My Money Blog

Capital One Bank Really Doesn’t Like Inactive Checking Accounts…

Posted on September 2, 2011 // 17 Comments

Banks aren't as wildly profitable anymore, and thus are looking for ways to bring back the bucks. They've added new "features" like debit card fees, and are dropping unprofitable customers. For example, people with zero balances and little activity … [Read the rest]

Frequent Flier Miles: Which Airlines Are Easiest To Redeem Awards?

Posted on September 1, 2011 // 14 Comments

An article this week on GetRichSlowly about frequent flier program basics mentioned a WSJ article that I've never seen about which airlines make it easiest for you to redeem your miles. The research was done by a consulting firm IdeaWorks Co, which … [Read the rest]

U.S. Savings Bonds Have Outperformed Stocks Since 1998?

Posted on August 31, 2011 // 24 Comments

A reader recently told me that he was no longer investing in the stock market after seeing the chart below from the Savings Bond Advisor. It shows the total portfolio value after investing equal monthly amounts in either the S&P 500 stock market … [Read the rest]

ThredUP.com: Swap Outgrown Kid’s Clothing With Other Parents

Posted on August 30, 2011 // 16 Comments

Update: ThredUP is no longer a clothes swapping site, but you can get a free $10 credit towards your first purchase of clothing at the new store. Kids grow. Clothing doesn't. That's the basis for a new swapping site called ThredUP, which I've … [Read the rest]

150 Delta Skymiles For Watching 1-Minute Video

Posted on August 30, 2011 // 7 Comments

You can grab an easy 150 Delta Airlines Skymiles by visiting this website and watching a quick video about $300 Bose QuietComfort 15 noise-canceling headphones. Earn another 350 miles if you stop by a Bose store and do a live demo. Delta miles no … [Read the rest]

Building An ETF Portfolio: Using Limit Orders vs. Market Orders

Posted on August 29, 2011 // 8 Comments

In recent years, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) have been growing in popularity when building an investment portfolio. You can buy them from any discount broker, they have no minimum purchase amounts, and offer lower expense ratios than their mutual … [Read the rest]

E-Trade Baby Doesn’t Like Market Volatility Either

Posted on August 26, 2011 // Leave a Comment

Has the stock market turbulence from the last few weeks got you pooping in your diaper? You're not alone. Here's a parody video of the usually confident E-Trade baby facing some portfolio losses. Warning: Some bleeped-out curse words. … [Read the rest]

80% off Restaurant.com: $25 Certificates for $2 Until 8/31

Posted on August 26, 2011 // 8 Comments

I haven't mentioned these in a while. Restaurant.com is running one of their temporary 80% off sales on their $25 certificates (Regular price $10) with coupon code TASTY. Offer valid through 8/31 at 11:59PM PST. Despite my initial skepticism about … [Read the rest]

Lower Costs = Higher Returns (Again) and Survivorship Bias

Posted on August 25, 2011 // 4 Comments

Whether you invest your hard-earned money in passive index funds or actively-managed funds, the more important thing is that costs matter. Every penny you pay in mutual fund expense ratios, sales loads, trade commissions, and financial advisor fees … [Read the rest]

Brand and Price As Shortcut Quality Indicators & The Coach Factory Outlet Trick

Posted on August 24, 2011 // 18 Comments

I'm currently reading the book Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell, which is very well researched and a good read so far. One of the major themes of the book is how our culture is losing the ability to discern quality … [Read the rest]

Swensen Portfolio 10-Year Total Returns: Low-Cost Diversified ETF Portfolio Results

Posted on August 23, 2011 // 11 Comments

Last week, I shared a chart that showed how a diversified portfolio that was rebalanced regularly still managed to nearly double in value over the last decade. Here's another similar finding based on the David Swensen portfolio as compiled by an … [Read the rest]

Get Out Of Sprint Cell Phone Contract, Avoid Early Termination Fee (August/September 2011)

Posted on August 22, 2011 // 46 Comments

If you are under a Sprint cell phone contract and want to get out of it without paying the steep Early Termination Fee (ETF), check your statements with a billing date in August. Look for the following text: Administrative Charge Increase & … [Read the rest]