it. Just to make up some numbers, I paid $8000 for it, and it's worth $1000 now. If I donate the stock to charity, can I take the charitable deduction (if I itemize) of $1000 and the capital…
Michael A
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19
votes
5 answers

What percent of my salary should I save?

Here is my situation: right now I am living in Puerto Rico, and I am planning to relocate to the mainland US (probably to Seattle, WA). Although Puerto Rico is a territory of the US, almost everything "works" different here in comparison to the…
scubaFun
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19
votes
3 answers

How do you short US Treasuries?

As the US government continues to issue record levels of debt, I don't think it can continue to sell that debt at 2 - 3% interest. It will face the simple supply/demand law of economics — the more supply of an item, the less valuable each item is…
Muro
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19
votes
3 answers

How to map stock ticker symbols to ISIN (International Securities Identification Number)?

How can I can convert ticker symbols (which include information on the exchange) to an International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) (which contains no information on the exchange)? Also I am interested in the other way round — given an ISIN…
Karsten W.
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19
votes
16 answers

What are some tips to help avoid impulse-buying?

My husband and I are both impulse buyers - not a good pair now that our combined income has been reduced! How do you stop yourself from making an impulse purchase? I need some help to improve our spending habits.
Nat_Rea
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19
votes
6 answers

If I make over 120k a year, what are my options for retirement plans?

I will be starting a job on Monday that yearly will net me in excess of 120k. I know that this income exceeds the maximum earnings for a Roth IRA and I'm sure other things. I'm a complete newbie when it comes to retirement investment, so what are my…
Drew
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19
votes
2 answers

What's the proper way to negotiate a job offer's salary?

Say I receive an offer letter from a potential employer. They state clearly the offered salary, and I have a good idea how to value the benefits. With all that, it's less than I'd like. How can I successfully negotiate the salary upwards? How long…
Anonymous
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19
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4 answers

Can I roll over a 401(k) with my current employer into an IRA?

My wife has a 401(k) with her employer that she has been contributing to for years. They recently switched administrators for the 401k, and the new outfit is simply terrible - bad fund choices and outrageous fees. I would like to roll over her…
Eric Petroelje
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19
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6 answers

Why is everyone saying how desperately we need to save money "in this economy"?

Everywhere you turn today, you hear people talk about how much they need to save or how important it is to find a good deal on things "in this economy". They use phrases like "now more than ever" and "in these uncertain times". It seems to be a lot…
Jeffrey
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19
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2 answers

What should I reserve "emergency savings" for?

Should I reserve my "emergency savings" solely for times of unexpected unemployment, or keep these savings flexible enough to cover other unforeseen critical needs?
Sam Erde
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19
votes
5 answers

How do "allowances" work on the W-4?

When you start a job, you give your employer the W-4 form which figures out your allowances (or deductions). It's just a number. How does that translate into how much they withhold from your paycheck? For example, if I put 1 through 10 in that…
Michael Pryor
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19
votes
5 answers

Is it normal to have 28.5% of various income taxes deducted from my paycheck?

I just got out of college, still live with the parents (saving up money) been employed for a year in the industry, and got a not bad starting salary. First check I received was shocking, to see 28.5% cut off for Federal + MA State + SS Employee. And…
user10857
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