The age-old debate of which sport is the most boring has gone on for far too long. Of course, every sports fan has their own opinion, but which one is so painfully dull that you can barely stay awake watching it? It may come as no surprise that there is one particular sport that tends … Read more
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the costs associated with getting an abortion (travel, lodging, child care, etc.) are expected to rise.With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the costs associated with getting an abortion (travel, lodging, child care, etc.) are expected to rise.
The post The New Financial Costs of Getting an Abortion appeared first on Money Under 30.
Table of Contents What is the VA Loan Limit? How to Apply for a VA Home Loan? What is the Median Home Price? What are the VA Appraisal Fees? Do I need Flood Insurance? How do I learn about Property Taxes? What is the Population? What are the major cities? About Benton County Veteran Information […]
The post Benton County, Indiana VA Home Loan Information appeared first on VA Home Loan Centers.
Earlier this month, I shared a link to a comprehensive guide to certified pre-owned vehicle programs. In doing so, I mentioned that Kim and I both believe that you should drive a car until it dies. This prompted a great question from Tired Scientist in the comments. She wrote:
Exactly what is the definition of “until it dies”? My husband and I have gone around and around on this question ourselves. We both believe in driving a car “until it dies”, but disagree slightly on the definition of thisâbecause, unlike with the human body, almost all problems on a car are fixable given enough money.
[…]
When is a car considered “dead”? When the cost of repairs exceed the value of the car? When the average monthly cost of repairs exceeds the amount a car payment would be? Is my husband right, and the car is “dead” once it tries to make you dead?
I’m not sure there’s any one right answer to this question. There are several ways to decide that a car is dead, and it’s up to you to decide which definition applies to you. Let’s look at a decision I made recently — then talk about what other people think.
In April 2009, after years of wanting one, I bought a used Mini Cooper. I paid $15,600 to purchase a 2004 Mini with 60,000 miles on it. I’ve had that vehicle for over eight years now, and I’ve put another 75,000 miles on it. In that time, I’ve spent less than $1000 on repairs — until recently.
I love my Mini. I love how compact it is. I love its fuel economy. (It still gets over 30 miles per gallon even at this age!) I love how fun it is to drive. And I love how reliable the car has been despite not always being treated well. During our 15-month RV trip around the U.S., Kim and I towed the Mini behind the motorhome — and we used it for the kinds of off-road adventures that Minis were never intended to have.
That said, my Mini has started to show its age. Parts that are expected to wear out have begun to wear out. Plus, problems have begun to appear.
Two weeks ago, for instance, the car died while climbing the 16% grade near our house. The clutch went up in a cloud of stinky, stinky smoke. When I had the car towed to our mechanic, he found evidence that the transmission was failing. “It’ll cost about $1600 to fix the clutch,” he said. “And I found a used transmission I could install for about $1900.”
As much as I love my Mini, $3500 is a lot of money to put into repairs for an older car. In fact, that’s nearly as much as the car is worth! (According to the Kelley Blue Book website, my 2004 Mini Cooper is worth roughly $3741 if I were to try to sell it to a private party. It’s worth much less in dealer trade-in value.)
I had a decision to make: Do I scrap the Mini and buy a replacement? Or do I make the repairs and continue to drive an older car?
Refinancing pushed the volume of mortgage loan applications to one of its biggest week-over-week increases in ten months, during the period that ended February 3. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of that volume, jumped 7.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier and was 8.0 percent higher on an unadjusted basis. The Refinance Index was 18.0 percent higher than the previous week and the refinance share of application activity rose to 33.9 percent from 31.2 percent. Volume, however, is still 75 percent lower than the same week one year ago when the share of applications was at 56.2 percent. [refiappschart] The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index gained 3.0 percent week-over-week and was 4 percent higher on an unadjusted basis. Volume was down 37 percent from the same week in 2022. [purchaseappschart] âApplications rose last week as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate inched lower to 6.18 percent, its fifth consecutive weekly decline. The 30-year fixed rate is almost a percentage point below its recent high of 7.16 percent in October 2022,â said Joel Kan, MBAâs Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. âBoth purchase and refinance applications increased last week and have shown gains in three of the past four weeks because of lower rates. Overall applications remained 58 percent lower than a year ago and rates are still significantly higher, however, this weekâs results are a step in the right direction. Purchase activity that was put on hold last year due to the quick runup in rates is gradually coming back as rates ease and housing demand remains strong, driven by supportive demographics and the ongoing strength in the job market. â
Practically untouched since 1957, this time capsule comes with polka dot wallpaper, a soda fountain (that still works!) and an underground tunnel.
New research suggests that intensive blood pressure treatment might slow — or even reverse — damage thought to contribute to dementia.
When I was younger, it was virtually impossible to save extra money. That’s what I told myself, at least. Truth be told I had plenty of extra money to save I just chose to spend it instead. I know I’m not alone in this. It’s been reported over half of Americans don’t have at […]
The post 12 Simple Ways to Save an Extra $7,712.60 this Year appeared first on Good Financial Cents®.
Betterment’s new SmartDeposit automated saving functionality can be a great way to increase your savings. How? By making investing automatic.
The post Betterment’s New SmartDeposit Feature Can Make Saving Automatic appeared first on Bible Money Matters and was written by Peter Anderson. Copyright © Bible Money Matters – please visit biblemoneymatters.com for more great content.
If you’re attempting to build credit from scratch, a gas credit card can help. That’s because, similar to other types of credit cards, gas credit cards report your payments to the three major credit reporting bureaus. Further, gas cards are good for building credit because they tend to be easier to get approved for than […]
The post Does a Gas Credit Card Help Build Your Credit Score? appeared first on SoFi.