My Money Blog

Series I Savings Bonds: Inflation Protection + Decent Interest?

Posted on March 23, 2008 // 15 Comments

The Federal Reserve continues to slash short-term rates, so right now looks like a good time to take a second look at Series I Savings Bonds since they are not directly tied to such rates and also offer protection from inflation. I-Bonds Quick … [Read the rest]

Treasury Bond Minimum Now $100, But Nothing To Buy

Posted on March 23, 2008 // 7 Comments

The Treasury recently announced that as of April 7th minimum investment amount for government bonds will be lowered to $100 (previously $1,000). This includes all Treasury marketable bills, notes, bonds and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities … [Read the rest]

Shopping For A Mortgage? Consider Upfront Brokers and Upfront Direct Lenders

Posted on March 20, 2008 // 32 Comments

If there's one thing missing from shopping for a mortgage loan, it's transparency. You would think getting a mortgage would be close to shopping for a gallon of gas, but it's more like shopping for a car. Blech. By this I mean you and the … [Read the rest]

Index Powered CD Review: Stock Performance + Bank Safety?

Posted on March 19, 2008 // 21 Comments

How would you like to get returns linked to the S&P 500, with no chance of losing a penny? You can with the Index Powered CD, a certificate of deposit being sold by a variety of smaller banks including Brentwood Bank. While the concept has been … [Read the rest]

Money Merge Accounts Explained, Part 1: The Basics Of Accelerated Mortgage Payoff

Posted on March 17, 2008 // 29 Comments

Now that I have a mortgage of my own, I finally spent the time to read up on Money Merge Accounts - also known as Mortgage Offset Accounts, Mortgage Acceleration Programs, Equity Accelerators, etc. You may see them sold by various companies like … [Read the rest]

Bear Stearns Meltdown Timeline

Posted on March 17, 2008 // 37 Comments

I usually don't pay attention to short-term market moves, but I just can't take my eyes off of this Bear Stearns train wreck! The recent timeline is almost amusing (assuming you don't hold BSC shares...): January 12th, 2007 Share price was … [Read the rest]

Should I Buy Mortgage Protection Life Insurance?

Posted on March 16, 2008 // 41 Comments

You guys were right. Less than a month since we closed on our mortgage loan, we are already getting bombarded with letters offering "mortgage life insurance". The official-looking letters seem like they are from your lender, but are really just … [Read the rest]

Easy Money: Get Paid $115 To Try These Financial Services

Posted on March 15, 2008 // 10 Comments

I can't stop the stock market from tumbling any further, but here's a quick roundup of promotions by companies willing to pay you to try out their services. None of these listed require even a credit check. Additional information can be found … [Read the rest]

A Rough Start For New Investors In 2008

Posted on March 14, 2008 // 49 Comments

I received another reader e-mail whose question was very similar to this worried young investor's question from back in November. Essentially they still wanted to know my opinion in this bleak market and if there is something they should do. I … [Read the rest]

Test Driving The Financial Life You Want

Posted on March 13, 2008 // 40 Comments

Now that we have a fixed monthly mortgage payment for the foreseeable future, we are looking ahead to our true mid-term goal of living on one income. Specifically, we'd like to live on two half-incomes when we have children. We live in one of the … [Read the rest]

Two Free $400 Airline Tickets with $25,000 Deposit into Citibank Savings Account

Posted on March 13, 2008 // 38 Comments

I just found a pretty good offer in one of my Citibank credit card statements. (I still get paper bills for everything, it's my longtime system for paying them on time.) If I open up a new Citibank Ultimate Savings account + Checking account with … [Read the rest]

Should I Buy Flood Insurance?

Posted on March 12, 2008 // 26 Comments

When we bought our house, the lender said we weren't in a flood zone so we didn't need to buy flood insurance on top of our homeowner's insurance. I figured if the bank isn't worried about it, then I shouldn't be either. Apparently this might not … [Read the rest]