A Second Home, a Starter Budget - NY Times An article about a young couple who rent in Brooklyn but instead bought their first house in the Catskills - a two-bedroom, one-bath, 700sf fixer-upper for $95,000. Check out the picture gallery, I like … [Read the rest]
Links: Young Homeowners, Tracking Rent, 1930 Flashbacks, Cheaper Textbooks, & More
Posted on August 17, 2009 // 2 Comments
Unemployed: COBRA vs. Individual Health Insurance
Posted on August 14, 2009 // 65 Comments
With unemployment still at historic highs in many areas, a common concern is what to do about health insurance. A friend of mine was recently notified that he was going to be laid off, and so we talked about some of the options out there, and I told … [Read the rest]
How The Average U.S. Consumer Spends Their Paycheck
Posted on August 13, 2009 // 22 Comments
Here's an interesting graphic of the spending breakdown for the average U.S. consumer. It's based a theoretical household "unit" consisting of 2.5 people, not individuals. Looks like such a household unit spends approximately $50,000 per year. … [Read the rest]
Scottrade Brokerage Cash Management Tips
Posted on August 11, 2009 // 15 Comments
If you have an account with online broker Scottrade, or are thinking of getting one, this post is about moving funds in and out of your account. Like many brokers, the interest paid on idle cash sweep balances is very low at Scottrade, so it doesn't … [Read the rest]
The Power of Passive Index Fund Investing: An Example
Posted on August 10, 2009 // 18 Comments
The other day, I was trying to explain to a friend why I invest in index funds. I came up with this example, which I'm not sure is perfect but I thought I'd share it. Background: Market Cap Indexes When you hear "index funds", it traditionally … [Read the rest]
Free US Airways Silver Preferred Status For 90 Days
Posted on August 9, 2009 // 4 Comments
US Airways is running a promotion where you can try out their Silver Preferred "Elite" status for 90 days. Normally, you'd have to pay $200 or fly 25,000 Preferred-qualifying miles (or 30 qualifying segments) within a calendar year. You must … [Read the rest]
OptionsXpress $100 New Account Bonus via Referral
Posted on August 7, 2009 // 12 Comments
Here's another solid opening account bonus for an online broker. OptionsXpress is offering new customers a $100 bonus if they open an account with a referral from a current customer. You must maintain an average balance of $500 for 6 months, and make … [Read the rest]
Historical Net Worth & Goal Chart Updates
Posted on August 7, 2009 // 6 Comments
I finally got around to updating all my net worth charts and graphics. Here is my net worth since I started tracking it on this blog in December 2004: You can also view my net worth since graduating from college in my Net Worth page. You … [Read the rest]
State Farm Auto Insurance & Rental Car Coverage
Posted on August 6, 2009 // 29 Comments
Do you know if your auto insurance company will cover you in an accident in a rental car? According to a survey by Progressive Insurance, only 25% bother to ask. We are looking into booking a rental car for a week, so I called State Farm to … [Read the rest]
Monthly Net Worth Update – August 2009
Posted on August 5, 2009 // 30 Comments
Credit Card Debt For newer readers, I have taken money from credit cards at 0% APR and placed it into online savings accounts, bank CDs, or savings bonds that earn 4-5% interest (much less recently), and keeping the difference as profit. I even put … [Read the rest]
Costco Membership Certificates w/ $50 in Free Costco Coupons
Posted on August 4, 2009 // 32 Comments
Update: Costco is no longer allowing me to sell these certificates. Sorry! See Is Costco Executive Membership worth it? … [Read the rest]
Stock Market Timing Using Historical Moving Averages
Posted on August 3, 2009 // 27 Comments
In the wake of the recent stock market drops, there has been a increased amount of interest in certain market timing systems that would have told an investor to be "out" of the market during late 2008 and early 2009. Below are a sample of the more … [Read the rest]
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