Variable annuities (VAs) are deferred annuities that allow you to hold stocks and bonds inside their annuity wrapper. Since the investments are allowed to grow in a tax-deferred manner, it's often marketed as "like a Roth IRA". In reality, they … [Read the rest]
Variable Annuity Fee Breakdown
Posted on September 27, 2010 // 8 Comments
Last updated: January 28, 2013
Chase Commuter Cash – New York Metro & California San Francisco Bay Area
Posted on September 24, 2010 // 6 Comments
Chase Bank has some potentially helpful offers for users of public transportation and taxi cabs in New York City and the California San Francisco Bay Area - a potential savings of 7-10% cash back, up to $50 total. You must enroll your Chase debit … [Read the rest]
Last updated: April 29, 2014
Bank of America Small Business Checking $200 Bonus
Posted on September 24, 2010 // 2 Comments
I logged out of my Bank of America business account and saw this $200 bonus for new business customers with relatively achievable requirements. (New means you don't have an existing business account, and must have closed your old account at least … [Read the rest]
Last updated: December 29, 2014
Take Comfort in Rituals – Starbucks Propaganda
Posted on September 23, 2010 // 20 Comments
If you've walked by your neighborhood Starbucks recently, you may have noticed this new sign on the door: I guess I was cranky - coffee withdrawal? - but I immediately blurted out: "Translation: Even though you probably can't afford it … [Read the rest]
Last updated: September 23, 2010
How Do You Spend Your Day? And Why College Is Expensive
Posted on September 22, 2010 // 10 Comments
Here's an interactive chart from the NY Times of how various groups of people spend their time over the course of a day. Like many of you, I have fond memories of college. Here's one reason why; The pie chart below shows the average … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 28, 2013
Missing the Best & Worst Days of the S&P 500
Posted on September 20, 2010 // 27 Comments
(Click to enlarge.) Using the SPDR S&P 500 ETF to represent the S&P 500 stock market since the ETF inception in 1993, the chart above shows the effect of: Blue: Holding the entire time. "Buy & Hold" Red: Missing the 10 best days … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 15, 2016
Behind The Scenes: No Transaction Fee (NTF) Fund Supermarkets
Posted on September 20, 2010 // 3 Comments
After the Bogle/Hennessy squabble (here's the latest), I've been digging for more details about mutual fund "supermarkets" where you can buy funds from various managers all with no transaction fee (NTF)... but at a cost. Charles Schwab introduced … [Read the rest]
Last updated: September 20, 2010
Mutual Fund Supermarkets Charge 40 Basis Points?
Posted on September 16, 2010 // 13 Comments
In a recent Wall Street Journal Op-Ed article by Vanguard founder Jack Bogle, he reaffirmed studies like the one from Morningstar showing that one of the strongest predictors of mutual fund performance is how low their annual expense ratios are. … [Read the rest]
Last updated: August 9, 2018
PineCone Application Links + Other Paid Surveys
Posted on September 16, 2010 // 6 Comments
PineCone Research remains one of the better paying and reliable survey companies, with a payout of $3 (check or PayPal) for each 15-minute online survey. The annoying part is that they only take applications intermittently. Here is the current … [Read the rest]
Last updated: April 10, 2013
LendingClub Investment Criteria – What Loans To Avoid?
Posted on September 14, 2010 // 22 Comments
LendingClub.com (LC) is a website that securitizes person-to-person loans so that you can lend money to other people in as little as $25 increments, and you earn the interest. The idea is to replace banks and credit cards as the major middlemen … [Read the rest]
Last updated: May 14, 2014
ING Your Number: Retirement Calculator Assumptions and Factors
Posted on September 13, 2010 // 17 Comments
I was watching TV this weekend and kept seeing commercials about ING's Your Number, which is an online calculator that supposedly helps you plan for retirement by telling you how much you need to save. Here's one of them if you haven't heard of … [Read the rest]
Last updated: September 13, 2010
2010 Q3 Investment Portfolio Update – Fund Holdings
Posted on September 10, 2010 // 17 Comments
I've already posted my target asset allocation, now here's my actual portfolio holdings. Again, these are my own choices, governed by the size of my tax-advantaged accounts like IRAs/403b/401ks, the brokerage firms that I use, and my preference of … [Read the rest]
Last updated: August 9, 2018
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