An important choice in retirement planning is when to start claiming your Social Security benefits. If you claim earlier, your monthly benefits will be reduced for the rest of your life. If you claim later, your monthly benefits will be increased … [Read the rest]
Vanguard has been piloting some new products recently, and I was finally invited to try out the Vanguard Cash Plus Account. I've been playing with it for a few days and here are my thoughts. First, it's important to note that there are two … [Read the rest]
Ally Bank is running a new checking account promotion, now called their "Spending Account". You must open your first Spending Account by 11/30/2023 and use the promo code GET200, fund it within 30 days of opening, and set up direct deposits … [Read the rest]
Update 8/24: Here are the final results of this odd lot tender. See original post below for past details, although the opportunity has passed. Per JNJSeparation.com, the final exchange ratio was 1 share JNJ to 8.0324 shares of KVUE. The deal was … [Read the rest]
A new banking app called Wallet by BOSS Money is offering a $100 bonus via referral link (open link via smartphone, that's mine). You need to set up direct deposits totaling at least $5,000 within 45 days. No minimum hold period. App only (iOS … [Read the rest]
A surprising takeaway from peer-to-peer lending through Prosper and LendingClub was that the borrowers who most strongly promised to pay you back (e.g. "I promise I will pay you back, so help me God, thank you so much") turned out to also be the most … [Read the rest]
As part of its "Portfolio Basics" series, Morningstar has an educational article on taxable bonds, including corporate bonds, US government bonds, and foreign government bonds, along with their different credit grades and maturity lengths. Over … [Read the rest]
Every asset class has its energetic supporters, from rental properties to altcoins to gold. Listening to each group, you may feel that you need to own every asset class in order to be "diversified". However, sometimes less is more, and it can be … [Read the rest]
The American Express(R) Green Card is one of AmEx's classic cards, and they have revamped the rewards structure and added new travel perks. There is also a welcome offer for new cardholders. Here the the highlights: Earn 40,000 Membership … [Read the rest]
The Platinum Card® from American Express is the classic premium travel card, with an extended list of luxurious perks along with a hefty annual fee. It's time for another look as they have improved their welcome offer, added many new perks, and … [Read the rest]
In a recent Outside magazine article, the author examined research about how activities can be either positive or negative, not based on the actual activity itself, but your mindset while doing them. For example, exercising could be negative, while … [Read the rest]
Allan Roth takes a closer look at the role of fixed index annuities as part of an "efficient" portfolio, and as usual makes some great observations. The first thing about fixed index annuities is that no two are the same - the insurance companies … [Read the rest]
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