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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

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The Ten Commandments of Personal Finance

By Len Penzo

Maybe you heard about that infamous Kelton study that found Americans could identify more ingredients in a Big Mac than the individual Ten Commandments. It's true, folks; 80% of Americans knew there were two all-beef patties in a Big Mac -- but ...

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November 9, 2020

7 Ways to Improve Your Financial Outlook Before Winter Sets In

By Mikey Rox

Summertime, with all its outdoor fun and activities, can do a considerable amount of damage to your budget -- but there's no reason to panic because autumn is a great time to concentrate on getting your financial situation back on track. Here are ...

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October 27, 2020

What Can I Do to Improve a Low Credit Score?

By Len Penzo

A low credit score can affect your life in more ways than you might think -- which is why it's important to maintain the highest score possible. If your credit score is less than optimal, here are the most effective ways to help you increase that ...

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October 15, 2020

The Pros & Cons of Freezing Your Credit Report: Is It Really Worth It?

By Len Penzo

The humongous data breach in 2017 by Equifax that exposed the sensitive personal information of nearly 146 million Americans, greatly increased the risk of identity theft and financial fraud for those affected. Most people realize it's a risk that ...

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October 12, 2020

What Should I Do if My Credit Card Application Is Rejected?

By Len Penzo

Nobody wants to have a credit card application rejected, but it happens. If your application was denied, the good news is there are steps you can take that may still put plastic in your wallet. Rule out simple application errors. You rejection ...

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October 8, 2020

Yes, Check Writing Still Has Its Benefits; Here’s Why

By Sabado Domingo

In the old days, people wrote checks for everything from groceries to used cars. Everybody walked around with a checkbook in their purse or back pocket because it was the primary means of conducting transactions. Not any more. Today, most people ...

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October 7, 2020

14 Unconventional Money Moves That Are Smarter Than You Think

By Len Penzo

Life doesn't always turn out as you might expect it to. The truth is, many things in life often defy all sense of logic. For example, there was a time when a reasonable person watching Justin Bieber sing on a city sidewalk for spare change would ...

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October 5, 2020

How Can I Find My Credit Score for Free?

By Len Penzo

Your credit score is a financial report card that tells lenders how risky it is to do business with you. The higher your score, the more likely you are to pay back a loan -- and that means that lenders will be more willing to offer you bigger loans ...

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October 1, 2020

100 Famous Quotes About Debt

By Len Penzo

Let's face it: not all debt is bad. For example, debt is generally okay whenever it's used to buy something that may increase in value. That being said, it's always best to try and keep your debts to a minimum. So with that in mind, here are, in ...

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September 28, 2020

Good to Know: The 5 Criteria That Determine Your Credit Score

By Len Penzo

Your credit score is a financial report card that tells lenders how risky it is to do business with you. Scores range from 300 to 850.The higher your score, the more likely you are to pay back a loan -- and that means that lenders will be more ...

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September 24, 2020

The Best Household CEOs Understand the Importance of Saying ‘No’

By Len Penzo

By most accounts, there are more than 250,000 words in the English language. Of course, I have my favorites. For example, I've always been quite fond of platypus; I smile every time I hear myself say it. For some reason, there happens to be ...

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September 14, 2020

5 Telltale Signs That You’re Headed for a Credit Crisis

By Sabado Domingo

You don't have bad credit -- yet. However, anyone can make a mistake that leads him or her down the wrong credit path. Fortunately, bad credit isn't usually something that develops overnight; instead, credit errors compile over time to transform a ...

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September 2, 2020

18 Facts You Didn’t Know About the National Debt

By Len Penzo

I know that Halloween is still more than a month away, but it won't be long before people will once again be looking for ways to scare the pants off unwitting friends and family members. One way to do that without having to dress up like a ghost ...

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August 31, 2020

5 Things Everyone Should Do Before Applying for a Mortgage

By Sabado Domingo

Have you checked your credit score? Do you have all of the correct paperwork in order? Are you aware of the market in which you are planning to buy? Applying for a mortgage is never an easy job. You can't change your income or credit history ...

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August 13, 2020

5 Ways to Enjoy Free Family Travel with Credit Cards

By Enero Febrero

Using your credit cards to earn reward points for travel is a legitimate and easy way to see the world with your family. In addition to flying, the reward points can help families cut costs with their hotel, rental car and meals. Here are several ...

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August 13, 2020

How to Manage Your Personal Finances When In the Military

By Tex Freitag

disqualify you from military

Life in the military brings a huge host of benefits. Chief among them is a stable income -- even in a bad economy. There are a lot of financial perks that you can take advantage of while in the military, but it also requires some discipline on your ...

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August 6, 2020

9 Guilt-Free Ways to Rip Off Your Credit Card Company

By Len Penzo

Sitting on the edge of the Sonoran desert, along the main highway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, lies Hadley's, a popular fruit stand and tourist stop that sells, among other things, banana date shakes. I love 'em; they're an incredibly ...

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August 3, 2020

4 Positive Financial Habits to Develop Right Now

By Enero Febrero

Whether you're managing your own money or your business's resources, good financial habits take time to build. Indeed, developing and then carrying out a sound financial plan is often the product of months or even years of hard work and dedication. ...

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July 31, 2020

Power to the Pinched! The Personal Finance Anarchist Cookbook

By Len Penzo

Once upon a time, no self-serving radical activist would be caught dead without The Anarchist Cookbook and its misguided recipes for making homemade bombs, tear gas, and other sinister items out of everyday household products. Of course, that got ...

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July 20, 2020

How Personal Loans Can Boost Your Credit Score

By Sabado Domingo

If you want to improve your credit score, you might mistakenly believe that the best thing to do is to completely avoid getting into debt. However, not having any debt can actually have the opposite effect when it comes to your credit rating. If ...

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July 14, 2020

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