From 2005 to 2007, a peek at my credit report might have revealed that I had over $30,000 in credit card debt. The good news is that I borrowed it at 0% APR and then immediately stashed it in an FDIC-insured bank account earning 6% interest at … [Read the rest]
Updated review. New Android and web versions. Added details about "students invest for free" feature (anyone 24 and under). When I wrote about WiseBanyan, I remarked that now people could start investing a portfolio of ETFs with as little as 100 … [Read the rest]
Updated. Ever wanted to manage your own mutual or ETF? A new brokerage company called Motif Investing will let you do just that. One of their pitches is that you can invest in a group of up to 30 individual stocks that fit into a motif or theme … [Read the rest]
I've written previously about the importance of permanent habit change in both managing your finances and your body weight. After finishing Smart People Don't Diet by Charlotte Markey and then reviewing my Kindle highlights, please allow me to … [Read the rest]
When investing in stocks and bonds, it is important to take a long-term perspective. We've all heard that phrase. A new tool called PortfolioCharts.com lets you create charts that make it easier to visualize the relationship between returns and … [Read the rest]
Our family keeps a year's worth of expenses (not income) put aside in cash reserves; it provides financial insurance with the side benefits of lower stress and less concern about stock market gyrations. In my opinion, emergency funds can actually … [Read the rest]
Consumer Reports (CR) has released a multi-part Special Report on Auto Insurance, included in their September 2015 print issue but also available online without a subscription (at least for now). They analyzed over 2 billion quotes from over 700 … [Read the rest]
I would say that the insurance with the highest ratio of most-needed to least-bought would be long-term disability insurance. According to the Social Security Administration, just over 1 in 4 of today's 20-year-olds will be become disabled at some … [Read the rest]
I am nearing my 6-month anniversary of making a weight loss bet with HealthyWage (3 months left) and DietBet (less than a week left). My aversion to losing money has really helped me remain focused on my goals, so I have a newfound respect for this … [Read the rest]
Many online retailers offer a "Low Price Guarantee", which doesn't mean they actually have the lowest prices but only that they will match a lower price if you find it and ask for your money within a certain time window. Sometimes they'll match … [Read the rest]
Yesterday, I looked back at extending the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs to Personal Finance. The basic idea of the triangle or pyramid is that lower needs must be satisfied before the higher needs can be addressed. For example, one must first obtain … [Read the rest]
Back in 2014, Google bought Word Lens, a neat app that translated a few languages in real time using your smartphone's camera. The live translation feature has been integrated into the Google Translate app (Android and iOS) and now works with 27 … [Read the rest]
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