10 Stocks to Avoid in 2009

This is the second part of SmarterSpend.com series on managing your stock market funds.

In the first part of my series, I highlighted the best performing stocks in the 2008 year, including the dismal third quarter, and analyzed the significance of the recession on stock performance in the upcoming fiscal year. I will use the same approach to identify 25 key stocks that every investor should avoid in 2009. The key to finding successful stocks in a recession this deep is identifying the effects of the lack of money supply to consumers, businesses, and corporations.  Read more...

Stocks You Need to Have in 2009

In the past four months, the US stock markets have found themselves in a state of havoc. The Dow Jones has now fallen almost 50% from its previous highs in 2007, NASDAQ dropped from about 2,700 to a current level of 1,400, and the     S & P has also dropped in similar proprtions, from a high of 1540 in the third quarter of 2007, to a current level of 764.90. Whole companies have been wiped out in a matter of days from rapid drops, retirement funds have lost trillions of dollars, American automobile manufacturers were barely saved with emergency government funding, and the entire American banking system is on the verge of collapse.  Read more...

Secrets for Successful Job Hunting

During the Great Depression, a man walked 800 miles on his search for a job and Soviet companies with offices in the United States reported about 200 job applications per day from jobless Americans who wanted to go to work in the USSR.

Fortunately for us, 75 years later,  the job finding process is much easier. However, during a recession people automatically assume that there are no jobs available because a few of their applications got rejected or were never responded to. As an applicant, you have to keep in mind that in the current economy, if you want a job that pays enough for your qualifications, there are certain things you have to remind yourself of:  Read more...

30 Ways to Save Money in College

College can be a difficult time financially for many students. Most students have heavy course loads which make it difficult to work and maintain good grades.  Almost every successful college graduate can look back and remember the time when they were “starving students.” If you have looked through all the available loans, grants, and scholarships and are still finding it difficult to save money, this list may be for you.

Money Management Tips:
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1. Get a free checking and savings account. Make sure you shop for a bank that can cater to student and doesn’t have any hidden fees. Also, be sure you can check your account online for additional charge.

Who Will Be the Next Economic Superpower?

“The sun never sets on the British Empire” was a popular phrase heard during the Victorian era in Britain. For many years leading up to World War I, the phrase held true, the British navy controlling the sea, using imperialistic tactics in dominating global commerce, and allowing British at home to enjoy the merits of a powerful state.  Read more...

High Paying Jobs Still in Demand for 2009

Even during a rough economy, there are always booming job sectors for the qualified candidate. Recently, I was watching Nightline’s episode on the Repo Man, a man that made about 800 dollars a day repossessing cars from owners who defaulted on their payments. Here was a man, at the crossroads of two sinking industries (finance and automobile), but actually benefitting. After watching this show, I decided to give my visitors an opportunity to read about more booming jobs in 2009. Everyone knows that economists measure the health of a nation’s labor force by the unemployment rate (the percentage of people that are capable of working who don’t have a job). Even with the current job cuts and downward economic spiral, the total number of jobs in the USA will actually increase by about 11 million people due to a growing population. Of course, these job probably won’t be distributed evenly throughout different industries (sorry finance majors).  Read more...

2009 Best & Worst Housing Real Estate Markets

Let’s start with the good news: Historically, housing prices don’t drop consecutively for more than a few years. In cases where they do drop more than a few years, the reduction rate is very little. With the current credit crisis and a record 19 million vacant homes in the country, there is no shortage of houses to buy if you have the money, although I recommend waiting out until mid- July. Experts predict another 25% drop in prices by the end of 2009. If you’re looking for a house, these upcoming months could be the best time. Here is a graph of the change in average US home prices:

As with all good news, there is always some bad news. In this scenario, the bad news heavily outweighs the good news. Several of the once booming housing markets, such as the Inland Empire in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, have seen the worst drops in prices.  Detroit, home of the automobile Big Three, is probably going to never recover from the losses this decade as thousands of jobs have been lost and houses are selling for next to nothing (a 0-16 football team probably didn’t help either). Prices are plummeting nationwide, there is no money to fill in the vacancies, and more homes are being foreclosed every day. We could be in for a hellish two years. This list attempts to quantify the specifics of the housing market in larger metropolitan areas in the US by ranking the biggest drops in house prices (worst areas) and the best areas (least drops/ increases)  Read more...

Most Affordable Cities for College Graduates

With the average college graduate leaving school with nearly $19,000 in debt, a city’s economic situation should be the first factor in deciding where to move. Many cities have high rent costs and a smaller starting salary for entry level positions. Others have econonic stagnation and no jobs available. However, on the other end of the financial spectrum, some cities are hiring more than others. As you might have guessed, every city has felt the effects of the serious recession – but cities with higher levels of federal employment have not been affected as much. I base my rankings on job growth, entry level salary, diversification of indusry, and average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment.
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Best Fast Food for a Dollar or Less!

A lot of you might now know about the large selection of fast food available to you for under a dollar. Most of the larger fast food chains have a dollar menu with food thats cheap. Fast food chains do this to lure you in to purchase other food so that they can make a profit. For example, a buddy of mine, who owns a few McDonald’s franchises told me he loses about a dime on each thing he sells from the dollar menu, but combine that with a drink, and he makes a hefty profit. It’s almost a win-win, you get food for cheap and the restaurants make money. Enough with the introduction, I’m sure all of you are wondering what exactly you can get for under a dollar.  Read more...

14 Ways to Save Money on Your Car

Vehicle upkeep can very expensive if you’re not a mechanic. Cars, like most other human creations, are faulty. Actually, this is called planned obsolescence and is the manufacturers way of making sure your car breaks down or begins to give you a steady source of problems so that you buy a new car. Thus, you will spend more of your money. However, right from the beginning, vehicles can be quite an expense – from purchase to maintenance (along with mandatory payments during use- such as insurance and gas). As many of you guys know, mechanics have a way of bringing the worst out of your car, so there are a few steps we must take to ensure we aren’t wasting money.  Read more...