A mere two days after I ranted about Zecco's slow opening procedure in the second part of my Zecco Free Trades Brokerage Review, reader Richard alerts me that they have removed the mail-in paperwork requirement for many new applicants. After … [Read the rest]
Kiva Review: Giving a Virtual Hand Up, Not a Handout
May 10, 2007 By 68 Comments
I've written about Kiva before, but since I loaned some more money out today I thought I'd bring it up again. Kiva.org allows individuals to make loans starting at $25 to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world, also known as microcredit. … [Read the rest]
Last updated: August 9, 2018
Emigrant Direct Signup Bonus Update – March Payouts
May 10, 2007 By 6 Comments
Payout instructions for my Emigrant Direct Referral Bonus went out over the last two weeks for those that either sent me their Form #2's or Claim Form A's in March. Please let me know if there are any questions. Emigrant Direct offers an online … [Read the rest]
Last updated: February 26, 2013
What If Vanguard or Fidelity Went Bankrupt?
May 10, 2007 By 31 Comments
Continuing on the line of thinking started by my post on What if my bank fails?, the next question might be what if my mutual fund company went bankrupt? I mean, I have a lot of money in Vanguard and Fidelity right now. What happens if one of them … [Read the rest]
Last updated: July 11, 2014
Zecco Free Trades Broker Review, Part 2: Corrections, Funds Transfers, and Trading Experiences
May 9, 2007 By 132 Comments
This is the second part of my review of the Zecco brokerage account. If you haven't already, please read the first part of this review, where I went over the main draws of Zecco and the account opening process. Here, I will finish up my review of the … [Read the rest]
Last updated: October 24, 2012
Comparing the Performance and Tax Advantages of Index Mutual Funds vs. Index ETFs
May 7, 2007 By 10 Comments
A reader e-mailed me an interesting article about index funds from today's Wall Street Journal entitled A Close Race, a Surprising Finish. It's only available for 7 days, after that a subscription is required. The basic idea was to try and … [Read the rest]
Last updated: April 29, 2014
May 2007 Financial Status / Net Worth Update
May 6, 2007 By 24 Comments
About My Credit Card Debt Newer readers may be alarmed by my high levels of credit card debt. In short, I'm borrowing money for free and keeping it in safe investments while earning me 5-6% interest. Along with other things, this helps me earn extra … [Read the rest]
Last updated: October 24, 2012
Trying To Avoid Lifestyle Inflation
May 6, 2007 By 32 Comments
Most of this post was originally published last year when I was a guest writer at the Get Rich Slowly blog. I have since made some revisions and added some more material below. One common thread through my How much house should I buy? post is … [Read the rest]
Last updated: September 25, 2022
FNBO Direct 6% APY Savings Account Review: Opening Process, Features, and Transfer Schedule
May 4, 2007 By 255 Comments
I opened up a savings account at FNBO Direct originally for their high interest rate and no monthly fees. They are currently offering 0.85% APY as of January 2013, still competitive in this current rate environment. Here are my experiences so far as … [Read the rest]
Last updated: August 9, 2018
More Free Reading Material On Investing
May 4, 2007 By 7 Comments
Want more to read about investing? Here are two sites that have supplied me with a lot of good food for thought. I find these intriguing because while both are written by men well known for their financial acumen, they often sway far from those … [Read the rest]
Last updated: May 4, 2007
How Many Square Feet Should Our Home Have?
May 3, 2007 By 94 Comments
Housing bubble concerns aside, we're starting to look at some homes on the internet to get an idea of what prices are like right now. One thing we need to decide is what size of place to look at. I was going to title this post "How big a house do … [Read the rest]
Last updated: May 3, 2007
FDIC Insurance Limits: What If My Bank Fails? Make Sure Your Money Is Covered
May 2, 2007 By 78 Comments
With all these new online banks which are pretty much just virtual branches of a lot of regional banks, I thought it would be a good idea to look more into this whole FDIC insurance thing we put so much trust into. First some quick basics, taken … [Read the rest]
Last updated: February 9, 2017
The Best Credit Card Bonus Offers – March 2024
Big List of Free Stocks from Brokerage Apps
Best Interest Rates on Cash - March 2024
Free Credit Scores x 3 + Free Credit Monitoring
Best No Fee 0% APR Balance Transfer Offers
Little-Known Cellular Data Plans That Can Save Big Money
How To Haggle Your Cable or Direct TV Bill
Big List of Free Consumer Data Reports (Credit, Rent, Work)