LendingClub Default Rates vs. Loan Age Graph

Posted on May 7, 2010 // 20 Comments

LendingClub is supposed to provide me with an official response to my updated analysis of their loan performance numbers. Hopefully it will shed more light on how their advertised returns are calculated. While I'm waiting for it, here is … [Read the rest]

InvestForLess: American Funds With No Load?

Posted on May 6, 2010 // 5 Comments

Although I don't invest in any mutual funds with loads or sales charges, I know that many people like to buy American Funds. Although they don't do any print advertising or press releases, they are the third-largest fund company in the world behind … [Read the rest]

Vanguard Voyager Status Minimum Now $50,000

Posted on May 5, 2010 // 7 Comments

Another recent change at Vanguard is that their Voyager membership tier is now available to those with household assets totaling $50,000 or more. The minimum was previously $100,000. The minimum for Voyager Select remains at $500,000 and Flagship … [Read the rest]

Commission-free Vanguard ETF trades in Vanguard Brokerage Accounts

Posted on May 4, 2010 // 22 Comments

Vanguard sent out an announcement today that they are responding to recent moves by Fidelity/iShares and Schwab by offering their own lowered commission costs, the highlights are of which are: Commission-free Vanguard ETF transactions. Vanguard … [Read the rest]

Bundle.com: Compare Spending Patterns With Similar Folks

Posted on May 4, 2010 // 9 Comments

I've been catching up on my stack of old magazines, and in the process discovering a bunch of new websites. One appropriate site to mention is Bundle.com, which describes itself as the "first money comparison site that lets you see how people just … [Read the rest]

Free 500 American Airlines Miles

Posted on May 4, 2010 // 3 Comments

You can get 500 free American Airlines miles if you register for the AAdvantage eShopping Mall as a new member by May 31st, 2010. The mall is like other cashback shopping portals, except that they give you American miles back instead. You'll … [Read the rest]

LendingClub Updated 2010 Review: Historical Returns and Trends

Posted on May 3, 2010 // 22 Comments

I've been investing with LendingClub for over two years now. They securitize person-to-person loans so that you can lend money to other people in $25 increments, and you collect the interest after some fees. The stated interest rates are about 7-16%. … [Read the rest]

April 2010 Spending Snapshot

Posted on April 29, 2010 // 14 Comments

I've been trying to track our expenses better using Mint.com, which means combing through transactions and manually correcting many of the automatic categorizations. I think it's working, at least in that I hate doing it so much that didn't make a … [Read the rest]

Healthcare Reform Highlights For The Self-Employed

Posted on April 29, 2010 // 66 Comments

Until now, I haven't written much about healthcare reform issues - it's just feels so daunting and politically-charged. I do support the eventual separation of work and health insurance, as I think that all unemployed, partially-employed, and … [Read the rest]

LendingClub P2P Loan Portfolio Performance Update

Posted on April 28, 2010 // 17 Comments

Wow... The last time I wrote about LendingClub was about 6 months ago. Since then, I haven't really been keeping up with person-to-person lending, which in this case are unsecured credit card-like loans between individuals. Looks like they got a new … [Read the rest]

Savings Calculator: Does 1% More Make A Difference?

Posted on April 27, 2010 // 9 Comments

If you're like me, your 401k plan comes with a little newsletter each month. A common theme in the world of personal finance advice is to nudge up your savings by one more percentage point a year. For the "average" person, this is probably not a … [Read the rest]

Death and Taxes 2011: Visual Guide to the Federal Budget

Posted on April 26, 2010 // 24 Comments

The 2011 edition of the Death and Taxes poster is out, which outlines in spectacular detail how the United States federal budget spends its (your?) tax dollars. View the huge image online, or buy it as a 2 ft. x 3 ft poster. If you haven't seen … [Read the rest]

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