Acknowledging Our Feelings About Stock Market Wobbles

I read far too many parenting books, and now I know it is important to acknowledge our feelings. That doesn't mean we can respond however we want, be we should be conscious and identify the feelings when they arrive. Adults could extend this the … [Read the rest]

Mint Mobile Security: Improve Login Security with Authenticator Apps & Number Lock

I still use Mint Mobile for cell service, now paying $240 a year ($20 a month) for 15 GB of data each month. (There is usually a promo for new customers, I think 3 months free if you buy 3 months.) I upgraded from the lower 5GB tier in order to let … [Read the rest]

Morningstar Target Date Retirement Fund Report 2024: Highlights for DIY Investors

Morningstar recently released its 2024 Target-Date Strategy Landscape Report (free download with e-mail address). This is mostly targeted at industry professionals as opposed to individual investors, but I still like to read through it each year. … [Read the rest]

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Review: 90,000 Bonus Points worth $1,125 Towards Travel

Business credit cards can be used by self-employed or side-gig workers with eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Uber/Lyft, DoorDash/Grubhub, Adsense or other 1099 income that make you a sole proprietorship. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has an improved … [Read the rest]

Berkshire Hathaway Asset Allocation: What’s Inside a Share of BRK.B?

Whether you are a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder or just curious about what Warren Buffett's "masterpiece" looks like today, here is an interesting graphic from Sherwood News. Essentially, this is the asset allocation of BRK.B, broken down into … [Read the rest]

Why I Finally Froze All of My Credit Reports

For the first time in forever, I have frozen all of my credit reports at the three major credit bureaus (Equifax Freeze, Experian Freeze, TransUnion Freeze). The balance between the guaranteed hassle of maintaining a credit freeze and the potential … [Read the rest]

Savings Bonds: Converting Paper to Electronic at TreasuryDirect (My Experience)

After dealing with the estate of a family member, I saw firsthand the benefits of simplifying my financial situation. (They need a better term than "death cleaning".) If not for me as I get older, definitely for my wife and/or kids in the future. … [Read the rest]

Huge NPD Data Breach: Check If Your Social Security Number is Leaked

Could this be the biggest data breach ever? National Public Data (NPD), a background check company, was hacked in December 2023 and they finally admitted to have exposed the full Social Security Numbers from nearly everyone in the United States … [Read the rest]

Fidelity Adds Multi-Factor Authentication with Authenticator Apps

Fidelity just added the ability to use any Authenticator app with standard TOTP multi-factor support. TOTP stands for Time-based One-Time Password. This includes Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Duo, and 1Password. Previously, you … [Read the rest]

Capital One Spark Cash Plus Review: $2,000+ Cash Bonus + 2% Cash Back

Updated with new big bonus for big spenders. The card_name is a rewards business charge card offering a big early spend bonus offer in addition to ongoing unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases (or better). Instead of a standard credit card where … [Read the rest]

Vanguard How America Saves 2024: 401(k) Retirement Plan Stats

Vanguard recently released the 2024 edition of their annual How America Saves report, a detailed, 113-page report targeted at industry professionals which looks across millions of their 401k, 403b, and similar defined-contribution retirement plans. … [Read the rest]

A Wider View of the Long-Term Returns of Stocks (Different Countries and Time Periods)

Professor Edward McQuarrie has recently published the final part in his 3-part series about long-term stock returns at the CFA Institute: Don’t Bank on the Equity Risk Premium What Price Risk? Unpacking the Equity Risk Premium (Part … [Read the rest]