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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

Black Coffee: Some People Have a Lot of Gall (and Some Don’t Have Any)

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Oy! What a week. On Wednesday the ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Some People Have a Lot of Gall (and Some Don’t Have Any)

17 Comments April 6, 2013

4 Kick-Ass Debt Lessons from the Karate Kid

By Ben Edwards

Most of us have been bullied at one time or another as a kid. Perhaps you were called a name or harassed or even hit. This near-universal experience may be one reason why the movie, "The Karate Kid" resonated with both adults and teens. The ...

Continue reading 4 Kick-Ass Debt Lessons from the Karate Kid

14 Comments April 1, 2013

Black Coffee: Your Easter Break Drinking and Driving Edition

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Today I'm taking my son, Matthew, to a ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Your Easter Break Drinking and Driving Edition

16 Comments March 30, 2013

Why Bag Ladies are Financially Savvier Than Many Celebrities

By Len Penzo

Grammy Award winner Dionne Warwick, who found fame in the 1960s singing "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" filed for bankruptcy yesterday. Younger folks may recognize Warwick from the 1990s, when she was the celebrity spokesperson for the Psychic ...

Continue reading Why Bag Ladies are Financially Savvier Than Many Celebrities

20 Comments March 27, 2013

How I Stupidly Got Ripped Off by Not Getting Multiple Estimates

By Len Penzo

Whether we realize it or not, we manage financial risk whenever we take the time to get multiple price estimates from competing contractors. Those who do often get rewarded for their efforts. As for those who don't, well ... they often end up ...

Continue reading How I Stupidly Got Ripped Off by Not Getting Multiple Estimates

36 Comments March 25, 2013

Black Coffee: Why Lumpy Mattresses Are the Next Big Trend in Europe

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. I was surfing the web yesterday when I came ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Why Lumpy Mattresses Are the Next Big Trend in Europe

48 Comments March 23, 2013

Housing Market: Shadow Inventory and Mortgage Rates

By JR Diamond

The housing market across the country has been through rough times and recent data seems to indicate that the worst may be over. But is this really the case? There are numerous factors in play in the housing market such as supply and demand, ...

Continue reading Housing Market: Shadow Inventory and Mortgage Rates

13 Comments March 20, 2013

Black Coffee: When Bad Is Good, Down Is Up, and Black Is White

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. I've got a busy weekend planned, so let's ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: When Bad Is Good, Down Is Up, and Black Is White

17 Comments March 16, 2013

Black Coffee: The Economy (and the Fine Line Between Puppy and Dog Breath)

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: The Economy (and the Fine Line Between Puppy and Dog Breath)

13 Comments March 9, 2013

True Story: How a Broken Washing Machine Fixed My Finances

By Guest

Readers: Awhile back I received a message in my inbox from Steven, who lives in the United Kingdom. He agreed to share his story with you. I hope you find it as inspiring as I did. -- Len Last November my washing machine died. Because I make ...

Continue reading True Story: How a Broken Washing Machine Fixed My Finances

22 Comments March 6, 2013

Black Coffee: Maybe We Could Try Selling the Naming Rights to Infinity

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Heres what caught my attention over the past ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Maybe We Could Try Selling the Naming Rights to Infinity

14 Comments March 2, 2013

Economic Collapse 101: What It Will Look Like, and How It May Start

By Len Penzo

It takes courage to face the bogeyman. I bet many of the good folks in Great Falls, Montana, were more than a little worried earlier this month after a local television station there sent out an ominous message warning viewers that the dead were ...

Continue reading Economic Collapse 101: What It Will Look Like, and How It May Start

113 Comments February 27, 2013

9 ‘Oops’ Moments That I Ultimately Paid For (One Way or Another)

By Len Penzo

Last week I needed to venture into my attic to check on some rat traps, so I grabbed my flashlight to help me navigate my way through the rafters. As luck would have it, the flashlight wasn't working; the last person who used it forgot to turn the ...

Continue reading 9 ‘Oops’ Moments That I Ultimately Paid For (One Way or Another)

23 Comments February 25, 2013

Black Coffee: To Work, or Not to Work — That Is the Question.

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Heres what caught my attention over the past ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: To Work, or Not to Work — That Is the Question.

10 Comments February 23, 2013

The 6 Biggest Consumer Electronics Markups (and How to Fight Back)

By Andrea Woroch

What do a grocery store, a funeral home and a college bookstore have in common? They each sell products with some of the highest markups in retail. While we don’t want to think of a funeral as a financial transaction, the reality is that we all ...

Continue reading The 6 Biggest Consumer Electronics Markups (and How to Fight Back)

12 Comments February 20, 2013

Black Coffee: When Did They Stop Teaching Basic Economics in America?

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: When Did They Stop Teaching Basic Economics in America?

44 Comments February 16, 2013

Black Coffee: Why 100-Trillion Zimbabwe Dollars Doesn’t Go as Far as It Used To

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Why 100-Trillion Zimbabwe Dollars Doesn’t Go as Far as It Used To

11 Comments February 9, 2013

Black Coffee: My Magic 8 Ball Predicts the Super Bowl Victor — and Other Things

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Heres what caught my attention over the past ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: My Magic 8 Ball Predicts the Super Bowl Victor — and Other Things

19 Comments February 2, 2013

The Unconventional Wisdom of Household Strategic Planning

By Len Penzo

My son, Matthew, is quickly approaching his 16th birthday and so I've been giving him a few driving tutorials. I haven't let him get behind the wheel just yet -- that's on next month's agenda -- but it's gotten to the point now where every time ...

Continue reading The Unconventional Wisdom of Household Strategic Planning

28 Comments January 28, 2013

Black Coffee: Why a Million Apples a Day Couldn’t Keep the Sellers Away

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Heres what caught my attention over the past ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Why a Million Apples a Day Couldn’t Keep the Sellers Away

7 Comments January 26, 2013

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This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. In fact, making investment decisions based on information published here, or any other website for that matter, is more than unwise; it is folly. This website accepts advertising in the form of monetary and other compensation; as such, topics of discussion are occasionally influenced by these advertisers. Sometimes, an article may also include affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, this blog earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase (for example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). Remember, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your unique personal situation.

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