Back in April I wrote a post about some of the slick marketing techniques that companies will use to try and get your business. I’m not going to say that it’s always intentionally misleading, but it can sort of be deceptive at times. Here are a few that I’ve run across recently:

1. Refinance to save hundreds every month.

I’ve actually heard this one on the radio quite a bit over the last couple months, and while it can actually be true and financially beneficial, it isn’t always. If you refinance to a lower rate it’s very possible that you’ll save money. Even so, when many people refinance they end up extending the term of the loan since that’s the only other way a mortgage company can lower a monthly payment. If you’ve only got 10 years left on your mortgage and you refinance into a 30 year loan to lower your payment, you may not actually be saving yourself anything. You just need to make sure you understand what you’re actually doing and the associated terms.

2. Buy this because I did.

You’ll usually see this type of advertising with celebrities. One such example is the American Express ad that has a well known personality who says “…that’s why I’m a card member. Are you…?” You’ll also see a lot of commercials where normal everyday people endorse a product and tell you why you should as well. I believe it’s a great idea to get other’s opinions but you’ve got to make sure that it’s objective. When looking into a purchase, just make sure you make an informed decision.

3. Limited Time Offer.

I’ve heard this one countless times. I’ve heard it in DVD advertisements and time share sales pitches. This tactic is employed in order to give you a sense of urgency and make you think that if you don’t act you’ll regret you’re decision later when it’s too late. If you think about this rationally though, they’re still selling time shares and all other products that were once advertised this way. [Note: The only exception I’ve seen is the Disney Movie Vault.] Don’t let yourself be rushed into a decision. There will always be another great deal.

These are only some of the tricks that marketers employ to try and get you to buy something. If you’ve seen any others, feel free to share them in the comments.

Among other areas of business and personal finance, one of my key interests is real estate investing. And I’m not just talking about buying and selling, or what’s more commonly known as flipping. I’m talking about rental real estate as well. Anyone who has dealt with rental real estate either personally or in their job responsibilities knows about all of the different issues that you case with property management. That’s why Buildium has developed online property management tools. This software can aid you if you’re a landlord, professional property manager, or in charge of a home owner’s association. If you’re looking for a way to organize your property management efforts, check out their website to see what they have to offer.

Even though this time of year is supposed to be a joyful time spent with family and friends, it isn’t always as relaxing as we all may wish. Unfortunately, the holiday season can sometimes be just as stressful as the rest of the year. And you’re supposed to be on vacation. In order to reduce some of your stress this time of year, here are a few tips:

• Schedule certain days and times for your holiday shopping and block it out on your calendar. Take with you a list of gifts you want to purchase.
• Don’t feel obligated to attend every event you’re invited to. Limit it to your favorite and most meaningful occasions.
• Have the store put together any gifts that require assembly.
• Have gifts wrapped at the store or use gift bags.
• If you need to ship gifts, look into a delivery service that will pick up your packages at your home.
• Use useful items such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste and deodorant as stocking stuffers.
• Keep your decorating simple by limiting it to some of your favorites
• Tell your children to keep their wish lists to a handful of items. Consider spreading some of the more expensive gifts out through the year for birthdays and such.
• Don’t put the whole burden of entertaining on yourself. Assign guests to bring certain dishes and desserts.

These are just some of the ways that you can reduce your stress levels this holiday season. I’m sure there are many others. If you’ve got some other ideas, we’d love to hear about them in the comments.

I have also added two new blogs to the blog list in the sidebar:

• Clever Dude
• How I Save Money

If you would like your blog considered for a link in the blog list and a mention in an upcoming post, let me know either in a comment or via email.

When you start to invest or begin looking at your different options of what to invest in, it is paramount that you understand what you’re investing in. This concept applies to many aspects of our lives, but here I’m focusing on investing. You’ve got to understand what you’re doing.

There are so many options available to us these days that it can be extremely tough to choose where to put your money. There are full service brokerages, self service brokerages, retirement accounts (both employer sponsored and not), mutual funds, individual stocks, real estate (residential, commercial, etc.) and so much more. If you understand how money is made in each of these investments you can do quite well for yourself. If, however, you’re not sure how they work, you can also lose a lot of money.

I’m sure most all of you have seen those late night infomercials telling you how easy it is to make money in something like real estate. And I’m sure there are all sorts of opinions on this subject as well. Well, the truth is that there is both money to be made in real estate and money to be lost. Donald Trump is a typical example of someone who knows how to make money in real estate and you probably know someone who has lost money in real estate. The difference, I submit, is that some understand the game and others don’t.

The stock market is another place where some people make money and others lose money. There are people like Warren Buffett and (once again) there are plenty of others who have lost a ton of money in the market. I don’t think anyone will dispute that Warren Buffett understands how the market works and how to profit from it. Those who continually lose money in the market probably don’t understand it like they should.

So what does all of this mean for us? What should we invest in and how? It may behoove us to step back and instead of wondering what to invest in, decide what we understand or what we want to understand better. If you’re interested in the stock market, begin by researching how one makes money in it. Just because you’ve heard that you can make a lot of money through options trading doesn’t mean that you know how to. Someone you know may have made some money by shorting a stock. Does this mean that you should all of a sudden start shorting stocks?

Now, instead of realizing all of the things that you don’t understand, take the time time to educate yourself in areas of investing that interest you. Perhaps you can find a mentor of sorts that knows how to do what you want to do. There are also a ton of books at the local library with a wealth of information on various investing topics. It may be time to invest a little time in yourself before you start investing your money.

1. With the end of the year (quickly) approaching, you may want to take one more look at your tax situation for 2007. Here’s an article from MSN about 10 tax goofs many of us keep making. Also, to reduce your coming tax bill, consider upping your 401K contributions on your last paycheck or two.

2. A big issue among many young people and in general is how to combine your finances when you’re a couple. U.S. News and World Report put out an article dealing with His and Her Accountability. It talks mostly about the benefits of having separate finances at least on some level. While I’m not a proponent of that way of handling things, I don’t mind at least hearing another point of view.

3. Being friendly may not just make you feel good, but it may also pay great dividends in the end. At least that’s what one couple found out when their friend passed away. They were left $20 million in her will. The family of the deceased wasn’t very happy, and they appealed in court. But hey, maybe if they had been nicer and kept in better contact… sometimes the nice guy doesn’t have to finish last.

Oftentimes when people are struggling financially it affects them emotionally as well. They will often refer to themselves as being poor, or have that label applied by others. While you may view this as a discussion of semantics, I think there is value in the distinction.

Dictionary.com defines poor as the following:

1. having little or no money, goods, or other means of support
2. Law. dependent upon charity or public support

When viewed in light of this definition, there aren’t really that many people that can consider themselves truly poor. If you’re in debt and are struggling to pay your bills, it doesn’t really make you poor. There are still things that you have to be grateful for, such as a job that allows you to support yourself and all of your possessions even though you may not view them as plentiful.

Broke on the other hand means that you’re “lacking funds”. This is usually more of a temporary situation or something that can more easily be overcome. You may be broke until you get your next paycheck, but that doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily poor.

The reason I’m going into this is because of those among us who actually are “poor”. There are those who are unable to support themselves and are definitely less fortunate than most of the rest of us. Instead of falsely lumping ourselves in this category with them, we ought to take some time to count the many blessings and privledges that we do in fact enjoy. And especially at this time of year, it would be a nice gesture to help someone in need who may “actually” fall into the poor category.

More and more often you’ll hear advertisements on television and radio from mortgage companies wanting you to refinance your home and consolidate debt that you may have on credit cards. They’ll even tell you to refinance and pull out money to use for your holiday shopping instead of using your credit cards. In the midst of all this however, credit cards may be getting a bad rap. After all, when used responsibly, they can be great tools. You can find 0% balance transfer credit cards or even 0% credit cards if you shop around for the right card that fits your specific needs. As long as you stay up with your accounts and the current offers you have with them you could actually benefit from their use.