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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

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Why Bragging About What You’re Going to Buy is Super Lame

By Paula Pant

A few months ago, my roommate and I were bonding over appetizers and drinks at a tapas restaurant when two men approached us. "Excuse me, ladies, can we join you?" It was the type of venue where strangers regularly chat with strangers filled ...

Continue reading Why Bragging About What You’re Going to Buy is Super Lame

October 22, 2020

Prepaid vs. Secured Credit Cards: What’s the Difference?

By Len Penzo

On the surface, prepaid and secured cards look a lot alike, but there are two key differences that you need to be aware of: Credit reporting. Unlike prepaid cards, secured credit cards are primarily used to help people build credit. That's because ...

Continue reading Prepaid vs. Secured Credit Cards: What’s the Difference?

October 21, 2020

18 Frightening Facts You Didn’t Know About Halloween

By Len Penzo

I love Halloween. It's one of my favorite holidays -- and based upon its mass appeal, apparently I'm not alone. In fact, even though the wicked economy continues to put a scare into most people, when it comes to celebrating what was originally ...

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October 19, 2020

Black Coffee: The Wolf at the Door

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. First off, I want to thank everyone ...

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October 17, 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

5 Ways to Avoid Outspending Your Income in Retirement

By Sabado Domingo

Everyone looks forward to their golden years as a wonderful time of relaxation and enjoyment. It's a time to revel in the fruits of your labor, or volunteer if you feel like it. The last thing you want to do is to outspend or outlive your income in ...

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October 14, 2020

How Does a Secured Credit Card Work?

By Len Penzo

Secured credit cards are primarily used to help people build credit. Like any other regular credit card, a secured credit card comes with a credit line; as such, any payment activity is reported to the major credit bureaus. However, unlike a typical ...

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October 12, 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

Black Coffee: Rest in Peace, Dad

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. There are far, far better things ahead ...

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October 10, 2020

What Is a Trademark and Why Is It Important?

By Enero Febrero

As the world becomes more digitized, it is important for everyone to protect their identity. This means not only taking the steps to ensure that sensitive personal information is protected, but also information concerning creations. Whether you ...

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October 9, 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

Black Coffee: Forward, Soviet!

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. Let's get right to this week's ...

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October 3, 2020

What the Dow Jones Shakeup Says About Market Preferences

By Sabado Domingo

The Dow Jones Industrial Average -- the storied aggregation of 30 blue-chip industrial and manufacturing stocks -- underwent a significant shakeup in late-August. Three of the Dow's constituent members, Exxon Mobile, Pfizer, and Raytheon, were ...

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October 2, 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

Pigly: My New One-Stop Shop for Free Personal Finance Tools & Calculators

By Len Penzo

Last month, with interest rates plumbing all-time lows, I decided to refinance my home mortgage. As you might expect, a good portion of my pre-refinance research required me to map out the various combinations of loan periods and interest rates and ...

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September 29, 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

Black Coffee: The Chairmen of the Boards

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. Let's get right to this week's ...

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September 26, 2020

How to Successfully Invest in Sustainable Housing

By Enero Febrero

As we continue to move forward in the future, more and more thought is put into whether housing is sustainable or not. We also expand investment sectors to include more than just traditional housing, as cities and states reconsider regulations around ...

Continue reading How to Successfully Invest in Sustainable Housing

September 25, 2020

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