Personal Finance and Money Management

I’m sure most of you guys have heard of a bottled drink called Fanta. For those of you unaware, it’s available around the world in various flavors, usually fruit based (orange, grape, strawberry, etc.) It’s bottled by Coca-Cola on a local level, hence why certain areas have flavors that others don’t. What’s much more interesting is the story about how Fanta was introduced.

Back in 1941 in Nazi Germany, the local Coca-Cola bottler was in a pickle. They wanted to sell Coke, but couldn’t import the syrup because of that pesky World War that was going on. When a local bottler signed their distribution contract with the main company, there was one main stipulation- that the Coca-Cola syrup be purchased directly from the company. The head of

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About a year and a half ago, we paid off our mortgage. The issue of whether you should pay off your mortgage early or invest has always been a hot topic in financial circles, but I can tell you this much:

We haven’t regretted our decision to pay off our mortgage. Not even once.

Of course, just because we’ve paid off our mortgage doesn’t mean that we’re living for free. We still face a number of expenses, including property taxes, routine maintenance, homeowners insurance, etc. So just how much do these things really cost?

Let’s start with property taxes. Property taxes vary widely based on location, but around here they average about 1% of a home’s assessed value per year. Unfortunately, the only real way to combat this bill – aside from moving to a less expensive home – is to appeal your assessment. The good news i

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