My Money Blog

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Posted on January 29, 2006 // 1 Comment

I've been getting a lot of the same questions regarding this site and my finances, so hopefully this helps clear up the confusion: Why do you have so much cash? We are saving up for a large house downpayment. While other investments like stocks … [Read the rest]

Amerivest Feature Review and Comparison

Posted on January 28, 2006 // 8 Comments

As mentioned in my last post, Amerivest is Ameritrade's new attempt to bringing a flat annual fee to discount investment planning, instead of commissions for each trade. First, they have some software ask you a few questions on your risk tolerance … [Read the rest]

I’m Done Saving For Retirement… According to Amerivest

Posted on January 27, 2006 // 25 Comments

Amerivest is Ameritrade's new financial-advisor-in-a-box, which I'll blog more about later. But first, I tried out their Simulator. I put in basically the same information that I used for my retirement nest-egg calculations - We want the equivalent … [Read the rest]

About This Site And Myself – Updated

Posted on January 26, 2006 // 14 Comments

(This page has moved here.) … [Read the rest]

Emigrant Direct Raises Rate to 4.25% APY

Posted on January 26, 2006 // 17 Comments

The rate wars continue! EmigrantDirect announced today that they raised their interest rates to 4.25% APY, matching HSBC Direct. For those with accounts, check out my Rate Chaser Calculator if you are at a lower rate right now and are thinking of … [Read the rest]

Dream Dinners – Make Your Own Take-Out?

Posted on January 25, 2006 // 75 Comments

I was surfing Food Network last night and caught a show spotlighting a place called Dream Dinners. They provide you a kitchen, recipes, and pre-measured and chopped ingredients to prepare your own meals, which you then pack up, take home, and put in … [Read the rest]

Where To Invest My Free Money? Suggestions Please

Posted on January 24, 2006 // 20 Comments

So, I have my Free Money Account all set up and ready to go. Now I just have to figure out what to invest in. At $1 a trade, I can dollar-cost-average into a new ETF every month for the price of a Wendy's Frosty. Now, I want to be aggressive but … [Read the rest]

Free Money Brokerage Account Opened With $2,000

Posted on January 24, 2006 // 1 Comment

I recently opened a MB Trading brokerage account. While it took almost 3 weeks since I had to mail in the paperwork and check for deposit, their customer service seemed pretty good and kept me updated. I wasn't in a hurry, so no big deal. They do … [Read the rest]

Money Blogger Podcast With Yours Truly

Posted on January 24, 2006 // 7 Comments

Reader Scott has given me the honor of being a part of his new interview series - Money Blogger Podcast. It looks very promising. I'll be perfectly honest - I haven't yet figured out how to listen to the podcast (iPod is now charging). I'm creeped … [Read the rest]

Carnavales Del Dinero

Posted on January 24, 2006 // Leave a Comment

Carnival of Debt Reduction - Canadian Capitalist Carnival of Personal Finance - Be Capitalism Carnival of the Capitalists - Patent Baristas Carnival of Investing - Blueprint for Financial Prosperity Festival of Frugality - Canadian Capitalist … [Read the rest]

Rate Chasers – Should You Move Your Money?

Posted on January 23, 2006 // 7 Comments

With the proliferation of new high-yield savings accounts and them leapfrogging each other's rates, we come to the all-important question - Should I move my money to the higher rate? Well, with the data from my transfer-time experiment, I can better … [Read the rest]

Online Bank Lost Interest Experiment Results – Surprising!

Posted on January 22, 2006 // 17 Comments

Here are the results of my bank transfer timing experiment to help estimate the lost interest when transfering money from one online bank to another. I scheduled transfers very late on Monday (~9pm Pacific) to and from various online banks and … [Read the rest]