The Christian Dollar | Kevin Mercadante

About Kevin Mercadante

With backgrounds in both accounting and the mortgage industry, Kevin Mercadante is a professional personal finance blogger, and the owner of OutOfYourRut.com, a website about careers, business ideas, money and more. A committed Christian, he lives in Atlanta with his wife and two teenage kids.

Entries by Kevin Mercadante

Should You Give More than You Save?

May 31, 2013 /4 Comments/in Giving, Saving Money /by Kevin Mercadante

You give 10% of your income to your church and to the needy. You also save 20% of your pay for retirement, investments and for a rainy day. Is there anything wrong with that arrangement?

How to Handle Tough Job Interview Questions

May 27, 2013 /0 Comments/in Jobs /by Kevin Mercadante

Few of us are completely okay with job interviews. There’s the fact that we are facing judgment of sorts – either we will be hired or we won’t. We’re also voluntarily subjecting ourselves to grilling by strangers. And then of course, there’s always the unknown – there’s just no way of knowing exactly how it will turn out.

Gold – It’s Not Magical After All

May 8, 2013 /0 Comments/in Investing /by Kevin Mercadante

It often seems that gold only gathers national attention when it’s either setting a new record price, or going through a freefall. In recent weeks we’ve witnessed the freefall, and the media frenzy that accompanied it.

Can You Retire Early in 10 Years?

May 6, 2013 /4 Comments/in Retirement /by Kevin Mercadante

Let’s say that you want to retire 10 years from today – no matter what your age – is that even possible? It is, but you’ll have to rearrange your life in ways that most people are not willing to do.

Social Security Benefits for Children of Deceased Parents

April 17, 2013 /3 Comments/in Children /by Kevin Mercadante

You no doubt have life insurance and financial assets that they will inherit that will help provide for their care until they are adults. But one overlooked resource is Social Security benefits for children of deceased parents.

Early Withdrawal Penalty Exemptions on IRAs

March 29, 2013 /0 Comments/in Retirement /by Kevin Mercadante

IRAs aren’t just for retirement anymore. You can use proceeds from your IRA to cover a wide range of specific expenses, and the dreaded 10% early withdrawal penalty will not apply. You will still have to pay the regular income tax on the distribution in most cases, but since you most likely got a deduction as a result of the contribution, this is only fair. Here are some of the more common early withdrawal penalty exemptions for IRAs.

The First Rule of Home Buying: Buy Less House than You Can Afford

March 25, 2013 /3 Comments/in Money Management /by Kevin Mercadante

A home is a very large, long-term investment. The biggest decision you will make about it will be made at the time you buy it. All other decisions you make later will be governed by what you did at closing time. It’s not a stretch to say that buying less house than you can afford could be the single biggest financial decision you will make.

Not Enough Money for Retirement? Start a Business!

March 13, 2013 /0 Comments/in Retirement /by Kevin Mercadante

It’s always important to save as much for retirement as you can, and if you can’t you’ll need to have a solid Plan B lined up just in case. One of the best backup plans you can have for retirement is owning your own business and there are several reasons why.

How to Not be Paralyzed by Fear, Worry and Anxiety

March 11, 2013 /0 Comments/in Bible and Money /by Kevin Mercadante

How can we experience fear, worry or anxiety without allowing them to disrupt our lives in a major way?

Why Now is the Worst Time for an ARM Mortgage

February 25, 2013 /1 Comment/in Mortgages /by Kevin Mercadante

With the mortgage meltdown still fresh in our minds, it seems unlikely that anyone would take an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM). Yet ARM loans are back, and yes, homebuyers are opting to take them. Here’s what you need to know.