How to Use a Prepaid Debit Card to Protect Your Checking Account

If your bank or credit union has been offering you free prepaid debit cards, you should look at their program. These are not necessarily "gift" cards. There are a few subtle differences between prepaid debit programs. Just recently I began using a prepaid debit card my credit union has been promoting. For months I thought … Continue reading How to Use a Prepaid Debit Card to Protect Your Checking Account

A Simple Investment Strategy Anyone Can Use

You can invest in the stock market with as little as $100.  Although all mutual funds require you to make a minimum investment, it is possible to find good index funds that require as little as $100.  By signing up with a good index fund (I prefer to track the Standard & Poor 500 index, which is the most stable) you can make small contributions and still grow your wealth in the stock market.  Unlike buying shares of stock through an online broker, if you go directly with the fund manager you avoid many of the fees that independent traders incur.

Can You Really Earn a Living by Gambling?

We have all heard of the professional gambler.  We can even watch professional poker tournaments on television where people play for very high stakes running into the thousands of dollars.  But how practical is it really to live the life of a professional gambler?  Let's take a look at the pitfalls and probabilities of success in this lifestyle.