My Money Blog

4-Week T-Bill Purchased: Very Easy

Posted on November 10, 2005 // 21 Comments

So I the $1,000 28-day T-Bill that I scheduled for purchase last week was issued today without a hitch. I knew the rate was 3.885% (exempt from state and local income taxes), as the auction was on Tuesday and announced on their Recent T-Bill Auction … [Read the rest]

Washington Mutual Drops Free ATM Access

Posted on November 9, 2005 // 14 Comments

For me, the only reason I knew Washington Mutual existed was because they offered free ATM access with no fees on their end. According to this recent Reuters article (via Fatwallet), as of November 17th that will be no more. Bummer. An … [Read the rest]

Our Online Business: Product Prototypes

Posted on November 8, 2005 // 10 Comments

Almost a month ago I was brainstorming ideas for an online business that my wife and I could start together. Well, since then we've both been otherwise distracted and haven't made much progress. It seems we just don't have the time to do it all … [Read the rest]

November 2005 Financial Status / Net Worth Update

Posted on November 7, 2005 // 9 Comments

… [Read the rest]

Carnival of Debt Reduction #8

Posted on November 7, 2005 // 5 Comments

Welcome to the 8th edition of the Carnival of Debt Reduction, which is a weekly smorgasborg of the best debt reduction articles as submitted from bloggers. While I don't talk about debt reduction very much, I would suggest that they key is first to … [Read the rest]

Why I Don’t Trust PayPal

Posted on November 6, 2005 // 26 Comments

Back when I was a new eBay Powerseller, I loved PayPal. People paid me instantly, and I didn't have to run to the bank to deposit checks and wait until they cleared. Of course some people had problems, but I figured they were probably doing some … [Read the rest]

Don’t Forget Your Local Credit Union

Posted on November 6, 2005 // 6 Comments

I know a lot of people who use local credit unions not only because they have reasonable prices, but they like the personalized customer service and small bank feel. Me, I've been pretty happy with my local Bank of America branch, it fulfills all my … [Read the rest]

$50 Opening Bonus, E*Trade Money Market, 4.10% APY For 3 Months

Posted on November 5, 2005 // 11 Comments

(Oops, gotta read that fine print. Their regular 3.25% APY is only good for balances over $100k. Bummer, I might have kept it open after the bonus period, but 0.3% stinks.) Just got this offer in the mail. Go here for the offer details. You get … [Read the rest]

Where the !%^@ Is My Money??

Posted on November 5, 2005 // Leave a Comment

First of all, thanks to the participants in my $10 Emigrant Direct Opening Bonus for not sending me any e-mails like the title of this post. It has been about 45 days since I started it, and I know some of you have finished opening your account … [Read the rest]

HSBC Online Savings Account Now at 4.00% APY

Posted on November 4, 2005 // 7 Comments

Just got note that HSBC's Online Savings Account is now at 4.0%, matching Emmigrant Direct. (thanks Allan) Too bad I can't find any sign-up offers right now, I missed the last one for $35. Let's hear it for some rate wars! … [Read the rest]

Buying I-Bonds in November: Worst Case Scenario

Posted on November 3, 2005 // 12 Comments

So what's the worst case scenario with I-Bonds if you cash out in a year? Well, that would mean deflation. Contrary to what some believe, the fixed rate is not the minimum you get. The minimum return is zero (see #5 of FAQ), meaning at least you … [Read the rest]

What’s My Marginal Tax Rate?

Posted on November 2, 2005 // 13 Comments

If you don't know what your federal marginal tax rate is off the top of your head, here ya go. This way you know how much of those bank bonuses you'll actually get to keep. (I won't be sending 1099s for my Emigrant Direct bonuses though, don't … [Read the rest]