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IRS Estimated Taxes Due Dates 2016

If you have self-employment or other income outside of your W-2 paycheck this year, you may need to send the IRS some money before the usual tax-filing time. Here are the due dates for paying quarterly estimated taxes in 2016; they are supposed to … [Read the rest]

OpenSignal and Sensorly: Free, Crowdsourced Cellular Coverage and Data Speed Maps

A common frugal tip is to lower your cellphone bill by switching to a cheaper provider. Many of the cheaper options use the T-Mobile and/or Sprint networks, which in general have fewer cellular towers and coverage density. But what should really … [Read the rest]

Book Review: Money for Something – A Free Investing Primer

There is always a demand for starter books on investing and personal finance, especially as graduation season is coming up again. Although they often cover similar topics, the execution varies widely. For example, I found Tony Robbin's "7 Simple … [Read the rest]

Pay Taxes With Credit Card: Lowest Fee Rates and Limited-Time Promotions

We all know that personal income tax filings are due soon, but so are the first round of quarterly estimated taxes for 2016. Many of us with freelance or side-gig income must makes these payments in order to avoid a tax penalty at the end of the … [Read the rest]

New JetBlue Card Review from Barclaycard

JetBlue has announced two new consumer credit cards - the JetBlue Card (no annual fee) and the JetBlue Plus card ($99 annual fee). These are both issued by Barclaycard, as JetBlue recently ended its credit card relationship with American Express. Are … [Read the rest]

Top 10 Financial Advisor Firms With Highest Misconduct Rate

There is a famous quote that Charlie Munger uses as an example of the inversion technique: Tell me where I’m going to die, so I won’t go there. Instead of focusing on things we should to help us, we can also simply avoid doing things that will … [Read the rest]

They May Not All Be, But Your Financial Advisor Should Be a Fiduciary

Right now, there is a big debate in Congress about whether the fiduciary standard should be required for all financial advisors that manage retirement accounts. A fiduciary requirement would include the following: They must exercise best … [Read the rest]

Index Funds vs. Hedge Funds: Buffett $1,000,000 Bet Update 2016

We are now 8 years in on the 10-year bet between Warren Buffett and a successful hedge fund manager. In 2007, Warren Buffett challenged any hedge fund to a long-term bet against the S&P 500. He found a taker. Fortune magazine announced … [Read the rest]

Vanguard Target Date Retirement Funds: Embrace Your Inner Ronco Rotisserie Oven!

I'm a fan of the Vanguard Target Retirement 20XX Funds. These Target Date Funds (TDFs) may not be perfect, but they are a low-cost, broadly-diversified, "set-it-and-forget-it" fund that I feel are consistently under-appreciated and easily maligned … [Read the rest]

Redeeming Citi Prestige ThankYou Points For American Airlines Flights

It has been nearly a year since I picked up my Citi Prestige card (review), and I've done my best to take advantage of the available perks: - $250 in Airfare credit for 2015 - $250 in Airfare credit for 2016 - $100 statement credit to offset my … [Read the rest]

TurboTax vs. TaxACT vs. H&R Block Online 2016 Lightning Review

For the last few years, I've completed my personal returns top-to-bottom using each of the three most popular online tax prep providers - TurboTax, H&R Block, and TaxACT. I started my 2015 tax year returns this weekend, but each one was close … [Read the rest]

Making Your Nest Egg Last: Safe Withdrawal Rates vs. Sustainable Withdrawal Rates

Reading Warren Buffett's Annual Letter always reminds me that stocks are not just some numbers that bop up and down, but are shares of real businesses with land, factories, knowledge, and hard-working people. This helps reassure me that the value … [Read the rest]