See, this is why I don't go to the mall. Even though we don't like pet stores and the associated puppy mills, we came perilously close to buying another puppy today. It looked very similar to this little dude (We already have a … [Read the rest]
Poll: What’s The Most You’ve Ever Spent On An Impulsive Purchase?
Posted on March 15, 2007 // 40 Comments
Interest Rate Checkup – Online, Brick and Mortar, and Treasury Bills
Posted on March 14, 2007 // 4 Comments
Here is brief roundup of the top rates for short-term cash accounts with moderate balances. Online Savings Accounts, No Minimum Balance HSBC Direct continues it's 6.0% APY rate on new money until April 30th, and you can open with $1. The … [Read the rest]
Free Subscriptions To Select Magazines
Posted on March 13, 2007 // 17 Comments
It appears that you can sign up for up to 4 free years of one of these magazines via this Mags4Less link. Add the magazine your cart, select up to 4 years in length, scroll down and enter code "1free", and checkout without registering. You … [Read the rest]
Tax Equivalent Yield Calculator For Savings Bonds, Treasury Bills, and Tax-Exempt Money Market Funds
Posted on March 13, 2007 // 16 Comments
There are many investments out there that are exempt from certain taxes. For example, U.S. Savings Bonds and Treasury Bonds are exempt from state and local income taxes. In addition, there are money market funds available that are exempt from … [Read the rest]
Interesting Facts About Checking, Savings, and Money Market Accounts
Posted on March 12, 2007 // 21 Comments
A reader asked me if there was a difference between a FDIC-insured "savings" account and an FDIC-insured "money market" account. A bit of online searching and the venerable Wikipedia yielded the answer, plus some interesting facts about savings … [Read the rest]
The Idea Of “Core and Explore” Investing
Posted on March 12, 2007 // 12 Comments
Do you see the data supporting index funds, yet still have the urge to try out some other theories? One way that financial folks try to resolve this conflict is with the concept of "Core and Explore" investing. I have no idea who came up with … [Read the rest]
Subprime Mortgage Lenders Getting Hammered: What Does This Mean For Housing Prices?
Posted on March 10, 2007 // 32 Comments
Although I should be paying more attention to the mortgage market, I've only gotten a chance to catch up this weekend. Above is the stock chart for New Century Financial (NEW), the second-largest subprime lender in the country. It basically dropped … [Read the rest]
Buy Your Glasses Online For $28 at EyeGlassDirect
Posted on March 9, 2007 // 21 Comments
Here's an interesting entrepreneurial story from this month's SmartMoney magazine. Imagine that you work at LensCrafters making eyeglasses. You see the extremely large profit margins. You go home, buy the same equipment, and install it in your … [Read the rest]
Risk and Return Relationships For Different Asset Allocations
Posted on March 8, 2007 // 14 Comments
After looking at how other people and mutual fund companies choose their asset allocation, I'm a little conflicted. Both the Vanguard and T. Rowe Price mutual funds recommend holding nearly 80% in stocks at age 50. That's pretty aggressive in my … [Read the rest]
What Percentage Of Your Portfolio Should Be In Stocks?
Posted on March 7, 2007 // 26 Comments
One of the basic ways to adjust the risk and return characteristics of your investment portfolio is to decide what percentage to hold in stocks and bonds. This is another one of those hard questions for which there is no single best answer for … [Read the rest]
Stressed About Your Tax Return? Get an Automatic Filing Extension
Posted on March 7, 2007 // 8 Comments
If April 17th seems like it is approaching faster than ever this year, perhaps it is time to consider filing an extension. I myself am still waiting on several 1099 forms, some of which had to be corrected. Here's what I dug up for us … [Read the rest]
March 2007 Financial Status / Net Worth Update
Posted on March 6, 2007 // 24 Comments
About My Credit Card Debt Newer readers may be alarmed by my high levels of credit card debt. In short, I'm borrowing money for free and keeping it in safe investments while earning me 5-6% interest. Along with other things, this helps me earn extra … [Read the rest]
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