Next up in the person-to-person lending showcase is Lending Club. I recently joined up because they were offering the carrot of $25 sign-on bonus, and I was curious to see how they differentiate themselves from Prosper Lending (review, $25 bonus). As … [Read the rest]
Zopa US Initial Review: A Credit Union Disguised As Person-to-Person Lending
Posted on December 6, 2007 // 12 Comments
Zopa US joined the person-to-person lending arena recently. From a potential lender's perspective, I was excited to see what they had to offer since Zopa has been operating in the U.K. for a while, and with several features that made them different … [Read the rest]
Considerations For Going Cell Phone Only
Posted on December 4, 2007 // 57 Comments
I mentioned that our family has been living with only a cell-phone for about half a year now. Here are some of the concerns that we had, and how we got over them. Our Current Setup We have two individual Sprint SERO plans that give us each 500 … [Read the rest]
December 2007 Financial Status / Net Worth Update
Posted on December 3, 2007 // 40 Comments
About My Credit Card Debt If you're a newer reader, you may have some concerns about my high levels of credit card debt. I'm actually taking money from 0% APR balance transfer offers and instead of spending it on junk, I am placing it in high yield … [Read the rest]
A Glimpse Into Our Arguments About House Buying
Posted on December 2, 2007 // 58 Comments
Here's a condensed update to our home-buying story. Our discussions about the subject have been going like this: Should we buy or rent? - We should just buy if we intend to live in it for a decade. Do you want a condo or a house? - A house. 3 … [Read the rest]
Free Domain Name, Free 1GB SD card, $25 Billpay Bonus
Posted on December 1, 2007 // 24 Comments
Here are some quick freebies and bonuses. Enjoy! Register.com is offering a free domain name (1 year) for small businesses. I couldn't think of a good name just now, but I went pretty far and didn't find any catches. Buy.com is offering a … [Read the rest]
Check Your Used Cell Phone Minutes For AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint
Posted on November 29, 2007 // 20 Comments
Since the Sunrocket demise in July, we have been living with just a cell phone - no landline or VoIP - and it's actually worked out pretty well. I like the simplicity. We haven't had any overage problems, but I did tend to check a lot in the … [Read the rest]
Google Checkout Promotion: Free Frequent Flier Miles
Posted on November 29, 2007 // 5 Comments
Google Checkout is running a few holiday promotions for their purchase system. The first two tabs are for Savings and Free Shipping, with various coupons and free shipping on purchases over $50 at the stores listed. In addition, you can earn 2 … [Read the rest]
Help Your Family Buy A House – And Make It An Investment
Posted on November 28, 2007 // 21 Comments
Over Thanksgiving my parents and I discussed the possibility that one day my parents might retire and move near us. Of course, my parents live in a "normal" part of the country where a 2-bedroom condo doesn't cost $600,000. So the idea of us … [Read the rest]
Will Retiring Early Help You Live Longer?
Posted on November 27, 2007 // 26 Comments
There are lots of reasons to retire early, but will it help you live longer as well? One study seems to suggest so, and is often cited in websites discussing early retirement. Dr. Sing Lin wrote a paper in 2002 called Optimum Strategies for … [Read the rest]
eBates CyberMonday Promotion: Get Extra Online Shopping CashBack Today
Posted on November 26, 2007 // 5 Comments
Shopping cashback website eBates is offering up to double their usual cashback percentages today since it's CyberMonday. Only 10 hours left as of this writing! For example, get 8% back at Target.com (4% normally), 4% back at CircuitCity.com (2% … [Read the rest]
Investment Gift Idea For Children: A Roth IRA?
Posted on November 25, 2007 // 22 Comments
A few very forward-thinking readers have asked me about ways to help their kids or other young folks by giving them a Roth IRA. This seems like an awesome idea to grab them some tax-sheltered action. I've thought about this in passing, but never … [Read the rest]
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