My Money Blog

Chase Freedom Cash Visa: 5% Back On Popular Spending Categories

Posted on September 24, 2007 // 44 Comments

Dow Jones Industrial Average: Accurate Index To Follow?

Posted on September 24, 2007 // 11 Comments

Whenever you hear a stock market update on TV or even online, it's usually related to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)... "The Dow went up 100 points today." "We are pushing back towards Dow 14,000!" I never really thought about this … [Read the rest]

What Is The Relationship Between Fed Funds Rate and Interest Rates On Bank Savings Accounts?

Posted on September 23, 2007 // 24 Comments

With all this talk about the Fed Funds rate drop, a lot of people are wondering what it means for consumer rates like savings accounts, credit card APRs, and mortgage rates. Here, I wanted to explore the savings account relationship. First, some … [Read the rest]

How To Build A One-Person Million-Dollar Web Business… By Age 17

Posted on September 22, 2007 // 26 Comments

She grew up in a working-class household near Detroit, with divorced parents who argued about unpaid bills. At 14 years old, she had to ask her mom to buy an $8 domain name for her. Today, at 17, she owns her own 2-story house and is head of a … [Read the rest]

What Is The Best Fun-But-Cheap Used Car Under $5000?

Posted on September 21, 2007 // 90 Comments

Recently, I have been toying more seriously with the idea of selling one of our used cars to buy another cheap one with a manual transmission. I'll be honest, it's entirely for entertainment purposes. I want to get better at driving a stick, and … [Read the rest]

What Is Passive Income? Does It Really Exist?

Posted on September 20, 2007 // 47 Comments

I hear the term 'passive income' thrown around a lot. But what does it really mean? Is anything that you earn outside your day job considered passive income? Let's look at some popular things that are associated with the term. Dividend Income … [Read the rest]

Wall Street Journal, New York Times Becoming Totally Free?

Posted on September 19, 2007 // 18 Comments

You may have noticed that the Wall Street Journal website is free right now not free anymore. Rupert Murdoch wants to switch from a subscription-based site to an advertising-based model, and I am totally for it! It was always a pain to have … [Read the rest]

Fed Rate Cut: Affect On Mortgages and Savings Accounts?

Posted on September 19, 2007 // 50 Comments

I'm sure you've heard by now, Bernanke and Friends cut the Fed Funds rate by 50 basis points to 4.75%. It was the first rate reduction in 4 years, which then spawned the biggest one-day gain in the Dow in about the same time. It seems like everyone … [Read the rest]

Deals & Offers Updates: 25,000 Points From AmEx Gold, $25 From TextPayMe/OboPay, and $50 From TradeKing Received

Posted on September 18, 2007 // 27 Comments

Here are some updates on my list of Deals & Offers that I chose to participate in: 25,000 Points (25,000 Miles/Free Ticket or $250 Gift Cards) From AmEx (Update: Now expired) The New Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express is … [Read the rest]

September 2007 Investment Portfolio Snapshot

Posted on September 18, 2007 // 24 Comments

Retirement Portfolio Fund $ % FSTMX - Fidelity Total Stock Market Index Fund $23,971 28% VIVAX - Vanguard [Large-Cap] Value Index $14,273 16% VISVX - V. Small-Cap Value Index $13,230 15% VGSIX - … [Read the rest]

Bank of America Money Market Savings, now 4.65-5.01% APY

Posted on September 17, 2007 // 44 Comments

Bank of America now has their own high-yield savings account, though with a minimum balance. You won't find it advertised though, it's tucked away in their new My Expressions banking section. If you click around the various organizations, you'll see … [Read the rest]

The Widening Gap Between The Rich And… The Super-Rich

Posted on September 16, 2007 // 8 Comments

Forget the gap between the poor and the rich, what we really should be concerned with the growing gap between the rich and the super-rich. I mean, some people out there can only afford one yacht! The Onion explains: "[When I grew up,] my … [Read the rest]