My Money Blog

Reader Question: When High Pet Costs Threaten Your Finances

Posted on March 26, 2008 // 85 Comments

I received a very sad e-mail today from reader Tina: ...A recent crisis with my cat has deeply taxed my savings. [...] I have spent more than $4500 on my pet in the last three months. She developed lymphoma and the initial hospitalization and … [Read the rest]

Should I Contribute To A Non-Deductible IRA, Part 2: Better Than Regular Taxable Account?

Posted on March 26, 2008 // 3 Comments

Continued from Part 1: Future Roth IRA Rollover. Now we'll consider what happens if we don't convert to a Roth. To recap, an non-deductible IRA everything is the same as a Traditional IRA except that the initial contribution is not … [Read the rest]

Should I Contribute To A Non-Deductible IRA? Part 1: Future Roth IRA Rollover

Posted on March 25, 2008 // 33 Comments

As we've seen, after you reach a certain income, both Roth IRAs and tax-deductible contributions to Traditional IRAs are no longer available. After you max out your 401(k) or 403(b) plan at $15,500 per year, you start running out of tax-advantaged … [Read the rest]

2008 Roth/Traditional IRA Phase-Out Limits For High Income Earners

Posted on March 25, 2008 // 2 Comments

For those people with increasing incomes, you may be wondering when either Roth IRAs and tax-deductible contributions to Traditional IRAs start being taken away from you. Here are the phase-out numbers for the 2008 tax year: Roth IRA Phase-Out … [Read the rest]

Haggling Down Prices At Home Depot?

Posted on March 24, 2008 // 49 Comments

Now that we have our own home and backyard patio, we decided to buy our first propane grill and invite some people over. We had to schedule a convenient time to have my father-in-law come drive down with us since he has a truck, so we had pretty … [Read the rest]

Series I Savings Bonds: Inflation Protection + Decent Interest?

Posted on March 23, 2008 // 15 Comments

The Federal Reserve continues to slash short-term rates, so right now looks like a good time to take a second look at Series I Savings Bonds since they are not directly tied to such rates and also offer protection from inflation. I-Bonds Quick … [Read the rest]

Treasury Bond Minimum Now $100, But Nothing To Buy

Posted on March 23, 2008 // 7 Comments

The Treasury recently announced that as of April 7th minimum investment amount for government bonds will be lowered to $100 (previously $1,000). This includes all Treasury marketable bills, notes, bonds and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities … [Read the rest]

Shopping For A Mortgage? Consider Upfront Brokers and Upfront Direct Lenders

Posted on March 20, 2008 // 32 Comments

If there's one thing missing from shopping for a mortgage loan, it's transparency. You would think getting a mortgage would be close to shopping for a gallon of gas, but it's more like shopping for a car. Blech. By this I mean you and the … [Read the rest]

Index Powered CD Review: Stock Performance + Bank Safety?

Posted on March 19, 2008 // 21 Comments

How would you like to get returns linked to the S&P 500, with no chance of losing a penny? You can with the Index Powered CD, a certificate of deposit being sold by a variety of smaller banks including Brentwood Bank. While the concept has been … [Read the rest]

Money Merge Accounts Explained, Part 1: The Basics Of Accelerated Mortgage Payoff

Posted on March 17, 2008 // 29 Comments

Now that I have a mortgage of my own, I finally spent the time to read up on Money Merge Accounts - also known as Mortgage Offset Accounts, Mortgage Acceleration Programs, Equity Accelerators, etc. You may see them sold by various companies like … [Read the rest]

Bear Stearns Meltdown Timeline

Posted on March 17, 2008 // 37 Comments

I usually don't pay attention to short-term market moves, but I just can't take my eyes off of this Bear Stearns train wreck! The recent timeline is almost amusing (assuming you don't hold BSC shares...): January 12th, 2007 Share price was … [Read the rest]

Should I Buy Mortgage Protection Life Insurance?

Posted on March 16, 2008 // 41 Comments

You guys were right. Less than a month since we closed on our mortgage loan, we are already getting bombarded with letters offering "mortgage life insurance". The official-looking letters seem like they are from your lender, but are really just … [Read the rest]