My Money Blog

Wanted: Loyal Reader With VirtualBank Account

Posted on July 21, 2008 // 11 Comments

I am currently out of VirtualBank referrals to give out to people. (Both referrer and referrer get $20 if you open an account.) As such, I am looking for a loyal and participating reader of My Money Blog to give out their referrals and make some easy … [Read the rest]

Links: Dark Knight Edition

Posted on July 21, 2008 // 9 Comments

Saw Batman today (the free movie tickets worked!). I'm not much of a graphic novel guy, but it turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen all year. Side thought: Is it really impressive that a movie broke a box-office revenue record when even … [Read the rest]

United Rentals (URI) Stock Tender Follow-up

Posted on July 20, 2008 // 7 Comments

Well, the United Rentals tender offer that I participated in went through successfully. As expected, the offer was oversubscribed (press release), which means that more shares were offered than they were looking to buy. Only an estimated 34% of … [Read the rest]

10% Off With Discover, Buy 1 Get 1 Jamba Juice, iPod Promotion at KeyBank

Posted on July 18, 2008 // 21 Comments

Quick links to more offers that may be of interest... $10 Discover Gift Card for every $100 Spent Get a $10 Discover Gift Card for every $100 you spend on your Discover Card at participating malls from August 1 through September 7, 2008. The … [Read the rest]

Brown Bag Lunch Idea: Simple Chinese Chicken Salad

Posted on July 17, 2008 // 22 Comments

There was some interest how to keep food costs down, so here's another brown bag lunch idea that I use. Previously I did my Simple Custom Sandwich Edition, which probably could have been cheaper but I tried to price things at retail. This time … [Read the rest]

Buy 1 Movie Ticket, Get 1 Free With Discover Card

Posted on July 16, 2008 // 13 Comments

Fandango and Discover Card have a promotion going where you can get one free movie ticket with the purchase of one movie ticket at regular price. Thanks JI. Hmm... Batman or Wanted? Terms & Conditions: This offer is only valid for Discover® … [Read the rest]

How Much Do We Spend? Breakdown of Current Expenses

Posted on July 16, 2008 // 76 Comments

I understand that revealing our net worth is not enough to fully explain our entire financial picture. That is by design; I like keeping the picture fuzzy. Blogs are very hard to keep anonymous, and I've been doing this since 2004. This is why I … [Read the rest]

FDIC Insurance Q&A: Businesses, Joint Accounts, CDARS, WaMu, and More

Posted on July 15, 2008 // 55 Comments

I've had a lot of questions about FDIC insurance recently (for obvious reasons), and have been getting a good share via e-mail as well. Took some research to find all the answers, but here they are: Will multiple accounts at the same bank, like … [Read the rest]

Ask The Readers: Is This Affordable Housing Opportunity A Good Deal?

Posted on July 14, 2008 // 17 Comments

Despite the drop in housing prices in many areas, I have still been noticing an increase in "affordable" housing projects that are meant for people earning around the median income level - not only low-income households. Even back in 2005, for … [Read the rest]

IndyMac Bank Failure Highlights: Another FDIC Insurance Example

Posted on July 13, 2008 // 64 Comments

Well, it finally happened. IndyMac Bank has been taken over by the FDIC, becoming the second-largest financial institution failure in U.S. history. I've been reading a bunch of new stories about it, and here are what I think are the … [Read the rest]

FNBO Direct Video Contest: $10 For Most, $500 For Top 20

Posted on July 11, 2008 // 16 Comments

Back in June, online bank FNBO Direct launched a video contest called the Pay Yourself First Challenge where users are asked to submit a short YouTube clip about what you are saving for. The first 500 entrants get a $10 Amazon.com gift card, … [Read the rest]

New Bonuses: Bank of America $75, PNC Bank $100

Posted on July 11, 2008 // 20 Comments

Here are some sign-up bonuses for bank accounts. Both seem to be for new bank customers. Thanks to Neerav and Mike. Bank of America is offering a $75 bonus for opening a MyAccess checking account online. No monthly maintenance fee, no minimum … [Read the rest]