End of April 2009 Financial Status

April was a very busy month, however, hopefully I will find some extra time May now that my favorite TV shows are starting to wind down and my Bulls are out of the playoffs. My posting has been infrequent with all of the sports playoffs and my annual trip to Boston for my fraternity’s alumni event. In April, I was able to complete my second goal of 2009 by fully funding my Roth IRA for 2008. I had a few unusual payments to make this month, but the market rebound allowed me to continue the upward trend of my net worth, which is exactly what I was hoping for at the end of March.

Cash

My cash took a significant hit in April as I transferred $5,000 into my Roth IRA for 2008’s contribution. I also made a few unusual payments that further decreased my available cash. I had to pay for my new laptop, my ticket to Boston, expenses for my business trip (that I am currently reimbursed for) and a ridiculous mortgage refinancing fee (even though my refinance was declined, more about this later). Also, my Bassett credit card, which allowed me to finance some furniture for 6 months of 0%, had to be paid before all of the interest was tacked on to what I owed. Next month my cash position will definitely increase as I don’t have any extraneous payments.

Investments

The stock market continued its rally through the end of April. Additionally, I put an extra $5,000 into my Roth IRA. Even without the IRA contribution, my stock assets increased by nearly $2,000! My Sharebuilder account finally credited me with the account sign up bonus. Now I have to figure out which stock to invest the bonus in. I finally added my Lending Club account into my net worth calculations. I only have one note funded, but it is still current. I am starting to get too many asset categories. I will most likely switch to a taxable and non-taxable tracking method.

Liabilities

Once again my liabilities only decreased by the standard car and mortgage payment amounts. I’ve had a hiccup in the process of refinancing my mortgage. I’m still hoping to refinance in the near future, which will increase my liabilities by rolling the closing costs into the loan. This will be beneficial in the end as it will decrease my monthly payment.

Net Worth

My net worth increased by 1.2%. The increase in the stock market allowed me to continue my upward trend despite a large number of non-recurring expenses. In the near future, I will be working on refinancing my mortgage, opening a high interest checking account and funding my solo 401k and Roth IRA for 2009.

Random Thought

Last week I mentioned that I really wanted to see the Bears get Jay Cutler, and they did!!! Happy Jay Cutler day! I’m proud of the way my Bulls fought the Celtics for 7 games. I can’t wait for next year. On the day chicago got back from boston, Derrick Rose was already in the Berto Center working on his shot. Look out.