My Money Blog

Can Having Too Many Credit Cards Hurt Your Credit Score?

Posted on August 28, 2007 // 59 Comments

I got three e-mails with this same question yesterday! Mostly, people want to either participate in balance transfer arbitrage or grab a few new rewards cards. To start off, we must realize that all credit scores are based on secret formulas, … [Read the rest]

A Comparison Of Home Flipping Shows: Flip This House, Flip That House, and The Property Ladder

Posted on August 27, 2007 // 38 Comments

Ever since starting the house search and finding some real dumps with potential, I've been really into those home-flipping shows on TV. I'm not interested in any quick buy-fix-sells nor do I have illusions of making $50,000 in a month, but I do like … [Read the rest]

Why Paying Down Your Mortgage Early Can Be A Smart Investment

Posted on August 26, 2007 // 75 Comments

Still no house yet. But I have been reading about mortgages, and one common debate amongst mortgage holders is whether to send in extra money towards the principal in addition to the required monthly payments. Usually, the argument evolves into … [Read the rest]

Do You Worry About Your Parents’ Readiness For Retirement?

Posted on August 25, 2007 // 43 Comments

Up until recently, I never really thought about my parents' financial situation. While growing up, they did a really good job of shielding us from their financial worries and setbacks. Looking back, I'm sure there were some tough times. As my … [Read the rest]

MagicJack VoIP Review: Equipment + 1 Year of Phone Service For Only $40?

Posted on August 24, 2007 // 225 Comments

Since my SunRocket service went bankrupt, I've been living with just a cell phone. It's actually been fine so far, but I'm just not ready to give up on traditional phones just yet. I like having multiple headsets around the house and not having to … [Read the rest]

More Roth vs. Traditional 401k/IRA Data: Historical Marginal Tax Rates vs. Median Income

Posted on August 23, 2007 // 35 Comments

In my Roth or Traditional 401k decision process, I chose the Roth for the rest of this year. This essentially means that I'd rather pay up to 28% of tax right now on my contribution rather than pay whatever the going rate will be 30+ years from now. … [Read the rest]

Signup Bonuses: $25/$75 from E-Trade, $200 For Chase Bank

Posted on August 22, 2007 // 25 Comments

$25 bonus for opening E-Trade savings account with just $1, no minimums and no fees. I still dislike E-Trade from my own bad customer service experiences, but I don't mind people grabbing some bonuses from them. ;) Thanks S.E. for the tip. … [Read the rest]

Financial Festivals and Carnivals

Posted on August 22, 2007 // 2 Comments

Here are some blog festivals and carnivals I participated in recently: The Carnival of Personal Finance included my profit calculation tool for making money from credit cards. My pick from this Carnival was Top 10 Wealth Building Ways Of … [Read the rest]

Choosing Between the Roth or Traditional 403b / 401k : Our Decision Process

Posted on August 21, 2007 // 29 Comments

My wife now has the new option of contributing to Roth 403b plan with her new position, and we had to make a decision on whether or not to go with it. Here is our thinking process, which should also apply to Roth 401ks. I found a few good … [Read the rest]

Video Post: Basics of Comparing Investing in a Roth 401k vs. a Traditional 401k

Posted on August 21, 2007 // 22 Comments

I just made my first video blog post which covers part of choosing between a Traditional and a Roth-type of retirement account, be it IRA, 401(k), or 403(b). I've covered this topic before, but I wanted to start out with something that I get asked … [Read the rest]

What’s My Marginal Tax Rate Bracket For 2007?

Posted on August 21, 2007 // 17 Comments

For future reference, here are the tax brackets for 2007. Marginal Tax Rate [Taxable Income] Single Married Filing Jointly 10% $0-$7,825 $0-$15,650 … [Read the rest]

Bogle On Credit Troubles, Market Timing, And More

Posted on August 20, 2007 // 5 Comments

Via the Diehards forum, Businessweek recently posted an interview with John Bogle which covers many of the questions that people are asking about investing right now. As usual, he provides a balanced and big-picture perspective on things. I … [Read the rest]