Schwab Commission-Free ETF List Review (Updated 2019)

Posted on April 7, 2019 // Leave a Comment

ETFs are surpassing mutual funds as the standard building blocks of stock and bond portfolios. Here’s a closer look at the latest updates to the Charles Schwab commission-free ETF list. While the commercials often focus on quantity instead of quality, I will do the opposite. Here are the factors that I think are important:

  • Total Assets. This is a measure of popularity and reputation. A more popular ETF will have a smaller bid/ask spread and won’t have to liquidate in a bear market. A more reputably ETF manager will have lower index tracking error. However, ETF size isn’t everything.
  • Index/Asset Class. What index does it track? Does that index cover an asset class that I want to include??
  • Cost. What is the expense ratio? Low costs are important.

Schwab Commission-Free ETF full list. This Schwab ETF OneSource page includes a full list of their 503 commission-free ETFs.

Brief history of changes. In early February 2019, Schwab announced that it would increase the number of commission-free ETFs on their list to 503 as of March 1st, 2019, including no early redemption fees (no minimum holding period). Here is the list of 246 added ETFs, including 90 iShares ETFs.

Schwab’s ETF OneSource started in February 2013 with 103 commission-free ETFs including many in-house ETFs. Schwab has become very competitive with Vanguard and iShares by developing their own brand of low-cost, index ETFs. Outside providers now include: Aberdeen Standard Investments, ALPS Advisors, DWS Group, Direxion, Global X ETFs, IndexIQ, Invesco, iShares ETFs, John Hancock Investments, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, OppenheimerFunds, PIMCO, State Street Global Advisors SPDR® ETFs, USCF, WisdomTree and Charles Schwab Investment Management.

In March 2017, Schwab dropped their standard stock commission to $4.95 per trade + $0.65 per options contract. In addition, expenses for the Schwab market cap-weighted index mutual funds were lowered to match their Schwab ETF equivalents. Schwab Index mutual funds now have no investment minimum.

Largest ETFs on Schwab Commission-Free ETF list. Here are the top 20 most popular ETFs on their list, sorted by largest total assets. Also listed are the asset class and expense ratios.

ETF Name (Ticker) Asset Class Expense Ratio
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) US Total Bond 0.05%
iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) US Corporate Bonds 0.15%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA ETF (USMV) US Low Volatility 0.15%
iShares TIPS Bond ETF (TIP) US Inflation-Protected Bond 0.19%
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) Short-Term Treasury Bond 0.15%
iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMB) Emerging Markets Bond 0.39%
Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF) International Developed 0.06%
iShares MBS ETF (MBB) US Mortage-Backed Bonds 0.09%
iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) International Country Stock 0.47%
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) US High-Yield Corporate Bond 0.49%
Invesco S&P 500® Equal Weight ETF (RSP) US Large-Capk 0.20%
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF (SCHX) US Large Cap Blend 0.03%
Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF (SCHB) US Total Stock 0.03%
iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) Interm-Term Treasury Bond 0.15%
iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF (MUB) Municipal Bond 0.07%
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) Long-Term Treasury Bond 0.15%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF (EFAV) International Developed Stock 0.20%
iShares Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (IGSB) US Short-Term Corporate Bond 0.06%
Invesco S&P 500® Low Volatility ETF (SPLV) US Large-Cap Stock 0.25%
iShares Edge MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) US Large-Cap Stock 0.15%

 

Lowest Expense Ratio ETFs on Schwab Commission-Free ETF list. Here are the top 20 cheapest ETFs on their list, sorted by lowest expense ratio.

ETF Name (Ticker) Asset Class Expense Ratio
Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF (SCHB) US Total Stock 0.03%
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF (SCHX) US Large Cap Blend 0.03%
SPDR Portfolio Large Cap ETF (SPLG) US Large Cap Blend 0.03%
SPDR Portfolio Total Stock Market ETF (SPTM) US Total Stock 0.03%
SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW) International Developed Stock 0.04%
Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (SCHZ) International Developed Large Cap Blend 0.04%
SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB) US Total Bond 0.04%
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG) US Large-Cap Growth 0.04%
SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF (SPYG) US Large-Cap Growth 0.04%
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF (SCHV) US Large-Cap Value 0.04%
SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF (SPYV) US Large-Cap Value 0.04%
Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF (SCHM) US Mid-Cap 0.04%
Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) US Small-Cap 0.04%
Schwab U.S. TIPS ETF (SCHP) US Inflation-Protected Bond 0.05%
Schwab 1000 Index ETF (SCHK) US Large-Cap Blend 0.05%
SPDR Portfolio Mid Cap ETF (SPMD) US Mid-Cap 0.05%
SPDR Portfolio Small Cap ETF (SPSM) US Small-Cap 0.05%
SPDR Bloomberg Barclays Corporate Bond ETF (CBND) US Corporate Bond 0.06%
Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF) International Developed 0.06%
Schwab Intermediate-Term U.S. Treasury (SCHR) US Treasury Bond 0.06%

 

Commentary. Overall, Schwab’s OneSource ETF list does include a good mix of Schwab ETFs with good management, low costs, and low bid/ask spreads. There are also a few good iShares and SPDR ETFs that could be potential ETF pairs for tax-loss harvesting. A DIY investor should find it easy create a diversified portfolio of ETFs according to their desired asset allocation, if you know what you are looking for. With 500+ ETFs, many will be short-lived duds, while still others are ETFs that track a very similar index but are much more expensive than the competition.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing, Reviews //

Best Interest Rates on Cash – April 2019

Posted on April 4, 2019 // 8 Comments

Here’s my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash for April 2019, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. The big news is that we are starting to see some slight rate drops in CDs! Folks who locked in at 4% APY may end up pleased they did. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to get an idea of how much extra interest you’d earn if you are moving money between accounts. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 4/3/19.

High-yield savings accounts
While the huge megabanks like to get away with 0.01% APY, it’s easy to open a new “piggy-back” savings account and simply move some funds over from your existing checking account. The interest rates on savings accounts can drop at any time, so I prioritize banks with a history of competitive rates. Some banks will bait you and then lower the rates in the hopes that you are too lazy to leave.

Short-term guaranteed rates (1 year and under)
A common question is what to do with a big pile of cash that you’re waiting to deploy shortly (just sold your house, just sold your business, legal settlement, inheritance). My usual advice is to keep things simple and take your time. If not a savings account, then put it in a flexible short-term CD under the FDIC limits until you have a plan.

  • No Penalty CDs offer a fixed interest rate that can never go down, but you can still take out your money (once) without any fees if you want to use it elsewhere. Purepoint Financial has a 13-month No Penalty CD at 2.50% APY with a $10,000 minimum deposit. Marcus Bank 13-month No Penalty CD at 2.35% APY with a $500 minimum deposit, Ally Bank 11-month No Penalty CD at 2.30% APY with a $25k+ minimum, and CIT Bank 11-month No Penalty CD at 2.05% APY with a $1,000 minimum. You may wish to open multiple CDs in smaller increments for more flexibility.
  • Colorado Federal Savings Bank has a 12-month CD at 2.86% APY ($5,000 minimum) with an early withdrawal penalty of 3 months of interest.

Money market mutual funds + Ultra-short bond ETFs
If you like to keep cash in a brokerage account, beware that many brokers pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the difference for themselves). The following money market and ultra-short bond funds are not FDIC-insured, but may be a good option if you have idle cash and cheap/free commissions.

  • Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund currently pays an 2.46% SEC yield. The default sweep option is the Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund, which has an SEC yield of 2.36%. You can manually move the money over to Prime if you meet the $3,000 minimum investment.
  • Vanguard Ultra-Short-Term Bond Fund currently pays 2.71% SEC Yield ($3,000 min) and 2.81% SEC Yield ($50,000 min). The average duration is ~1 year, so there is more interest rate risk.
  • The PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Bond ETF (MINT) has a 2.84% SEC yield and the iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR) has a 2.80% SEC yield while holding a portfolio of investment-grade bonds with an average duration of ~6 months.

Treasury Bills and Ultra-short Treasury ETFs
Another option is to buy individual Treasury bills which come in a variety of maturities from 4-weeks to 52-weeks. You can also invest in ETFs that hold a rotating basket of short-term Treasury Bills for you, while charging a small management fee for doing so. T-bill interest is exempt from state and local income taxes.

  • You can build your own T-Bill ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or via a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Fidelity. Here are the current Treasury Bill rates. As of 4/3/19, a 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 2.42% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 2.41% annualized interest.
  • The Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF (GBIL) has a 2.30% SEC yield and the SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) has a 2.25% SEC yield. GBIL appears to have a slightly longer average maturity than BIL.

US Savings Bonds
Series I Savings Bonds offer rates that are linked to inflation and backed by the US government. You must hold them for at least a year. There are annual purchase limits. If you redeem them within 5 years there is a penalty of the last 3 months of interest.

  • “I Bonds” bought between November 2018 and April 2019 will earn a 2.82% rate for the first six months. The rate of the subsequent 6-month period will be based on inflation again. More info here.
  • In mid-April 2019, the CPI will be announced and you will have a short period where you will have a very close estimate of the rate for the next 12 months. I will have another post up at that time.

Prepaid Cards with Attached Savings Accounts
A small subset of prepaid debit cards have an “attached” FDIC-insured savings account with exceptionally high interest rates. The negatives are that balances are capped, and there are many fees that you must be careful to avoid (lest they eat up your interest). Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others do. There is a long list of previous offers that have already disappeared with little notice. I don’t personally recommend or use any of these anymore.

  • The only notable card left in this category is Mango Money at 6% APY on up to $2,500, but there are many hoops to jump through. Requirements include $1,500+ in “signature” purchases and a minimum balance of $25.00 at the end of the month.

Rewards checking accounts
These unique checking accounts pay above-average interest rates, but with unique risks. You have to jump through certain hoops, and if you make a mistake you won’t earn any interest for that month. Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others do. Rates can also drop to near-zero quickly, leaving a “bait-and-switch” feeling. I don’t use any of these anymore, either.

  • The best one right now is Orion FCU Premium Checking at 4.00% APY on balances up to $30,000 if you meet make $500+ in direct deposits and 8 debit card “signature” purchases each month. The APY goes down to 0.05% APY and they charge you a $5 monthly fee if you miss out on the requirements. Find a local rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.
  • If you’re looking for a high-interest checking account without debit card transaction requirements then the rate won’t be as high, but take a look at MemoryBank at 1.60% APY.

Certificates of deposit (greater than 1 year)
CDs offer higher rates, but come with an early withdrawal penalty. By finding a bank CD with a reasonable early withdrawal penalty, you can enjoy higher rates but maintain access in a true emergency. Alternatively, consider building a CD ladder of different maturity lengths (ex. 1/2/3/4/5-years) such that you have access to part of the ladder each year, but your blended interest rate is higher than a savings account. When one CD matures, use that money to buy another 5-year CD to keep the ladder going.

  • Hanscom Federal Credit UnionBank has a 19-month CD special at 3.00% APY ($1,000 minimum) with an early withdrawal penalty of 6 months of interest. If you have a military relationship, Navy Federal Credit Union has a 6-month special at 3.00% APY and 17-month special at 3.25% APY.
  • 5-year CD rates have been dropping at many banks and credit unions, following the overall interest rate curve. A good rate is now about 3.25% APY, with The Federal Savings Bank offering 3.30% APY on a 5-year CD.
  • You can buy certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance and easy laddering, but they don’t come with predictable fixed early withdrawal penalties. As of this writing, Vanguard is showing a 2-year non-callable CD at 2.45% APY and a 5-year non-callable CD at 2.80% APY. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs listed by Fidelity.

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk, but I still track them to see the rest of the current yield curve.

  • Willing to lock up your money for 10+ years? You can buy long-term certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance, but they don’t come with predictable fixed early withdrawal penalties. As of this writing, Vanguard is showing a 10-year non-callable CD at 3.10% APY. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs from Fidelity. Matching the overall yield curve, current CD rates do not rise much higher as you extend beyond a 5-year maturity.
  • How about two decades? Series EE Savings Bonds are not indexed to inflation, but they have a guarantee that the value will double in value in 20 years, which equals a guaranteed return of 3.5% a year. However, if you don’t hold for that long, you’ll be stuck with the normal rate which is quite low (currently a sad 0.10% rate). I view this as a huge early withdrawal penalty. You could also view it as long-term bond and thus a hedge against deflation, but only if you can hold on for 20 years. As of 4/3/19, the 20-year Treasury Bond rate was 2.75%.

All rates were checked as of 4/3/19.



Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing //

Barron’s Best Online Broker Rankings 2019

Posted on April 2, 2019 // 7 Comments

Each year, Barron’s releases their list of top online brokers. I like read and share it, hoping to find deeper insights into industry trends and specific broker features. However, this year their 2019 rankings article is firmly behind a paywall. That is certainly their right, but it also discourages sharing and discussion. (I am a paying subscriber to the NY Times, WSJ, and Bloomberg Businessweek, but not Barron’s.)

However, hidden in a Merill Edge press release, I found that Merrill paid for a full article reprint which lets anyone read the main article for free. I could not find a way to view the their secondary rankings, i.e. “Top 5 for Long-Term Investors” or “Top 5 for Occasional Traders”.

Their rankings only include 14 brokers this year, which means several are being left out. Firstrade and Vanguard were mentioned only to state that they both declined to participate. Robinhood wasn’t ranked, just quickly dismissed with an offhand “they take payment for order flow”, even though many other brokers on their list like E-Trade and TD Ameritrade also take payment for order flow. I mean, TD Ameritrade made $320 million from order flow in 2017 alone! WeBull wasn’t even mentioned.

Commentary. Here is my own list of brokers that I think are worth considering, along with their pros and cons. If a family or friend asked me what I thought were the best online brokers, this would be my reply.

Interactive Brokers

  • Pros: Best for active traders. Low average commissions for active traders. Best trading interface for active traders. Proof: Their average account makes ~500 trades a year. Good interest rate on cash sweep.
  • Cons: Minimum commission of $10 a month for accounts under $100,000, or a minimum commission of $20/month under $2,000. This means you must pay them $120/$240 a year no matter what. Not set up for newbies.

Fidelity

  • Pros: Good all-around broker. Best customer service in my experience. Free ETF list. No more mutual fund minimums. Good index fund selection.
  • Cons: $4.95/trade for stocks and ETFs not on their list. Average cash sweep options.

Vanguard

  • Pros: The classic broker for low-cost index fund lovers. $0 trades on all ETFs, both Vanguard and non-Vanguard (iShares, Schwab, etc). Free trades on Vanguard index and active mutual funds. Excellent index fund selection. Excellent cash sweep options. No direct profit motive.
  • Cons: Not good for active traders. They’ve had some struggles with customer service due to their huge growth.

Merrill Edge

  • Pros: Best for those with a Bank of America checking account. 30+ free trades/month when you move over $50,000+ in assets across Bank of America and Merrill (Preferred Rewards program), even if just moving over a bunch of low-cost ETFs. Good customer service.
  • Cons: Below-average cash sweep options. $6.95 trades without Preferred Rewards relationship.

M1 Finance

  • Pros: My favorite amongst the new crowd of app-centric brokers and robo-advisors. Free stock and ETF trades. Fractional share ownership means full investment of any dollar amount. You can fully customize an asset allocation “pie” using stocks or ETFs, and it will automatically rebalance for free with no management fees. Basically a free robo-advisor that is fully-customizable.
  • Cons: Newer startup. If you really want to add banking features, that will cost extra. (I’d just skip it.)

Disclosure: I am now an affiliate of M1 Finance and TD Ameritrade, and may be compensated if you click through my referral link and open a new account. I am not an affiliate of Interactive Brokers, Fidelity, Merrill Edge, or Vanguard.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing //

Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium Feature Review: $30 a Month For Unlimited CFP Access

Posted on March 31, 2019 // 8 Comments

Schwab has revamped their Intelligent Portfolios “robo-advisor” service, renaming the upper tier to Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium and adding an in-depth financial plan and unlimited advice from a Certified Financial Planner for an additional upfront fee of $300 plus an ongoing $30 a month. Bloomberg compares this to a Netflix subscription:

Current users won’t have to pay the $300 fee, and they’ll be transitioned to the new pricing model as early as Thursday, but only once they have enough assets to make it more cost-efficient for them, at around the $125,000 level. The free version of the service, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, which automatically builds and rebalances exchange-traded fund portfolios as well as offering more limited guidance, will continue charging no advisory fee.

Feature comparison. The base Intelligent Portfolios product including the following features:

  • Design and choose an appropriate asset allocation.
  • Construct and maintain (rebalance) portfolio using ETFs.
  • Tax-loss harvesting.
  • No advisory fee*.
  • No commissions.
  • $5,000 minimum balance.

* You might see this referred to as a “free” (as it is by Bloomberg above) in that it charges no advisory fee on top of the underlying fees of the portfolio components. I’ll argue below that is it not really “free”.

Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium adds the following:

  • Unlimited 1:1 guidance from a Certified Financial Planner (CFP).
  • Personalized Action Plan and portfolio review with a CFP® professional.
  • One-time $300 initial planning fee and $30/month for unlimited guidance.
  • $25,000 minimum balance.

I agree that is a big shift in the portfolio management industry. A major player now offers unlimited access to a CFP for a flat fee of $30/month. CFP access is becoming a commodity. If you pay $15 a month for Netflix and $50 a month for unlimited cell phone data, why not pony up $30 a month for unlimited financial advice? I have pointed out previously that an overlooked feature of Blooom 401k advisory services was that they include unlimited CFP access in their $10/month fee.

I really like the idea of paying a flat fee instead of an asset-based fee for financial advice. I think this move from a big name like Schwab will attract some large portfolios from DIY investors. If you had a $500,000 portfolio, this would only be 0.07% of assets annually. I really hope Vanguard comes out with a flat-fee pricing option while still keeping their ability to work with your existing portfolio. Most robo-advisors, including Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, make you sell out of all your current positions and rebuy using their model portfolios. I have a lot of capital gains already such that selling would cause tax issues.

Schwab Intelligent Portfolios still has the same “catch” in their fine print, however. Every Schwab Intelligent Portfolios client is forced to hold a cash position of about 8% of the total portfolio in cash. More importantly, you also don’t have a choice in how they define “cash”. Here’s the fine print:

The portfolios include a cash allocation to a deposit account at Schwab Bank. Our affiliated bank earns income on the deposits, and earns more the larger the cash allocation is. The lower the interest rate Schwab Bank pays on the cash, the lower the yield. Some cash alternatives outside of Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Solutions pay a higher yield.

My primary concern is NOT that holding 8% cash is bad. It’s that the Schwab cash component that they force you to use is bad. As of 3/31/19, Schwab cash pays only 0.70% APY while the Vanguard Prime Money Market fund earns 2.46% SEC yield and a one-month Treasury Bill has a 2.43% yield. This gap may narrow or widen in the future.

If you assume a 1.50% drag on a 8% cash allocation, that’s the equivalent paying a 0.12% fee because you are losing that much in potential interest. As you grow older and/or become more conservative, the cash allocation grows as well. It is a guaranteed profit source for Schwab, and thus a guaranteed loss for you (not free!). This loss is not “cash drag”. If you wanted to argue that the return on cash is worse than a bond fund, “cash drag” would be an additional cost on top of this issue.

This is the equivalent of them making you hold an S&P 500 ETF with a 1.50% expense ratio instead of an equally-available S&P 500 ETF with an 0.03% expense ratio. People would be up in arms about that, so why not put up a fuss about this? The net fee may be still be a reasonable size, but this is not the type of behavior I am looking for in a service that I am supposed to entrust with my life savings. Just be upfront and charge me a fee. If Schwab replaces their cash component with a competitive money market fund or a simple allocation to Treasury Bills (make your own ETF, Schwab!) then I would get much more excited about this product.

Bottom line. Schwab is adding the ability to get unlimited human advice from a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) for $300 upfront + a flat $30 a month. I think this is a bold move that will affect the overall industry, but I still have concerns about their overall robo-advisor product that includes a low-interest cash component.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing //

Fidelity Commission-Free ETF List Review (Updated 2019)

Posted on March 28, 2019 // 6 Comments

ETFs are surpassing mutual funds as the standard building blocks of stock and bond portfolios. Therefore, I’m taking a closer look at the latest commission-free ETF lists from the major brokers. Unfortunately, the marketing often focuses on quantity instead of quality. Who cares if they offer 500+ ETFs, if I only need six good ones? Here are the factors that I think are important:

  • Total Assets. This is a measure of popularity and reputation. A more popular ETF will have a smaller bid/ask spread and won’t have to liquidate in a bear market. A more reputably ETF manager will have lower index tracking error. However, ETF size isn’t everything.
  • Index/Asset Class. What index does it track? Does that index cover an asset class that I want to include?
  • Cost. What is the expense ratio? Low costs are important.

Fidelity Commission-Free ETF full list. The main Fidelity ETF page currently advertises 357 commission-free ETFs (28 from Fidelity and 329 from iShares). The full list requires a log-in. Here is an outdated PDF which lists the 240 iShares ETFs (89 more have since been added). There are several good, low-cost options from the iShares Core Series of ETFs.

Recent changes. In early February 2019, Fidelity announced that it would match Schwab and increase the number of commission-free ETFs on their list to “more than 500” by the end of the month. However, in late February 2019 they announced that they added a few new Fidelity ETFs and 89 additional iShares ETFs (formerly 240) as part of a “first phase”.

In February 2017, Fidelity lowered the standard commission on online stock and ETF trades to $4.95 per trade, down from $7.95 previously. In August 2018, Fidelity announced a part of zero-expense ratio mutual funds, eliminated many account minimums, and cut a bunch of mutual fund expense ratios by getting rid of share classes.

Largest ETFs on Fidelity Commission-Free ETF list. Here are the top 20 most popular ETFs on their list, sorted by largest total assets. I have added in the asset class (index) and expense ratio.

ETF Name (Ticker) Asset Class Expense Ratio
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) US Large Cap Blend 0.04%
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) International Large Cap Blend 0.31%
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) International Large Cap Blend 0.08%
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) US Total Bond 0.05%
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) Emerging Markets Stock 0.14%
iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) US Mid Cap Blend 0.07%
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) US Small Cap Blend 0.19%
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) US Mid Cap Blend 0.07%
iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) US Large Cap Growth 0.20%
iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) US Large Cap Value 0.20%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) Emerging Markets Stock 0.67%
iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) US Corporate Bonds 0.15%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA ETF (USMV) US Low Volatility 0.15%
iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (IVW) US Large Cap Growth 0.18%
iShares TIPS Bond ETF (TIP) US Inflation-Protected Bond 0.19%
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) Short-Term Treasury Bond 0.15%
iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF (SHV) Short-Term Treasury Bond 0.15%
iShares Russell 1000 ETF (IWB) US Large Cap Blend 0.15%
iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) US Total Stock 0.03%
iShares Russell Midcap ETF (IWR) US Total Stock 0.20%

 

Lowest Expense Ratio ETFs on Fidelity Commission-Free ETF list. Here are the top 20 cheapest ETFs on their list, sorted by lowest expense ratio.

ETF Name (Ticker) Asset Class Expense Ratio
iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) US Total Stock 0.03%
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) US Large Cap Blend 0.04%
iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF (IUSV) US Large Cap Value 0.04%
iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF (IUSG) US Large Cap Growth 0.04%
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) US Total Bond 0.05%
iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF (IDEV) International Developed Large Cap Blend 0.07%
iShares Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (IGSB) US Short-Term Corporate Bond 0.06%
iShares Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (IGIB) US Interm-Term Corporate Bond 0.06%
iShares Broad USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (USIG) US Total Corporate Bond 0.06%
iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond ETF (STIP) US Inflation-Protected Bond 0.06%
iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) US Short-Term Bond 0.06%
iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (SLQD) US Short-Term Corporate Bond 0.06%
iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF (IUSB) US Total Bond 0.06%
iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) US Mid Cap Blend 0.07%
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) US Mid Cap Blend 0.07%
iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF (MUB) Municipal Bond 0.07%
iShares S&P Short Term National AMT-Free Bond ETF (SUB) Short-Term Municipal Bond 0.07%
iShares Core U.S. REIT ETF (USRT) US Real Estate 0.08%
iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV) US High Dividend Stock 0.08%
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEAFA) International Developed Large Stock 0.08%

 

Commentary. Fidelity’s list includes a good mix of iShares Core ETFs with good management, low costs, and low bid/ask spreads. An individual investor can easily create a diversified portfolio of ETFs according to their desired asset allocation. However, in their latest round of additions, they added a bunch of older iShares ETFs which were mostly more popular for professional traders and options buyers, not for long-term investors. For example, why would you buy EEM when you could buy IEMG with a much lower expense ratio? DIY investors need to choose carefully.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing, Reviews //

Sprint Free Year of Unlimited Data Promo Expired: Now $25/Month Kickstart With No Expiration

Posted on March 14, 2019 // 58 Comments

Update: Sprint has replaced this offer with their Sprint Kickstart plan, which offers unlimited talk, text, and unlimited data for $25/month and does NOT go up in price after the first year. You also don’t have to port-in from a postpaid carrier – simply bring over any phone that works with the Sprint network.

Below is the original post about the expired Free Year offer:

Sprint has an EXPIRED promotion (no TV, radio, newspaper ads, not even mentioned on front page of website) that is only available online to new customers who use the right link. If you sign up at their special link, bring over your own eligible smartphone, and port-in your phone number, Sprint will give you a free year of unlimited talk, text, and data. There is no requirement to continue service past that. I did have to pay approximately $3 to $4 a month in taxes and fees per line.

My experience.

  • Sprint will perform a hard credit check. They will check your credit, so be aware. It was worth it to me for the several hundred dollars in savings.
  • My total cost for two SIMs was $15.98 + sales tax ($2.99 each + $10 flat shipping). If you order by 2pm EST, they will send the SIM cards that same day by UPS Next Day Air.
  • Activation was quick and easy. The activation process was done 100% online, and it took under 20 minutes to swap SIM cards and port the existing numbers over. To complete activation after you get the SIM cards, you will need your SIM card #, phone IMEI/MEID #, and current carrier’s account number and PIN.
  • Some people have been successful switching from prepaid service, especially Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile Prepaid. However, they do state that they require port-in from a postpaid plan. Use the phone compatibility checker tool after you click “Get Started” here. Another tactic is to first move to T-Mobile’s cheapest prepaid $3/month plan ($10 minimum load) and then immediately port over to Sprint.
  • My total monthly bill always ranged from $6.xx to $7.xx including all taxes and fees for 2 lines. This matches with the online reports of monthly bills in the $3 to $4 range (per line) including everything.
  • No surprise fees or charges. We got what was promised for all 12 months with no funny business. I recommend their online Live Chat if you have any questions.
  • Sprint coverage is worse than my previous carrier (Verizon), but it’s acceptable. I primarily notice this in terms of slower data speeds. Sprint is definitely slower than Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile in my area. I get fewer bars of 4G LTE and occasionally I can only get 3G. I am not a heavy data user, so I feel the inconvenience is worth the $100 a month in savings. I haven’t had any problems with dropped calls or a complete lack of coverage. Check OpenSignal for a better coverage comparison in your specific zip code.

Important requirements and fine print:

  • You must bring over a phone that is already unlocked and compatible with Sprint (so that you just need to switch SIM cards). If you have AT&T or T-Mobile you may need to call them up and ask to unlock your phone. See list below, but be sure to use the phone compatibility checker tool after you click “Get Started” here.
  • You must own the phone(s) you’re bringing to Sprint. (Not on a lease plan.)
  • You must port-in a phone number.
  • You must still pay a small monthly fee: “standard $1.99 admin fee, $0.40 regulatory fee and other taxes and fees apply.”
  • The $30 activation fee is waived as part of this promotion. The fee will appear on your first bill and a credit will appear within 2 bills.
  • Requires a Sprint SIM card ($2.99 each + $10 shipping), paperless statements and Sprint AutoPay ($5/mo./line discount applied within two invoices). If AutoPay and eBill are removed, a $7.99/mo. charge will apply.
  • This deal is not available in any stores, you must sign up online through the special link above.
  • According to the terms, you must port-in from another postpaid carrier. Sprint requires a hard credit check on all new postpaid customers, including this offer.
  • If you keep the service past the first year, you will then start to pay $60/mo. for line 1, $40/mo. for line 2 & $30/mo./line for lines 3-5.
  • This plan also comes with Sprint Global Roaming, which includes “data up to 2G speeds and text messaging in any of our 165+ Global Roaming countries at no charge, plus calling for just $0.20 a minute.”

Details about the Sprint Unlimited Plan:

  • Unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data subject to the following limits below. Data deprioritization applies during congestion after 23 GB.
  • Stream video at up to 480p (DVD quality), music at up to 1.5mbps, gaming at up to 8mbps.

Here are select eligible phones. (Not the entire list! Use the checker tool to be sure.)

  • Apple iPhone 5c (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone 5s (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone 6
  • Apple iPhone 6 Plus
  • Apple iPhone 6s
  • Apple iPhone 6s Plus
  • Apple iPhone 7 (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone 8 (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone 8 Plus (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone SE
  • Apple iPhone X (Verizon only)
  • BLU S1/VIVO S
  • Essential Phone
  • Google Nexus 5 (16 & 32 GB – black/white/red) (Verizon only)
  • Google Nexus 5X (all versions)
  • Google Nexus 6 (32 & 64 GB – black/white)
  • Google Nexus 6P (all versions)
  • Google Pixel
  • Google Pixel XL
  • Google Pixel 2
  • Google Pixel XL 2
  • HTC One A9 (Sprint Version only)
  • LG X Charge
  • moto e4
  • moto e4 plus
  • moto g4
  • moto g4 play
  • moto g4 plus
  • moto g5 plus
  • moto g5s plus special edition
  • moto x pure edition
  • moto x4
  • moto z2 play
  • Orbic Wonder
  • Samsung Galaxy Note8 Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S7 Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S8 (Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile)
  • Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile)
  • Samsung Galaxy S8 Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S8+ Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S9 Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S9+ Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy Note9 Special Edition

If you don’t have one of the phones above, you could probably buy a new Android model for under $300 or a used one for under $100. If you prefer Apple iPhones, on the cheap end you could get a used iPhone 6S 64GB from $230 or used iPhone 7 for $305 and then get a brand new battery for $30, which should last you a while. Alternatively, you could just take the hundreds of dollars in savings and buy a new phone with it.

Bottom line. Sprint WAS offering an unadvertised promotion of unlimited talk/text/data FREE for an entire year if you bring over your own phone and port in a phone number. My wife and I were able to save $1,000 over a year with this promotion. The coverage wasn’t as good as Verizon in our area, but the savings was worth it. All we had to pay was about $3 to $4 a month in taxes/fees per line. There were no surprise charges.

Sprint NOW offers a “barebones” but still unlimited talk, text, and unlimited data for $25/month via their Sprint Kickstart plan that doesn’t go up on price after the first year. You can bring over any compatible phone (check with them) from any carrier.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Domino’s App: 10 Points Free Per Week = Eventual Free Pizza

Posted on March 14, 2019 // Leave a Comment

I find it interesting how Domino’s Pizza rescued themselves from oblivion by (1) improving the taste of their pizzas so they don’t remind you of cardboard and (2) fully embracing mobile (lazy) ordering. Their smartphone app lets you apply coupons easily, order quickly, and tracks your order in real-time. There have so many business articles about this turnaround that they created a website to track them all at PizzaTurnaround.com.

The Domino’s rewards program requires 60 points for a free Medium 2-topping pizza. Their new Points for Pie promotion will give you 10 free points a week with no purchase required. You must simply take a picture of any pizza* using their app. This works for up to 6 weeks for 60 points total, enough for a free pizza. Points expire 6 months after earning.

Bottom line. Free pizza. If you already had some points in this program like me, this promo can get you put you over the top.

* Hint: If you simply have picture of pizza on your computer and take a picture of that, digital pizza works. Just run an image search for “pizza”.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Amazon Prime Reading: Free $3 Amazon Credit w/ First Book

Posted on March 14, 2019 // 11 Comments

Amazon Prime reading has been around since 2016, offering “unlimited reading” from a rotating selection of books, magazines, and comics – all free for Amazon Prime subscribers. Right now Amazon is offering a free $3 Amazon credit when you borrow your first Prime Reading ebook. Easy few bucks if you’re a Prime member. Offer expires April 19, 2019.

The Prime Reading library consists of roughly 1,000 titles, which are basically a rotating sample of the bigger Kindle Unlimited library which costs $10 a month. But hey, free is free. It looks like they swap things out once a month. Here are some business and finance-related titles that caught my eye:

Besides a Kindle or Fire tablet, you can read using the Kindle app for iOS/Android, Kindle desktop app for PC/Mac, or simply use the Kindle Cloud Reader in a computer browser.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Marcus Bank $100 Bonus: Both New and Existing Customers

Posted on March 10, 2019 // 6 Comments

Update: This offer has expired.

I’m never really sure what to call it, but Marcus (formerly Goldman Sachs Bank) is offering a $100 bonus if you deposit $10,000+ in new funds into their online savings account within 10 days of enrollment at this special offer page. You must enroll by 11:59pm EST on 3/18/19 and maintain the new $10,000+ deposit for 90 days. They will deposit $100 into your account within 14 days, after those 90 days (got it?). Both new and existing customers are eligible, which is nice.

Offer available to new and existing customers. Each customer is limited to one bonus offer, which can only be applied to a single account. For eligibility purposes, each joint owner will be treated as a separate customer. For example, if you apply the bonus offer to a joint account, the remaining joint owner(s) may apply this offer to another account they own if they have not done so already. Offer not available to customers who are currently enrolled in a different bonus offer on an existing savings account. […] The bonus will be treated as interest for tax reporting purposes.

Basically a 1% bonus on $10,000 if you keep it there for 90 days, which makes it roughly 4% APY annualized. The bonus is on top of the standard interest rate, currently 2.25% APY as of 3/10/19. This combination makes it a great 3-month rate at that balance size when compared to my last monthly update of best interest rates.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Free Morningstar Premium Mutual Fund Reports via Public Library Card

Posted on March 6, 2019 // 16 Comments

Updated 2019. Let’s say you are a DIY investor and doing some research on some mutual funds. You decide to learn more about the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund. You pull up the Morningstar quote pages (ticker VWITX and VWIUX) and find some useful numbers, plus an analyst report hidden to the public as a “premium” feature.

You see a 14-day free trial and after some more clicking around, you discover that a premium membership to Morningstar costs $199 a year or $24 a month.

mstar_premium2

Now, I’d like to read the rest of that analyst report, but I’m not sure if it is worth the fee. Well, you may already have access to those analyst reports through your payment of local and state taxes. Yup, the good ole’ public library!

Many public libraries have a subscription to what is called the Morningstar Investment Research Center database. Most offer instant, online access via your library card number and PIN. You should look under the “Databases” or “Resources” section. Some only have a limited amount of offsite licenses, so you’ll have to either ask for a password or you’ll have to read them in a branch. Here’s a screenshot of my free report accessed from the comfort of my home, with all the good stuff blurred out of course:

I was also able to access their analyst reports for stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs, as well as the premium version of tools like Portfolio X-Ray.

Now, if your local library system doesn’t provide this access, you can also look at state libraries, university libraries, or other libraries in the region for which you are eligible. Finally, there are some public libraries that offer library cards to non-residents for an annual fee. For example, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library in North Carolina offers library cards by mail for $45 a year (Seniors 62+, $35 a year).

Non-residents of Mecklenburg County can obtain a Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card for an annual fee of $45.00. This amount is approximately equal to the annual property tax a Mecklenburg County resident pays to support the Library. A non-resident library card entitles you to the full services of the Library at all locations.

According to their website, they also offer access to the Morningstar database. $45 a year is still significantly less than $199 a year, and there are other library benefits like access to Libby/Overdrive eBooks and RB Digital magazines. However, I would call them to confirm before you plunk down $45 as the services they offer can change at any time.

That is just one example. Here are some more libraries with non-resident borrowing privileges, although I haven’t checked again in 2019 as to whether they offer M* access.

Bottom line. If you want to access reports and information from the Morningstar Premium section, check your local and state libraries to see if you can access it for free with your library card. Some public libraries also offer library cards to non-residents for an annual fee. However, if you are signing up for a specific service like Morningstar, I would call them up first and confirm that they are still offering it for non-resident cardholders before you pay any fees.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Frugal Living, Investing //

Best Interest Rates on Cash – March 2019

Posted on March 4, 2019 // 13 Comments

Here’s my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash for March 2019, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to get an idea of how much extra interest you’d earn if you are moving money between accounts. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 3/4/19.

High-yield savings accounts
While the huge megabanks like to get away with 0.01% APY, it’s easy to open a new “piggy-back” savings account and simply move some funds over from your existing checking account. The interest rates on savings accounts can drop at any time, so I prioritize banks with a history of competitive rates. Some banks will bait you and then lower the rates in the hopes that you are too lazy to leave.

  • Redneck Bank offers 2.50% APY on balances up to $50,000. CIT Bank Savings Builder is now up to 2.45% APY with a $100 monthly deposit (with no balance limit). There are several other established high-yield savings accounts at 2% APY and up.
  • Got a lot of friends or followers? You can 4.30% APY on up to $50,000 for 30 days via the Empower app, plus another 30 days for each friend that you refer to the. First month is free + 11 referrals = 4.30% APY for a year.

Short-term guaranteed rates (1 year and under)
A common question is what to do with a big pile of cash that you’re waiting to deploy shortly (just sold your house, just sold your business, legal settlement, inheritance). My usual advice is to keep things simple and take your time. If not a savings account, then put it in a flexible short-term CD under the FDIC limits until you have a plan.

  • Purepoint Financial has a 13-month No Penalty CD at 2.60% APY with a $500 minimum deposit. Marcus Bank 13-month No Penalty CD at 2.35% APY with a $500 minimum deposit, Ally Bank 11-month No Penalty CD at 2.30% APY with a $25k+ minimum, and CIT Bank 11-month No Penalty CD at 2.05% APY with a $1,000 minimum. No Penalty CDs offer a fixed interest rate that can never go down, but you can still take out your money (once) without any fees if you want to use it elsewhere. You may wish to open multiple CDs in smaller increments for more flexibility.
  • Hyperion Bank has a 13-month CD at 3.20% APY ($500 minimum) with an early withdrawal penalty of 3 months of interest.

Money market mutual funds + Ultra-short bond ETFs
If you like to keep cash in a brokerage account, beware that many brokers pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the money for themselves). The following money market and ultra-short bond funds are not FDIC-insured, but may be a good option if you have idle cash and cheap/free commissions.

  • Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund currently pays an 2.46% SEC yield. The default sweep option is the Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund, which has an SEC yield of 2.34%. You can manually move the money over to Prime if you meet the $3,000 minimum investment.
  • Vanguard Ultra-Short-Term Bond Fund currently pays 2.71% SEC Yield ($3,000 min) and 2.81% SEC Yield ($50,000 min). The average duration is ~1 year, so there is more interest rate risk.
  • The PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Bond ETF (MINT) has a 2.87% SEC yield and the iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR) has a 2.93% SEC yield while holding a portfolio of investment-grade bonds with an average duration of ~6 months.

Treasury Bills and Ultra-short Treasury ETFs
Another option is to buy individual Treasury bills which come in a variety of maturities from 4-weeks to 52-weeks. You can also invest in ETFs that hold a rotating basket of short-term Treasury Bills for you, while charging a small management fee for doing so. T-bill interest is exempt from state and local income taxes.

  • You can build your own T-Bill ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or via a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Fidelity. Here are the current Treasury Bill rates. As of 3/4/19, a 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 2.44% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 2.54% annualized interest.
  • The Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF (GBIL) has a 2.30% SEC yield and the SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) has a 2.21% SEC yield. GBIL appears to have a slightly longer average maturity than BIL.

US Savings Bonds
Series I Savings Bonds offer rates that are linked to inflation and backed by the US government. You must hold them for at least a year. There are annual purchase limits. If you redeem them within 5 years there is a penalty of the last 3 months of interest.

  • “I Bonds” bought between November 2018 and April 2019 will earn a 2.82% rate for the first six months. The rate of the subsequent 6-month period will be based on inflation again. More info here.
  • In mid-April 2019, the CPI will be announced and you will have a short period where you will have a very close estimate of the rate for the next 12 months. I will have another post up at that time.

Prepaid Cards with Attached Savings Accounts
A small subset of prepaid debit cards have an “attached” FDIC-insured savings account with exceptionally high interest rates. The negatives are that balances are capped, and there are many fees that you must be careful to avoid (lest they eat up your interest). Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others do. There is a long list of previous offers that have already disappeared with little notice. I don’t personally recommend or use any of these anymore.

  • The only notable card left in this category is Mango Money at 6% APY on up to $2,500, but there are many hoops to jump through. Requirements include $1,500+ in “signature” purchases and a minimum balance of $25.00 at the end of the month.

Rewards checking accounts
These unique checking accounts pay above-average interest rates, but with unique risks. You have to jump through certain hoops, and if you make a mistake you won’t earn any interest for that month. Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others do. Rates can also drop to near-zero quickly, leaving a “bait-and-switch” feeling. I don’t use any of these anymore, either.

  • The best one right now is Orion FCU Premium Checking at 4.00% APY on balances up to $30,000 if you meet make $500+ in direct deposits and 8 debit card “signature” purchases each month. The APY goes down to 0.05% APY and they charge you a $5 monthly fee if you miss out on the requirements. Find a local rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.
  • If you’re looking for a high-interest checking account without debit card transaction requirements then the rate won’t be as high, but take a look at MemoryBank at 1.60% APY.

Certificates of deposit (greater than 1 year)
CDs offer higher rates, but come with an early withdrawal penalty. By finding a bank CD with a reasonable early withdrawal penalty, you can enjoy higher rates but maintain access in a true emergency. Alternatively, consider building a CD ladder of different maturity lengths (ex. 1/2/3/4/5-years) such that you have access to part of the ladder each year, but your blended interest rate is higher than a savings account. When one CD matures, use that money to buy another 5-year CD to keep the ladder going.

  • Hyperion Bank has a 19-month CD at 3.50% APY ($500 minimum) with an early withdrawal penalty of 6 months of interest.
  • Mountain America Credit Union has the following certificate rate: 2-year at 3.25% APY 3-year at 3.35% APY, 4-year at 3.25% APY, 5-year at 3.51% APY ($500 minimum deposit). MACU can be joined via a partner organization for a one-time $5 fee, usually right on the online application. Note: The 2-year and 3-year certificates have an early withdrawal penalty of 180 days of interest, and the 4-year and 5-year certificates have an early withdrawal penalty of a full year (!) of interest.
  • You can buy certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance and easy laddering, but they don’t come with predictable fixed early withdrawal penalties. As of this writing, Vanguard is showing a 2-year non-callable CD at 2.60% APY and a 5-year non-callable CD at 3.00% APY. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs listed by Fidelity.

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk, but I still track them to see the rest of the current yield curve.

  • Willing to lock up your money for 10+ years? You can buy long-term certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance, but they don’t come with predictable fixed early withdrawal penalties. As of this writing, Vanguard is showing a 10-year non-callable CD at 3.25% APY. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs from Fidelity. Matching the overall yield curve, current CD rates do not rise much higher as you extend beyond a 5-year maturity.
  • How about two decades? Series EE Savings Bonds are not indexed to inflation, but they have a guarantee that the value will double in value in 20 years, which equals a guaranteed return of 3.5% a year. However, if you don’t hold for that long, you’ll be stuck with the normal rate which is quite low (currently a sad 0.10% rate). I view this as a huge early withdrawal penalty. You could also view it as long-term bond and thus a hedge against deflation, but only if you can hold on for 20 years. As of 3/4/19, the 20-year Treasury Bond rate was 2.93%.

All rates were checked as of 3/4/19.



Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing //

Discount Mags Employee Discount Sale

Posted on March 1, 2019 // 2 Comments

DiscountMags.com is running their Employee Discount Sale through Monday, March 4th at 11:59pm ET. These sales usually only run for a few days and are good for gifts or locking in a low price for a few years. Here are some sample magazine prices during the sale.

  • Consumer Reports Magazine. 1 year 13 issues for $18.75 ($1.44/issue)
  • Outside Magazine. 1 year, 12 issues for $4.66 ($0.58/issue)
  • ESPN. 1 year 12 issues for $4.54 ($0.38/issue)
  • Women’s Health. 1 year 12 issues for 4.84 ($0.48/issue)
  • Men’s Health. 1 year 12 issues for 9.56 ($0.96/issue)

Importantly, DiscountMags does NOT require auto-renewal, where they charge your credit card automatically at the end of the subscription period at a higher price. I have used them in the past. This mean you never have to call in to cancel, and makes it easier to shop for another deal later. No sales tax either.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //
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