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 absolute highest dividend yields and junk bonds with the highest interest rates without giving up something in return. … [Read the rest]
It has been a while, so here is a 2016 First Quarter update on my investment portfolio holdings. This includes tax-deferred accounts like 401ks, IRAs, and taxable brokerage holdings, but excludes things like our primary home and cash reserves … [Read the rest]
Update. RealtyShares has a referral program that offers a new customer who is referred by an existing client a $100 gift card after linking a bank account. I am no longer available to provide referrals as I have maxed out the limit, but you may be … [Read the rest]
John Oliver of HBO's Last Week Tonight did a humorous monologue on why credit reporting bureaus are awful. Appropriately, it was last week and I finally got around to watching the 18-minute video tonight. Here is the full video link, embedded … [Read the rest]
New fixed rate as of May 1st, 2016 is 0.1%, the same as the last 6-month period. The variable inflation-indexed rate is 0.16% (as was predicted). Thus, buying a new I Bond between May 2016 through October 2016 will earn a composite rate of 0.26% for … [Read the rest]
Besides being the tax return deadline, Monday April 18th, 2016 is also the last day to make a contribution to a Traditional or Roth IRA for the 2015 Tax Year. For both the 2015 and 2016 Tax Years, the maximum annual contribution limits are $5,500 … [Read the rest]
If you're reading this, you obviously value financial knowledge and creating a secure life for you and your family. If you have kids, then you want them to develop the same skills. The NYT bestseller book The Opposite of Spoiled explored the many … [Read the rest]
If you're a basketball fan, you may have read this ESPN article about how Under Armour beat out Nike to get an endorsement deal for Stephen Curry. As one of the hottest athletes in the world, this single deal could shift billions of dollars towards … [Read the rest]
Last week, Ally Financial announced that they are acquiring TradeKing. What made this interesting was that they didn't refer to TradeKing as a discount brokerage firm, but a "digital wealth management company". This another move from independent … [Read the rest]
The Department of Labor has released their final rule on reducing conflicts of interest on retirement savings advice. As expected, the new rule now requires any person who provides investment advice on retirement accounts like 401(k) or IRAs to act … [Read the rest]
Successful haggle update, April 2016. Shortly after the NY Times profile of Bill Fixers came out, I submitted a request for them to help me lower my Time Warner cable bill. I had haggled with Time Warner in the recent past, but was currently back … [Read the rest]
While doing the research for my auto premium comparison post, I noticed that several of the state websites promoted an app called WreckCheck. Created by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), this free mobile app for iPhone and … [Read the rest]
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