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Charlie Munger: The First $100,000 Is The Most Difficult

There used to be a series of ING commercials where people would carry around their "Number", which was usually over a million dollars. I think such large numbers actually discourage most savers, so what if we had an alternative goal that was both … [Read the rest]

Groupon: Starbucks $15 Gift Card for $10

It's back! Wow, haven't posted a Groupon deal in a while. I really should have shorted the stock when even I unsubscribed from their daily newsletter, but I didn't have the guts. Now I'm just mad because they deleted my account after not using it … [Read the rest]

Visa Checkout $15 Statement Credit with Chase Freedom

There was previous promo with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, but now there is a another separate promo with the Chase Freedom. Earn a $15 statement credit after you spend $15 or more with your Chase Freedom® card using Visa Checkout. Valid for … [Read the rest]

TradeKing $200 Cash Bonus Promotion

Promo extended. To celebrate their 10th anniversary, stock brokerage TradeKing is offering a $200 cash bonus for new accounts opened by 12/31/2015, funded with $3,000 or more within 30 days of account opening, and with at least 3 executed trades … [Read the rest]

Early Retirement Portfolio Income Update, November 2015

I like the idea of living off dividend and interest income. Who doesn't? The problem is that you can't just buy stocks with the highest dividend yields and junk bonds with the highest interest rates without giving up something in return. There … [Read the rest]

Early Retirement Portfolio Asset Allocation Update, November 2015

Here's a (late) Q3 2015 update on my investment portfolio holdings for 2015. This includes tax-deferred accounts like 401(k)s and taxable brokerage holdings, but excludes things like real estate and cash reserves (emergency fund). The purpose of … [Read the rest]

myRA Starter Retirement Account Launches Nationwide

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the national launch of myRA (my Retirement Account), a new starter option for those who don’t have access to a retirement savings plan at work. There have been some improvements and tweaks since their … [Read the rest]

Morningstar Top 529 College Savings Plan Rankings 2015

Investment research firm Morningstar has released their annual 529 College Savings Plans Research Paper and Industry Survey. While the full survey appears restricted to paid premium members, they did release their top-rated plans for 2015. … [Read the rest]

Savings I Bonds November 2015 Interest Rate

New fixed rate for November 2015 is 0.1%. The most recent official announcement states that effective November 2015, the new fixed rate on Series I savings bonds is 0.1%, up from the previous 0.0%. The variable inflation-indexed rate is 1.54% (as … [Read the rest]

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future (Book Review)

After reading many reviews including from Bob Lefsetz and Brad Feld, I had to add Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance to my reading list. I can recommend this book to anyone who likes biographies about … [Read the rest]

Your Employer Took Your Money, Invested For Retirement, and You Liked It

Below is a chart taken from this WSJ article about employer-run 401(k) retirement plans and how the default settings have changed over the last decade: The trend: Employers are making you save more initially by default, making you save a … [Read the rest]

Consumer Reports Online Discount: 50% Off

Updated October 2015. I'll try to keep this post updated with any current discount on Consumer Reports subscriptions. Send me a message if you have a tip. Groupon has Consumer Reports digital edition for $15 a year (50% off). You can also … [Read the rest]