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Recent Articles by Ari Weinberg

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Lessons from the Value Set

Monday Oct 26, 2009

When value investors gather, skepticism reigns. Read on for more tidbits from the Value Investing Congress.

Don't Snooze Through Open Enrollment

Thursday Oct 15, 2009

Open enrollment season is upon us. Make sure to wake up to changes in your benefit programs.

Who Will Protect Us from the CFPA?

Friday Oct 9, 2009

President Obama wants to push for a consumer financial protection agency. Could a new regulator do more harm than good?

The Wisdom of Twits

Monday Oct 5, 2009

StockTwits, built on top of the Twitter social networking platform, offers investors of any stripe the chance to learn more about the world of stock trading.

Take It to the Bank

Wednesday Sep 30, 2009

The recent installment of the Finovate conference stresses the warmth and comfort of your own bank as opposed to the flashy new sites of the past.

Vacation is No Time to Be Lazy

Tuesday Sep 29, 2009

A budget-smart traveler knows to avoid tourist traps and excess souvenirs, which trims a little off the top. But what if you want to save more?Here are a few pointers from my last trip:Book Early and Watch the Price: Check the cancellation policy, then go ahead and book. (Just be careful with airlines.) As for resorts, hotels, and ...

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Recent Comments

Commented on: Personal Finance is Never Personal

FiLife Contributor

Kristen J. Gough said

10 days ago

Interesting. I read a story today that said many parents are shrinking their kids' 529 plans--just not enough money to invest in any extras. You're right finance is a family affair.

Commented on: Credit Cards vs. Student Loans: Which Debt to Pay?

Newcomer

alderwoodct said

15 days ago

Howard, 3 of my cards have interest rates of less than 3%, while 5 of my law school loans (totaling about $50k) are between 7% and 8%. Clearly, you would say to pay the student loan first. However, and especially in this economy, it's important to remember that our jobs are not completely secure. If I lose my job, I can defer law school loans, while the same cannot be said for credit card debt.

Commented on: Personal Finance is Never Personal

Newcomer

Sean Cruz said

24 days ago

Yeah Ginger it is might be true..

Commented on: Credit Cards vs. Student Loans: Which Debt to Pay?

FiLifer

Howard said

about a month ago

This should be a non-question/issue. You always pay down the instrument with the highest interest rate first - that is unless you enjoy paying more overall. I don't know of many credit cards that have interest rates lower than student loans - so 99.44% of the time, always pay the max you can afford to pay off the credit card first, with minimum required payment to the student loan. I cannot get over the arguments that some of the experts put forth regarding paying off things that have lower balances/rates first for a "confidence boost". People who find themselves carrying credit card debt from one month to the next got into the problem situation because of their poor habits in the past. Why advise them to make more financial mistakes in paying it off?

Commented on: Who Will Protect Us from the CFPA?

FiLife Contributor

Morris Armstrong said

about a month ago

Nor were mortgage rates! When coupled with the new propensity for "strategic defaults" and declining values it is no wonder that underwriting has tightened. Rates are good for those with very good credit. We may have been spoiled.

Commented on: Who Will Protect Us from the CFPA?

FiLife Contributor

Ari Weinberg said

about a month ago

Unsecured consumer credit rates, IMHO, are becoming more grounded in reality but asset-backed loans (mortgages, cars) are down as are borrowing rates for companies. Heck, firms are even getting equity capital. So, sure, credit card rates may be moving higher but soaring default rates are showing that risk wasn't accurately priced.

Commented on: Who Will Protect Us from the CFPA?

FiLife Contributor

Morris Armstrong said

about a month ago

Ari I am not sure that I agree with your statement that the borrowing costs for everything else are at an all time low. Certainly day to day money is cheap and the rates you earn on deposits is minimal however the premium that people and companies pay to borrow is high. Perhaps that is the way it should be, a more realistic assessment of borrowers risk is appropriate.

Commented on: Who Will Protect Us from the CFPA?

FiLife Contributor

J David Lewis said

about a month ago

"If you truly want a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, start with yourself, your own financial education and then start working on your friends and family. Sure, the government should be there for you, but you need to be there first." I hope to see a good debate over the issues of financial services reform. One of the great things about the debate over healthcare reform has been all the issues I understand so much better than I did before. I believe a similar debate over financial services will help people in similar ways. Maybe we will see how institutions respond to difficult questions. That may help us know who we can trust. Seeing the issues raised just might help people make better decisions, no matter how the final regulations turn out.

Commented on: Your Stake in Healthcare Reform

FiLifer

echealth said

2 months ago

Al, it is easy to ask that question, but realistically if you don't have car insurance are you in danger of dying? There was just a study on the amount of deaths attributed to going without health insurance and the numbers are staggering and in fact lower than acutality. I am not though disagreeing with your point though! You are indeed 100% correct there is no good reason to make employers responsible for health care, and this plan that is being proposed either with our without the public option is just silly. Either the government takes over health care or they don't. Medicare is a joke that is ruining the country's economic future and as the boomers get set for retirement it is increasingly likely that the entire program will implode. This is why it is so imperative that if there is to be health reform it is either all or nothing. I am a fiscal conservative, but Keynesian economics are no longer to me or most respected economists anyways, consider hypothesis, but are actual economic facts. Certain things are supposed to be run by the public authority and health care is proving itself to be one of those. http://echealthinsurance.com/blog has the actual mortality figures. I am a health insurance brokerage owner, and I stand to lose more than anyone as I am also an employer, should health care reform pass. But I can no longer handle the heartbreak of seeing people put in these predicaments that have no solutions.

Commented on: Insurance Reform Not Healthcare Reform

Staff

Mike Chimirev said

2 months ago

Our generation is BROKE!!!

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