Miranda Marquit

Miranda is a freelance writer and professional blogger. She has her M.S. degree in Magazine, Newspaper and Online Journalism from Syracuse University and has been writing professionally for more than five years. Her work has appeared in magazines and online, and she writes a column for her local newspaper.

Miranda is especially interested in personal finance topics. She writes the AllBusiness Personal Finance Corner, and is a contributor at MainStreet.com and several other financial web sites. Her writing on personal finance has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, NPR and CNN Money.

With a passion for making finances accessible to everyone, Miranda writes about everyday ways you can start building wealth.

1 2	Posts by Miranda Marquit

Do You Know Your Spending Habits?

By Miranda Marquit Monday, March 08, 2010, 06:15 AM Category: Money Matters

Understanding your spending habits is one of the most important things to consider as you try to overcome your personal recession and build wealth. Before you can change your behaviors and start saving more money , you need to understand what you are doing, and figure out where your problem areas are. This means tracking your spending and getting to know your spending habits. Studies report that the...
Book Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Money with Craigslist

By Miranda Marquit Monday, March 01, 2010, 06:54 AM Category: Money Matters

You have probably heard of Craigslist . It's a place to go to see classified-type listings for goods and services. If you are savvy about it, it's even possible for you to make decent money with Craigslist. But it helps to know how to most efficiently use the site. Enter The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Money with Craigslist , by Skip Press. If you are looking to beat a personal recession...
Save Money on Cell Phones: Go Pre-Paid

By Miranda Marquit Monday, February 22, 2010, 06:27 AM Category: Money Matters

Last week, I wrote about eight ways you can save money on your cell phone bill . One thing that was not mentioned was the fact that it is also possible to get a prepaid cell phone plan. These plans can be a great way save money on cell phone use. In fact, the Citizens Utility Board figures that it is possible to save up to $300 or more on cell phone bills - just by switching to a pre-paid plan. One...
Eight Ways to Cut Costs on Your Cell Phone Bill

By Miranda Marquit Monday, February 15, 2010, 06:03 AM Category: Money Matters

You know that the cell phone bill often gets a little out of control. And no matter what kind of coupons or deals you have when you first get a cell phone, it's clear that the costs soon get out of hand. There are, however, some things you can do to reduce the amount of money you spend on your cell phone bill, helping you keep your personal recession in check. ShopSmart , a Consumer Reports publication...
Taxing Questions: Tax Deduction or Tax Credit?

By Miranda Marquit Monday, February 08, 2010, 06:00 AM Category: Money Matters

With tax season in full swing, it is little surprise that many are wondering about the ins and outs of the whole tax return thing. You may have your tax prep checklist , but one of the main issues that trips many people up is whether something is a deduction or a credit. And what's the difference, anyway? Understanding the difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit can help you plan for...
Five Tips for Beating a Personal Recession

By Miranda Marquit Monday, February 01, 2010, 06:10 AM Category: Money Matters

The economy may have moved out of a technical recession, but many people still see their finances affected by adversity. Another consideration is the fact that, even if things start looking up, it is quite possible that another recession strikes. In fact, this is quite likely since the economy moves in cycles. There will always be down times and if you want to shore up your personal finances against...
Savvy Savings: Retail Markdown Lingo

By Miranda Marquit Monday, January 25, 2010, 07:33 AM Category: Money Matters

Sometimes we get very excited at the prospect of a sale price. But saving money isn't just about believing what retailers tell you is a good deal. You need to understand the inside story of retail markdown lingo, and what those advertisements really mean. "As advertised" : This is my favorite. Retailers will put a price in a sales flier, and then put a little tag on the item that says...
Reader Question: Why Do Employers and Insurers Need My Credit Score?

By Miranda Marquit Monday, January 18, 2010, 06:59 AM Category: Money Matters

Last week, in my post about improving your credit score , I pointed out that employers and insurers look at your credit score, in addition to financial institutions. This piqued one reader's interest and she emailed me with this question: Why do employers and insurers need my credit score if they aren't lending me money? This is a great question, and one that is asked a lot. The fact of the...
Five Tips for Improving Your Credit Score

By Miranda Marquit Monday, January 11, 2010, 07:21 AM Category: Money Matters

One of the most important aspects of your financial life is your credit score . Whether or not you think that the system is fair, or rigged, or just plain annoying, the fact of the matter is that your credit score is a big determining factor in a number of financial transactions. It can determine what sort of interest rate you get on a loan (potentially saving you thousands of dollars) and even whether...
Conquering Holiday Debt

By Miranda Marquit Monday, December 28, 2009, 06:17 AM Category: Money Matters

Christmas is over, and for many of us, that means it's time to confront our bills. Many have good intentions as they shop with credit cards during the holidays , but perhaps things got just a little bit out of control. However, the goal should be to get rid of the holiday debt as soon as possible. Not only is it a bummer to be paying the extra interest, but this extra interest will destroy the...