Pepper Gift Card App: $20 Bonus w/ $200 Purchase (New Users)

Update 4/23: Looks like the party is winding down. Pepper no longer sells Amazon or Sam's Club gift cards when purchasing with credit cards. You can still redeem using points. 10X on Chipotle and DoorDash is all that remains. I would … [Read the rest]

Southwest Becomes Just Another Commodity Airline (Basic Economy, No Checked Bags, Less Legroom, Paid Seating)

The big news in travel is that Southwest Airlines has basically given up their unique "We are different!" corporate identity and become just another commodity airline that tries to look as cheap as possible upfront (only $200!) while adding multiple … [Read the rest]

BlackRock/iShares Target Allocation 60/40 Model ETF Portfolio (Meant for Advisors)

As a companion to my post on Fidelity Model ETF Portfolios, I also found Blackrock's version of their 60/40 Model ETF portfolio. The was prompted by the fact that Blackrock recently announced that it was adding a 1-2% allocation to Bitcoin in … [Read the rest]

Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards: Up to 90,000 Bonus Points (Valid at Vacasa Home Rentals)

Updated with limited-time offers. The Wyndham Rewards Earner credit cards currently all have increased bonuses of up to 90,000 points. While these are not the highest amounts offered ever, they are above the normal bonuses. This hotel-chain … [Read the rest]

Best Interest Rates Survey: Savings Accounts, Treasuries, CDs, ETFs – March 2025

Here's my monthly survey of the best interest rates on cash as of March, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Banks love taking advantage of our idle cash, and you can often earning more money while keeping the same level of safety by … [Read the rest]

Raisin Marketplace: Up to $400 Deposit Bonus (and Why I’m Skipping It)

Raisin is a financial marketplace that allows you to access high-interest certificates of deposit and savings accounts from multiple different banks and credit unions without having to open up a new account at each one. Right now, they have some new … [Read the rest]

SGOV, STIP, TIP iShares ETFs: Claim Your State Income Tax Exemption (2024/2025)

As a follow-up to my posts for Vanguard and Fidelity money market funds, iShares ETFs (Blackrock) has also recently released their US GOI percentages for 2024 tax year. US Government Obligation Interest (US GOI) like Treasury bills and bonds are … [Read the rest]

Canadian Pension Plan Fund: High-Fee Active Structure Lags Passive Index Benchmark Over Last 5 Years

The Canada Pension Plan Fund (CPP) is one of the two major components of Canada's public retirement income system, along with Old Age Security (OAS). The CPP mandates that all employed Canadians age 18+ to contribute a certain percentage of their … [Read the rest]

Fidelity Target Allocation ETF Model Portfolios (Meant for Advisors)

One of my older relatives used Fidelity to manage their investments, and it was a hodgepodge of over 10 different mutual funds with a total expense ratio nearing 1%. The last time I measured its long-term performance, it lagged the benchmark … [Read the rest]

Personal Finance Stack: Portfolio Simplification Progress for 2024

I recently found a handwritten note from early 2024 that outlined my goals to "SIMPLIFY!" my portfolio. The overall idea was to make things easier for my spouse to manage in case something happened to me. Even though I still have a rat's nest of … [Read the rest]

TastyTrade Referral (Important Correction!)

Update: I'm very sorry, I was in a rush and read the offer wrong. There is no $500 for the referred person. Please don't open and fund. If I end up getting a $500 reward for referring you, I will send you the $500. However, I don't have a way … [Read the rest]

Berkshire Hathaway 2024 Annual Shareholder Letter by Warren Buffett

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) released its 2024 Letter to Shareholders (also see full 2024 Annual Report), which Warren Buffett traditionally also uses as an educational instrument. As always, I recommend reading it yourself (only 13 pages total this … [Read the rest]