Is This the Best Search Engine Ever for New & Used Cars?

Robert Wilkinson — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 02:20:06 +0000

The site is one I found quite by accident. I'm not in the market for a used car, I was actually looking for a quote from Bill Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and stumbled upon this gem. Ahh, I love the Internet. The site is called AutoTempest.com. It's only in Beta right now, but the results are awesome!

In the past, when I was searching for a used car, I would bring up the usual suspects — cars.com, kbb.com, edmunds.com. With three windows or tabs open, I would flick between them all looking for the best price, the lowest miles, and the best financing option available.

That was time-consuming and a hassle. But I never thought any more about it until I started pushing the buttons of this new site. (It's like Kayak.com but for new and used cars.) As regular Wise Bread readers know, I'm a huge fan of sites and gadgets that save you time and money. Put a check mark next to both of those categories for AutoTempest.com.

The interface is simple enough. Enter the make and model of the car you're looking for, along with the location, year, price and mileage. Sure, those are the usual features, but AutoTempest goes a little further.

With the advanced search, you can add-in transmission, body style, seller type, and even choose to search collector or niche sites.

What is a Good Credit Score?

Robert Wilkinson — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:20:03 +0000

In general, anything above 700 is considered a good credit score, but it’s not that simple. There are many different credit scoring systems with different scales — not to mention individual lenders have their own criteria. In short, a good credit score depends on the scoring system used and your particular lender. However, you can get a good idea of where you stand by getting your credit score and report.

If you don’t know your credit score yet, lets get them now before we continue.

Score	Get from	Cost
FICO	MyFICO.com	$15.95
TransUnion	Credit Karma	Free
Experian	Quizzle	Free
All 3	CreditReport.com	Free with credit monitoring trial*

* After accessing your credit score, you have to cancel the trial to avoid being charged for the service.

Credit Score Basics

In general, credit score is a number generated by a mathematical formula. This formula analyzes information in your credit report to derive your credit score — a number ranging from 300 to 850. Your credit score is a reflection of your credibility (credit worthiness).

Overall, your credit score does a very good job of predicting how likely you are to repay your debt. Therefore, lenders extensively use credit scores to determine whether or not to loan you the money and at what price (i.e., interest rate). Typically, people with higher credit scores get lower interest rates compared to the rates for people with lower credit score.

To give you an idea on how credit score affects interest rate, here’s an example of 30-year mortgage interest rate for a $300,000 loan from myFICO web site:

FICO® score	APR	Monthly payment
760-850	4.994%	$1,609
700-759	5.216%	$1,650
Related Searches: a general answer is anything above 720 However it is not that simple# How to File a Federal Tax Extension Robert Wilkinson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:20:07 +0000 April 15 looms on the horizon. There may be any number of reasons that you are not prepared to file a tax return, from not having your dividend statements back, to waiting to get a home buyer tax credit, to straightforward procrastination. No matter your reasons, you can actually file for an extension. Any taxpayer is eligible to get a six month extension for filing a tax return. You have to file for the extension by April 15, and then you will have until October 15 to get your documentation together and file your actual return. Photo by alancleaver_2000 via Flickr Filing an extension is a good idea if you don’t think you’ll be able to get your return together by April 15. The penalty for a “failure to file” can be quite hefty. As long as you file your extension paperwork — it’s only on page! — by April 15, you can avoid this penalty. You still have to pay what you owe by April 15! Be warned, though, that filing for an extension doesn’t get you another six months to actually pay your taxes. You are required to estimate how much you owe, and submit payment by April 15. The IRS starts charging interest from April 16, so it’s a good idea to pay something. Any tax refund you are entitled to will, as you might have guessed, be mailed to you after you file your return in October. Filing Your Tax Extension It is fairly easy to file a tax extension these days. You just need to fill out Form 4868. If you use tax preparation software, like Tax Cut or TurboTax, it’s easy to file your tax extension. These programs have the appropriate forms, and the ability to allow you to send in the form electronically, or print out your completed form and then mail it in. If you have a professional prepare your taxes, he or she can usually file your tax extension electronically on your behalf. Even without tax preparation software, you can still file your Form 4868 electronically using the ETrade Bank Savings Accounts now by Discover Bank? Robert Wilkinson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:20:06 +0000 Just got this e-mail from regarding my ETrade Bank online savings account: We are writing to let you know that your ETRADE Bank account referenced above will soon be transferred to Discover Bank, and become a Discover Online Savings Account. This follows our plan to focus more exclusively on providing optimal investing solutions to our customers. We expect the transfer to occur on or about March 7, 2010. Discover Bank sounds okay* from what I’ve read, and the APY on my whopping 3 cent balance will go up from 0.50% to 1.35% APY, but the only reason I kept the ETrade account around was for its speedy funds transfers. I don’t use any ETrade brokerage services since they are too expensive and the phone hold times are too long. (I do enjoy the commercials, though.) Time to close the account? ING Direct Electric Orange Checking Reference Code: $50 Bonus Robert Wilkinson — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:20:06 +0000 The online checking account from ING Direct, called Electric Orange, is offered new customers a $50 bonus* if they open a new account and use the debit card for signature transactions 3 times within 45 days. Use Reference Code EM428 on your online application. Expires 2/28/2010. Open an Electric Orange by February 28, 2010, and use the free Debit Card to make 3 signature transactions (you know, the ones you have to actually sign) within the first 45 days. On day 50, we’ll put $50 in your account. If you’ve been following the financial news today, then you saw articles like this one from Yahoo Finance about the unemployment rate falling to 9.7%, which is a five-month low. That sounds like good news, and it could be, but when you look deeper into the numbers and throw some logic into the equation, it doesn’t make sense that the unemployment rate would fall that much. Does this mean the numbers are cooked? Are we on the road to recovery for job loss? I really hope so, because it’s the single most glaring eye sore to our economy right now. It’s the one road block that will keep our economy from heading in the right direction. Here’s a quote from the article I referenced above. Beneath the headlines, the government reported the U.S. economy has lost 8.4 million jobs since the recession officially began in December 2007, a sharp upward revision from 7.2 million previously reported; that includes 930,000 jobs more than previously estimated in the 12 months ended March 2009. and here is another quote from a financial analyst trying to explain the discrepancy in the numbers: Chase Sapphire Really Has No Phone Tree or Hold Times Robert Wilkinson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:20:08 +0000 I applied for the Chase Sapphire card primarily - okay, solely - for the $100 sign-up bonus. But when I called with a question about how to redeem, I was actually startled that a human being picked on the second ring. No phone tree to navigate, no punching in my dang 16 digit number first… I didn’t even have to press 0 several times. Now that I read their website again, I do see the sentence mentioning “direct access to dedicated live advisors”. It appears I’m not the only one to notice this: An Overall View Of Dave Ramsey’s Steps to Financial Success Robert Wilkinson — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:20:17 +0000 2 Comments Love him or hate him, Dave Ramsey gives great common sense advice about how to get out of debt and build wealth. People that hate him often don’t want to make the sacrifices in their lives that he describes you must make if you want to win with money. Here’s a great video from him that gives you a good synopsis of what he’s all about and his financial success program. A Pictorial History of US Currency Robert Wilkinson — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:20:06 +0000 Share This Efforts are currently underway to redesign and rebrand the US dollar but whether or not you think the dollar is just fine as it is or truly believe that it needs to be reinvented for a new generation, you probably are only familiar with the money that’s been in circulation during your lifetime. Here’s a look back at what US currency looked like in earlier times. Click the circles to advance to the next image Related Searches: Pictorial History of US Currency ING Direct Black Friday Deal – $121 Account Opening Bonus (Extended) Robert Wilkinson — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:20:54 +0000 Update: The offer has been extended but can be withdrawn at any time. I'm sure you've seen all the Black Friday "deals" out there for spending money. ING Direct is doing something a little bit different this year and having their own Black Friday deal...and this is a good one. I wish I didn't already have an Electric Orange account so I could take advantage of this! Open an Electric Orange account and get $121 account opening bonus. I'm all about free money and this is a good one. Why $121? Well according to ING, this is the average amount consumers pay in overdraft fees each year. Related Searches: ing direct black friday

FICO® score

APR

Monthly payment

760-850

4.994%

$1,609

700-759

5.216%

$1,650

How to File a Federal Tax Extension

Robert Wilkinson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:20:07 +0000

April 15 looms on the horizon. There may be any number of reasons that you are not prepared to file a tax return, from not having your dividend statements back, to waiting to get a home buyer tax credit, to straightforward procrastination. No matter your reasons, you can actually file for an extension. Any taxpayer is eligible to get a six month extension for filing a tax return. You have to file for the extension by April 15, and then you will have until October 15 to get your documentation together and file your actual return.

Photo by alancleaver_2000 via Flickr

Filing an extension is a good idea if you don’t think you’ll be able to get your return together by April 15. The penalty for a “failure to file” can be quite hefty. As long as you file your extension paperwork — it’s only on page! — by April 15, you can avoid this penalty.

You still have to pay what you owe by April 15!

Be warned, though, that filing for an extension doesn’t get you another six months to actually pay your taxes. You are required to estimate how much you owe, and submit payment by April 15. The IRS starts charging interest from April 16, so it’s a good idea to pay something. Any tax refund you are entitled to will, as you might have guessed, be mailed to you after you file your return in October.

Filing Your Tax Extension

It is fairly easy to file a tax extension these days. You just need to fill out Form 4868.

If you use tax preparation software, like Tax Cut or TurboTax, it’s easy to file your tax extension. These programs have the appropriate forms, and the ability to allow you to send in the form electronically, or print out your completed form and then mail it in. If you have a professional prepare your taxes, he or she can usually file your tax extension electronically on your behalf.

Even without tax preparation software, you can still file your Form 4868 electronically using the

ETrade Bank Savings Accounts now by Discover Bank?

Robert Wilkinson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:20:06 +0000

Just got this e-mail from regarding my ETrade Bank online savings account:

We are writing to let you know that your E*TRADE Bank account referenced above will soon be transferred to Discover Bank, and become a Discover Online Savings Account. This follows our plan to focus more exclusively on providing optimal investing solutions to our customers. We expect the transfer to occur on or about March 7, 2010.

Discover Bank sounds okay from what I’ve read, and the APY on my whopping 3 cent balance will go up from 0.50% to 1.35% APY, but the only reason I kept the E*Trade account around was for its speedy funds transfers. I don’t use any ETrade brokerage services since they are too expensive and the phone hold times are too long. (I do enjoy the commercials, though.) Time to close the account?

ING Direct Electric Orange Checking Reference Code: $50 Bonus

Robert Wilkinson — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:20:06 +0000

The online checking account from ING Direct, called Electric Orange, is offered new customers a $50 bonus if they open a new account and use the debit card for signature transactions 3 times within 45 days. Use Reference Code EM428 on your online application. Expires 2/28/2010.

Open an Electric Orange by February 28, 2010, and use the free Debit Card to make 3 signature transactions (you know, the ones you have to actually sign) within the first 45 days. On day 50, we’ll put $50 in your account.

If you’ve been following the financial news today, then you saw articles like this one from Yahoo Finance about the unemployment rate falling to 9.7%, which is a five-month low. That sounds like good news, and it could be, but when you look deeper into the numbers and throw some logic into the equation, it doesn’t make sense that the unemployment rate would fall that much. Does this mean the numbers are cooked? Are we on the road to recovery for job loss? I really hope so, because it’s the single most glaring eye sore to our economy right now. It’s the one road block that will keep our economy from heading in the right direction. Here’s a quote from the article I referenced above.

Beneath the headlines, the government reported the U.S. economy has lost 8.4 million jobs since the recession officially began in December 2007, a sharp upward revision from 7.2 million previously reported; that includes 930,000 jobs more than previously estimated in the 12 months ended March 2009.

and here is another quote from a financial analyst trying to explain the discrepancy in the numbers:

Chase Sapphire Really Has No Phone Tree or Hold Times

Robert Wilkinson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:20:08 +0000

I applied for the Chase Sapphire card primarily - okay, solely - for the $100 sign-up bonus. But when I called with a question about how to redeem, I was actually startled that a human being picked on the second ring. No phone tree to navigate, no punching in my dang 16 digit number first… I didn’t even have to press 0 several times.

Now that I read their website again, I do see the sentence mentioning “direct access to dedicated live advisors”. It appears I’m not the only one to notice this:

An Overall View Of Dave Ramsey’s Steps to Financial Success

Robert Wilkinson — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:20:17 +0000

2 Comments

Love him or hate him, Dave Ramsey gives great common sense advice about how to get out of debt and build wealth. People that hate him often don’t want to make the sacrifices in their lives that he describes you must make if you want to win with money. Here’s a great video from him that gives you a good synopsis of what he’s all about and his financial success program.

A Pictorial History of US Currency

Robert Wilkinson — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:20:06 +0000

ING Direct Black Friday Deal – $121 Account Opening Bonus (Extended)

Robert Wilkinson — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:20:54 +0000

Update: The offer has been extended but can be withdrawn at any time.

I'm sure you've seen all the Black Friday "deals" out there for spending money. ING Direct is doing something a little bit different this year and having their own Black Friday deal...and this is a good one. I wish I didn't already have an Electric Orange account so I could take advantage of this!

Open an Electric Orange account and get $121 account opening bonus. I'm all about free money and this is a good one. Why $121? Well according to ING, this is the average amount consumers pay in overdraft fees each year.

Walk With Money » Lt

Is This the Best Search Engine Ever for New & Used Cars?

What is a Good Credit Score?

Credit Score Basics

Related Searches:

How to File a Federal Tax Extension

You still have to pay what you owe by April 15!

Filing Your Tax Extension

ETrade Bank Savings Accounts now by Discover Bank?

ING Direct Electric Orange Checking Reference Code: $50 Bonus

Chase Sapphire Really Has No Phone Tree or Hold Times

An Overall View Of Dave Ramsey’s Steps to Financial Success

A Pictorial History of US Currency

Related Searches:

ING Direct Black Friday Deal – $121 Account Opening Bonus (Extended)

Related Searches: