It's mid-February. Some of you early-birds may be wondering where some of your 1099s are by now. By law, they are usually required be sent out by January 31st. However, many brokerages have asked the IRS for a 30-day extension, and they have been … [Read the rest]
Missing 1099 Form? Why They’re Late From Zecco, Fidelity, Vanguard, and More
Posted on February 15, 2008 // 9 Comments
Stale Valentine’s Day Ideas!
Posted on February 14, 2008 // 6 Comments
I haven't picked up any other great tips since then, so here are my 5 Romantic Yet Money-Saving Ideas For Valentine’s Day that I posted last year. My wife and I both have long days tonight with work and all, so we're moving it to another day. … [Read the rest]
Big Bank Savings Account Promotions: KeepTheChange, Way2Save, and Savings For Success
Posted on February 14, 2008 // 37 Comments
Instead of simply giving us higher interest rates on savings account, it seems that the big banks are relying on gimmicks to spur account openings. Here are a few. Most involve some convoluted scheme, but they still include the potential for some … [Read the rest]
Free eBook: Women & Money by Suze Orman
Posted on February 13, 2008 // 19 Comments
Oprah had Suze Orman on her show today, and as part of it they are giving out a free download of her latest book Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny. You can find more information and the download link on this page, but it's only … [Read the rest]
What’s The Best Broker To Start My Roth IRA?
Posted on February 13, 2008 // 67 Comments
I am often asked where is the best place to open one's first IRA. Usually it's a Roth IRA, since people tend to start out in lower tax brackets and Roth IRA save you taxes upon withdrawal. But to be sure whether you want a Roth or Traditional IRA, … [Read the rest]
Don’t Be Fooled By Sunken Costs
Posted on February 12, 2008 // 45 Comments
A few years ago I managed to nab a used Wenger Swiss Army watch off of eBay for $35. I really liked the watch since it was classic but not flashy (shown to the right) - and it didn't hurt that it retailed for over $200! Recently it abruptly … [Read the rest]
Choosing a Fixed-Rate Mortgage Term Length: 15, 30, or 40 Years?
Posted on February 11, 2008 // 44 Comments
After I made the decision to get a fixed rate mortgage over one with an adjustable rate, the next was to decide what length to get. I thought this would be an easy decision, but there are a surprisingly large number of variables to … [Read the rest]
Weekend Links: Snowflakes And More
Posted on February 11, 2008 // 2 Comments
Here are some more links from my weekend reading: Nina of Queercents found out the hard way that Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs) can be revoked! It was done because her property value had dropped significantly, which makes sense. But not … [Read the rest]
Avoiding Jumbo Loans By Combining a Conforming Loan and Second Loan
Posted on February 8, 2008 // 22 Comments
Conforming loans are those that satisfy the criteria that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac set regarding what kinds of loans they will buy. Besides certain credit-related guidelines like debt-to-income ratio, one major constraint is the maximum loan … [Read the rest]
Spending, Recession, and the Great Depression
Posted on February 7, 2008 // 65 Comments
With all of this talk about recession and after watching too much History Channel, I've been reading up about the Great Depression of the 1930s. Check out this excerpt from a paper entitled Main Causes of the Great Depression: One obvious … [Read the rest]
Choosing Between a Fixed or Adjustable Rate Mortgage
Posted on February 6, 2008 // 41 Comments
Before shopping for rates, we had to figure out what kind of mortgage loan we were going to get. The first decision was between a fixed-rate or an adjustable-rate mortgage. Quickly, here are some very general definitions: Fixed rate mortgages … [Read the rest]
February 2008 Financial Status / Net Worth Update
Posted on February 4, 2008 // 18 Comments
Credit Card Debt If you've recently starting reading, you may have some concerns about my high levels of credit card debt. I'm actually taking money from 0% APR balance transfer offers and instead of spending it, I am placing it in high yield … [Read the rest]
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