The Accidental Slumlord
A writer whose lives in Massachusetts buys a two-unit rental property in Pocatello, Idaho for $62,750 during the housing boom. Read what happens when he actually visits his house and deals with his tenants.
OptionsHouse Brokerage – $3.95 Stock Trades
Another new discount online brokerage with cheap trades, but actually won #1 in Trade Experience in recent Barron’s Broker Survey, beating out E-Trade. Offers flat-rate pricing at $3.95 for stock trades regardless of number of shares, and $9.95 flat for options (no per-contract fee). $1,000 to open, $100 balance needed to trade. Anyone try them?
New research sheds light on the habits of successful savers
Includes a lot of expected characteristics, but worth a skim to see how you compare.
AMC Theatres A.M. Cinema
“A.M.Cinema, a new program providing early-morning guests the opportunity to see first-run movies at the best ticket price of the day. The program invites moviegoers to visit their local AMC theatre before noon Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays to enjoy ticket prices of $4, $5 or $6 depending on the theatre and market.”
F*** my job, Selling Everything!
Found in the Best of Craigslist section. Have you ever had the urge to simply sell everything you own, cash out your investments, quit your job, and just travel the world until the money runs out? This guy did.
Credit Bailout: Issuers Slashing Card Balances
People are haggling directly with credit card companies to lower their amount owed. However, the articles neglects to go into detail about the impact on credit scores. I suspect that there will still be significant damage to your credit if you “settle” in this way.
Tuesday 10: Good stuff from other personal finance blogs
- How much do people spend on clothes by Jim at FreeBy50
- My IRA asset allocation at GreenPandaTreehouse
- Things You Own End Up Owning You by David at MyTwoDollars
- On Spending Consciously by Patrick at Cash Money Life
- Pay attention to your money by Single Ma at Fabulous Financials
- Retired at 31: An Early Retirement Story by FrugalTrader at Million Dollar Journey
- Tax Deductible Mortgages in Canada by Mr. Cheap at FourPillars
- Mid Year Financial Checkup by Madison at MyDollarPlan
- Fun Fund Sell-o-Meter by J at BudgetsAreSexy
The Best Credit Card Bonus Offers – March 2024
Big List of Free Stocks from Brokerage Apps
Best Interest Rates on Cash - March 2024
Free Credit Scores x 3 + Free Credit Monitoring
Best No Fee 0% APR Balance Transfer Offers
Little-Known Cellular Data Plans That Can Save Big Money
How To Haggle Your Cable or Direct TV Bill
Big List of Free Consumer Data Reports (Credit, Rent, Work)
I really like this line, from the Accidental Slumlord article:
“I still hope to make money here, but I’m more aware that no matter how much I try to be the benevolent landlord, my profits are based partly on exploitation; what I’ve thought of as “cash flow” comes by allowing some discomfort in the lives of others.”
Thanks for the mention Jonathan!
Thanks for the link!
Thanks for the mention, Jonathan. 🙂
Just read the Accidental Slumlord article. Well written, and definitely causes one to step back and think.
I found the credit bailout article interesting. My brother has some medical issues and has fell behind on credit card bills. He got a call from the company saying they would settle for 50%.
Thanks for the mention on my IRA asset allocation post.
Great Newsweek article, really paints the real picture with rental investments. It’s hard work, and you’re mostly counting on some appreciation for the investment to really pay off over time.
Thanks for the mention!