Morningstar Discussion about The State of Vanguard in 2025 (Highlights)

As a follow-up to my thoughts on Should I Stay with Vanguard? and their recent expense ratio drop announcement, I recently listened to this 30-minute Morningstar video with Daniel Sotiroff and Susan Dziubinski about the current state of Vanguard in … [Read the rest]

Chase x DoorDash: Free DashPass Membership, Free Monthly/Quarterly Credits

Many Chase cardholders get select DoorDash perks when they activate their free DashPass membership, and these were slightly updated as of 2/1/25. This includes monthly or quarterly credits on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, … [Read the rest]

Vanguard ETF & Mutual Fund Expense Ratio Drops (February 2025)

It's been a while since Vanguard announced a big round of expense ratio cuts, and just in time for their upcoming 50th anniversary, they announced what they call the largest fee cut in Vanguard history spanning 87 funds and projected to save … [Read the rest]

Aven Credit Card: Backed by Home Equity (Free Costco Executive Membership)

The Aven Credit Card is a new-ish credit card with 2% cash back that uses your home equity (HELOC) to get lower interest rates. Right now they have a new Costco offer, but you have to read the fine print. The offer includes a free 1-Year … [Read the rest]

Vanguard Money Market Funds: Claim Your State Income Tax Exemption (Updated 2025)

Updated February 2025. As the brokerage 1099 forms for the 2024 Tax Year are coming out, here is a quick reminder for those subject to state and/or local income taxes. If you earned interest from a money market fund, a significant portion of this … [Read the rest]

United(SM) Business Card Review: 125,000 Bonus Miles Offer (Refreshed)

The United Business Card offers unique perks for regular United customers including free checked bags and expanded award seat availability for redeeming miles. Here are the highlights: 125,000 bonus United miles after you spend $5,000 on … [Read the rest]

Firstrade Brokerage: 3% Match on IRA Contributions, 2% Match on IRA Rollovers

Firstrade is a discount brokerage firm that is smaller but has been around for decades. They have a new IRA match promotion with a 3% match on contributions and a 2% match on IRA transfers and 401k-to-IRA rollovers (up to a $20,000 match amount). … [Read the rest]

US Bank Smartly Checking Account New User Bonus (Up to $450)

Updated. US Bank has a up to $450 new checking promotion when you open a Bank Smartly Checking account with $25 minimum and complete the following within 90 days: Enroll in the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking. Complete two or more … [Read the rest]

Vanguard 10-Year Stock Market Forecasts 2025-2035 (+Retrospective)

Vanguard recently released their most recent annual 10-year forecast as of mid-November 2024 (effectively the beginning of 2025). The beginning of the year is the time for forecasts, and that also makes it a good time to remind ourselves how badly … [Read the rest]

Big List of Free Consumer Data Reports 2025: Check Your Credit, Banking, Rental History, Insurance, and Employment Data

Checked and updated for 2025. Since these are available every 12 months, it is a good idea to check these near or around the same time each year. A lot of companies make their money by collecting and selling data - your personal data. It can be … [Read the rest]

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card Review: 80,000 Bonus Points, No Annual Fee

The IHG One Rewards Traveler Card is the IHG hotel card that includes special IHG perks but with no annual fee. Here are the highlights: 80,000 Bonus IHG Points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account … [Read the rest]

Chase MyBonus 2025 Q1: Targeted 5X Points on Gas/Groceries/Restaurants, 20,000 Point Bonus at Chase Travel

New quarter, new offers. A quick 2025 Q1 reminder that you can discover targeted offers for your Chase-issued credit card at Chase.com/mybonus. This includes both their in-house cards like Sapphire or Freedom Flex and their co-branded cards like … [Read the rest]