Carnivals for the Week ...

Here are some of the carnivals Free Money Finance was in this week: EDITOR’S CHOICE! Festival of Frugality Carnival of Personal Finance Totally Money Blog Carnival Financial Simplicity Carnival Enjoy! P.S. Carnival Hosts — If my post is in your carnival in a given week,...

Help a Reader: Pay Off ...

Here’s an email I recently received from a reader: I have $21,000 in student loan debt that was consolidated in 2005 and is now sitting at a fixed rate of 1.625% for 20 years (original balance was close to $31,000).  The monthly payments equal $170.  My question is, with such a...

The Butterfly Effect...

The Butterfly Effect is the term given to the theory that small, seemingly insignificant actions can have far-reaching effects. The term was first used in the 1960s by Edward Lorenz, while modeling weather patterns. He theorized that the formation of a hurricane could be impacted by...

Help a Reader: Loan Rep...

Here’s an email I recently received from a reader: Recently, I’ve had some issues with choosing whether to repay my college debt aggressively OR pump money into a savings account.  I’ll give a little bit of background that may be necessary.  I’m 23 years old...

30 Steps to Great Finan...

Are you overwhelmed thinking about all the work required to get your finances in great shape?  Well the good news is that you can do a complete financial overhaul (or if you’re in less dire straits, a tune-up) in 30 simple steps. Yep, that’s it. In 30 steps you can go from a...

A Scriptural Perspectiv...

For those of you new to Free Money Finance, I post on The Bible and Money every Sunday. Here’s why . Sound Mind Investing gives four reasons why God wants you debt free as follows: 1. Debt is considered slavery. (Proverbs 22:7) 2. Debt was considered a curse. (Deuteronomy 28:15,...

Reader Profile: EC...

The following is the latest post in my “Reader Profiles” series. Each post in this series details the financial situation and challenges of an FMF reader. The purpose of this series is to help us all identify with people like us (in similar situations — not all will be,...

Financial Rules that Wo...

If you read a handful of books (or read a few money sites or listen to a few financial radio shows) by today’s popular financial gurus, and you will begin to notice the same advice being given over and over again. The advice is designed for the masses and meant to offer general...

6 Signs That You’re C...

Many financial experts report that the average household carries at least $10,000 in credit card debt. In addition to this debt, many people take out upside down car loans and overextend themselves on home purchases. While debt is generally an unfortunate part of life, if you decide to...

An FMF Reader’s R...

A couple weeks ago a reader made a comment here on a post saying he had retired early several years ago. Since I love stories of how people are actually making and working through financial decisions, I emailed him and asked if he’d be willing to tell us how he did it. He was and...