When deciding on your portfolio's asset allocation, another option beyond broad stock funds in domestic or international markets is to invest in is real estate. Besides directly owning a home or office complex, an easy way to get exposure is to own … [Read the rest]
Asset Allocation: Investing In Real Estate Through REITs?
January 17, 2008 By 35 Comments
Last updated: April 29, 2014
Finding A Buyer’s Agent, Part 1: The Search Begins With Ourselves
January 16, 2008 By 34 Comments
We've been slowly moving forward with the home-buying process, but I've fallen behind on the updates. We are far from experts and we might have done it all wrong, but here's how we found our buyer's agent to represent us. We started by essentially … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 16, 2008
List of File Backup Options: Free, Automated, and Online
January 14, 2008 By 25 Comments
Two, count 'em two, of my old hard drives died last week. And this web site went haywire (multiple times). I had the major files backed up, but my need for a better backup system became apparent. Ideally, it would be free, automated, and online. So … [Read the rest]
Last updated: April 21, 2014
Get A Free Month of Amazon Prime Membership
January 13, 2008 By 6 Comments
Amazon Prime, in case you don't know, is a premium service where you get free 2nd-day shipping on most items with no minimum, even if you're just spending $5. Very convenient. The normal cost for turning Amazon into your impulse-buying superstore … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 13, 2008
Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires. Shhh…
January 10, 2008 By 11 Comments
Reader’s Digest has an article titled Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires. The “secrets” aren’t exactly groundbreaking: Set your sights on where you’re going Educate yourself Passion pays off Grow your money No guts, no … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 10, 2008
Brokerage Promotions: $100 Bonuses at Tradeking and OptionsXpress
January 10, 2008 By 5 Comments
TradeKing is offering a $100 bonus (expired) for new households opening an account with at least $2,500, and making one trade. You must keep $1,000 in the account for the first 6 months. I could not find a related TradeKing promotional code for this … [Read the rest]
Last updated: October 3, 2012
Rollover IRAs: Good Idea In General, But What About A Small 401k?
January 9, 2008 By 5 Comments
If you leave your job and have a 401k or 403b left behind, the common advice is to roll it over into a Rollover IRA. There are several benefits to doing so, but here are the biggies: You maintain the tax-deferred status of the investment. For a … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 11, 2008
January 2008 Financial Status / Net Worth Update
January 8, 2008 By 5 Comments
Credit Card Debt If you’re a newer reader, you may have some concerns about my high levels of credit card debt. I’m actually taking money from 0% APR balance transfer offers and instead of spending it, I am placing it in high yield … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 8, 2008
Interim Asset Allocation: Existing Accounts, Fund Choices, and Implementation
January 8, 2008 By 9 Comments
Okay, so I’ve decided upon an asset allocation plan. Now for my least favorite part - juggling and cramming all those asset classes into several different accounts. First, I’ll list my existing accounts, their estimated current … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 8, 2008
Interim Asset Allocation: History, Decision, and Changes
January 7, 2008 By 15 Comments
Over the last year or so, I’ve learned a lot of new things about investing and asset allocation. At the same time, I know that changing your asset allocation too frequently is often a response to recent market activity (aka performance … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 7, 2008
Rebuilding My Investment Portfolio: Index Of Posts So Far
January 6, 2008 By Leave a Comment
I am a proponent and investor in low-cost, passive-managed mutual funds, but even within that philosophy there can be a dizzying array of choices. Although this has been taking a lot longer than I had hoped, but here is an updated compilation of … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 6, 2008
Follow-Ups: Cast-Iron Cooking, Gift-Giving, U-Haul Renting, Goal-Making Goodness
January 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Here are some follow-ups on some recent posts: Cast Iron Skillet: The Ultimate Smart and Frugal Cookware? Amazon actually sent it separately by 2nd-day Air, I can only assume to make sure it arrived without damage. But sending a $15 pot by … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 11, 2008
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