My Money Blog

Reader Poll: Do You Still Have a Landline Telephone?

Posted on May 26, 2011 // 42 Comments

A recent government study found that over 25% of Americans now rely solely on a cellular phone for calls. In some states, over a third of people were wireless-only. This is a growing trend, and I wonder if you readers are any different? If … [Read the rest]

Fidelity App now has BillPay, Funds Transfer, & Remote Check Deposit

Posted on May 26, 2011 // 3 Comments

Fidelity Investments has just added some handy new features to their Apple iOS and Android OS apps. You can now use their BillPay service, transfer funds between accounts, and deposit checks remotely via camera. Before, you were limited to … [Read the rest]

American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Review – The Numbers Behind The Non-Profit

Posted on May 25, 2011 // 44 Comments

I've been getting letters from the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) for years now, and another one arrived yesterday. Their stated goal is to "assist individuals in becoming effective managers of their own assets through … [Read the rest]

Crunching The Numbers & Looking Into The Crystal Ball

Posted on May 24, 2011 // 9 Comments

While catching up on some reading over the weekend, I found two articles that both dealt with large issues that we'll have to face over the next few decades. Predicting the future is always difficult, but sometimes the numbers can seem very … [Read the rest]

Chase Sapphire Card 10,000 Points = $100 Cash w/ No Annual Fee

Posted on May 20, 2011 // 12 Comments

Previously, I posted about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which is currently offering 40,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. This is quite a good deal, as 50,000 points can be redeemed for $625 in … [Read the rest]

Reminder: Savings Bonds Monthly Purchase Deadline Tips

Posted on May 20, 2011 // 7 Comments

Here's a reminder regarding an opportunity to buy savings bonds near the end of May and receive an annualized return of 2.51% over the next 11 months. This would be 1% more than the highest current CD rates, with potential for continued higher … [Read the rest]

Yet Another Housing Bubble Video: Hitler the Flipper

Posted on May 20, 2011 // 6 Comments

We've all probably seen enough YouTube videos about the housing crash to last us a lifetime, but this one still made me smile. Hitler as a real estate flipper? It's embedded below, but here is the direct link for those RSS readers who can't see … [Read the rest]

PayPal Offers Remote Check Deposit on iPhone and Android Devices

Posted on May 19, 2011 // 29 Comments

PayPal announced today that you can now deposit checks in your PayPal account via photo upload from both Apple iOS [iTunes] and Android OS devices. Just sign the back of the check, take a picture of the front and back, type in the amount, and … [Read the rest]

Book Review: Rework by Fried and Hansson of 37Signals

Posted on May 18, 2011 // 6 Comments

Rework is a book written by the founders of 37Signals, a company that makes online collaboration software like BaseCamp. They also write about running small businesses on their blog Signal vs. Noise. It is readily admitted that this book is a … [Read the rest]

DIY Dining Table from Reclaimed Building Materials – Recycled Basketball Court Flooring

Posted on May 17, 2011 // 7 Comments

Ever since I stopped moving every year, I've wanted to get a big dining table, something that could fit at least 8 people. Finding one big enough at a retail furniture store was difficult, and when I did find it they were really expensive. … [Read the rest]

GigWalk: Get Paid For Simple Jobs With An iPhone

Posted on May 16, 2011 // 1 Comment

Help yourself pay for that $30 a month data plan by putting that iPhone to work! :) New iPhone app GigWalk pays users to take pictures of specific objects, record audio/video, or verify something live in person. For example, client TomTom … [Read the rest]

Vanguard Lower Minimum Investment On Target Retirement Funds to $1,000

Posted on May 13, 2011 // 12 Comments

Effective May 11st, Vanguard has lowered the minimum initial investment on their Target Retirement Funds to $1,000, down from $3,000. Thank goodness, as this avoids having everyone pointing out that the Vanguard STAR fund was the only one with … [Read the rest]