For those of you that not only have an interest in personal finance but also in overall success and motivation, you may want to check out Karl’s blog. He posts daily inspirational thoughts and messages to aid in personal growth and development. On Monday he posts different “Random Acts of Kindness” and on Friday he posts a “Friday Factoid”.Karl Moore is a writer and an entrepreneur, and he wants to share what he’s learned. He’s got a section of inspirational quotes and another focused on self-development. There really is a lot you can learn from his website. So check it out for yourself. It’s well designed and very easy to navigate. You also might learn something.

Many people wonder whether Certificates of Deposit (CDs) are really worth looking into, much less investing in. And there’s good reason for this with the high rates one may earn with a money market fund. Whether you’re interested in them or not, it’s nice to understand how they work. You never know when a CD might be just the thing for some situation.

The Low-Down

When one purchases a certificate of deposit, he/she invests a fixed amount of money for a specific amount of time. Typical durations are 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, or 5 years although this could vary. While the money is invested, the issuing institution pays you interest usually at regular intervals. You receive the original amount plus any accrued interest when the CD matures. It sounds simple enough, but there are a few things to look out for before you invest.

Watch Out For…

Most CDs come with an “early withdrawal” penalty. If you may need the money at some point during the term, a CD probably isn’t the right product for you. Any interest earned would probably be negated by the penalty charged. If you’re sure you won’t need the money during the chosen term, you won’t have to worry about this type of penalty.

You’ll also want to look into whether the CD you’re considering has a “call” feature. These are mostly found with longer term CDs. When a certificate of deposit is callable, the bank has the right to terminate the CD and return the principle and any unpaid accrued interest. The investor does not have this right. Banks will use this feature if interest rates fall and they can issue CDs at a lower rate.

You’ll also want to confirm the interest rate and know whether it’s fixed or variable. You should receive a disclosure document that details all of this information. You will also want to know when the interest will be paid, be it semi-annually or monthly. If something isn’t clear to you, make sure you ask all the questions you need in order to be completely comfortable with your decision.

With all of the ups and downs in the market these days, people are wondering whether it’s a good time to invest or pull out. There is a lot of fear in the market and investor perception is constantly changing. There are large gains seen on any given day followed by huge sell-offs the next. Amidst all this you may be wondering yourself what your best option or path forward is.

All of this activity in the equity markets can be summed up and described as volatility, and in times of increased market volatility it’s natural for people to be a little leery. Interestingly however, increased market fluctuations are actually better for an investment strategy known as dollar cost averaging.

Briefly explained, one invests a set amount of money at set intervals. For example, you would invest $200 every 2 weeks. As a result, a larger quantity of the underlying investment would be bought when the price is down and less is bought when the price is high. The average price of the investment over time is then necessarily closer to the lower purchase prices.

This strategy may be used in a stable market, but it’s benefits are greatly amplified in a more volatile market because of the large price swings. This strategy is not a substitute for choosing quality investments. It is more concerned with acquiring a quality investment at a low price point (on average). So don’t let the fluctuating markets deter you from investing. Just find a way to have the current conditions work in your favor and perhaps give you an advantage.

Online Discount Mart is running an end of summer promotion. They’re getting rid of their home and garden products like windmills, fiber optic flowers, floating pond fountains and hammocks. They have a wide variety of products including some very unique offerings. With Labor Day approaching and signaling the end of summer, now is a great chance to pick up some great deals.This is a sponsored post.

One of the big stories in the news today was about the estate of Leona Helmsley. She was a real estate billionaire who, in her will, left a $12 million trust fund to her dog, a white Maltese. She also left $5 million apiece to two of her grandchildren while the other two grandchildren get nothing. The dog got more than all the grandchildren combined.

I can’t believe the insanity of the whole situation. This is just another prime example proving that money does not make the person. I fear that too many people believe that they’ll change once they’ve “arrived”. If you’re stingy, resentful, or begrudging, no amount of money will change that.

You won’t be more charitable if you had millions of dollars. You won’t treat those around you with respect because you no longer have to worry about money. Decide what kind of person you’d like to be, what qualities you admire in others, and start becoming that person and developing those qualities. You don’t want to end up like Mrs. Helmsley.

Congratulations on reading the 200th post of Fiscal Musings. The most dramatic change in the last 100 posts is the new look of the blog. I ditched the dark background and went with something a little more pleasing to the eye (in my opinion at least).

Also during the last 100 posts, I went on a baseball tour to seven different stadiums in seven days. It was a great time and you can check out some other posts about it in the July archives.

I still see this blog as being in the beginning stages so you can expect much more to come. I’m looking forward to applying to graduate business schools now that I’ve taken the GMAT and I’ll keep you updated with all the latest on that front.

If there are topics you’d like to see covered in the future, questions you’d like answered, or just another opinion you’d like to hear on some subject, please don’t hesitate contact me. Also, make it easy on yourself to get the latest from this blog and…

If you haven’t already started thinking about the holidays and the upcoming shopping season, you’re probably not alone. Even though I’ve mentioned before that it would be a good idea to set aside some money each month for the holiday season, the vast majority of people don’t.

There are, however, opportunities to save money on gift items. One of these opportunities is the day after Thanksgiving, or Black Friday as it’s also known. There is now also a website at www.black-friday.net which aims to aid you in your search for great items from your favorite stores.

The site has the Black Friday ads from some of the most popular retailers including Circuit City, Comp USA, Game Stop, The Home Depot, Kohl’s, Old Navy, and Target. I was perusing the Best Buy ad and noticed that there are over 100 items listed there. At this website, you’re supposed to be able to purchase the items online instead of having to stand in line at 4 or 5 in the morning. This would be really nice since it seems that the stores open earlier and earlier every year.

You’re also able to sign up for email alerts so you’ll be aware when new Black Friday ads have been posted. So check out Black-Friday.net to see how you can save some cash on items you’re interested in this holiday season.

This is a paid post.