Category — Investing

2006 was a mixed year. We had records set in the stock markets and the housing markets. As I’m writing this the Dow has closed at a record high of 12,445.52 and looks like it will rise even higher before the year closes. At the same time, our housing market is setting records on the other end of the spectrum. This year we saw more homes available on the market than at any other time in history. Some people have done really well this year, other’s have lost nearly everything in the housing market bust. 2006 was a mixed year.

Enter 2007.

The Housing Market Will Normalize – Some areas will see growth, some will see prices come back down to where they should be. According to the article “Best and Worst Real Estate Markets” there will some spots that are hot and some that are not.

If you happen to live in the northeast, your market looks to be fairly steady with a few hot spots and a few cool spots, ranging from a projected 4.8% growth in Syracuse, N.Y. to a -3.6% drop in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. [Read more →]

Who wants more money? Alright, dumb question. Of course we all would like more money. What you may not know is that you may be missing out on free money every day. There’s this thing called interest. What? You’ve heard of it? Great! Then you already know that banks will pay you when you put your money with them. Here’s the not so big secret that many people don’t act upon: Banks (and other financial institutions) will pay you differing amounts based on what type of account you place your money in, how much money you give them and for how long you let them use it. Bankrate has a good overview called Great Places To Park Your Cash.

There are 4 basic areas where you can park your money:

[Read more →]