My Money Blog

Finding Health Insurance Options For Young Adults

Posted on June 8, 2007 // 26 Comments

Several people have asked me for some tips on how to find health insurance. I didn't mean to scare anyone, but if my intense pain reminds someone to get insurance, at least something good came out of it! I did do some searching myself last year - the … [Read the rest]

My Very First Emergency Room Visit

Posted on June 8, 2007 // 72 Comments

This week was filled with wonderful firsts. I had: my first time cowering for an hour in the fetal position, my first emergency room visit, my first morphine shot, my first CT scan, ...and my very first kidney stone!! Ironically, … [Read the rest]

Zecco Now Has No Minimum Balance: How To Buy The World For Just $319

Posted on June 7, 2007 // 25 Comments

It appears that Zecco brokerage has now removed their minimum opening requirements, on top of their 40 free trades a month. I'm guessing this means you can start trading with any amount of money, which is nice because you can try them out with … [Read the rest]

CNBC’s The Millionaire Inside: Battle Of The Get-Rich Guru Soundbites

Posted on June 7, 2007 // 27 Comments

Is it just me, or is CNBC TV becoming the financial network for those with 18-second attention spans? (Not that I'm not in their target audience!) Last night, I happened to catch their new series called The Millionaire Inside, which is supposed to … [Read the rest]

Should I Invest In Everbank’s Foreign Currency CDs?

Posted on June 5, 2007 // 51 Comments

While we're on the topic of international banks, US-based Everbank does offer FDIC-Insured Certificates of Deposit denominated in various world currencies: The three that stand out in interest rate perspective are the Icelandic krona, the New … [Read the rest]

Millennium Bank: Perhaps Not A Scam, But Not Safe Either

Posted on June 5, 2007 // 239 Comments

You have seen via Google Ads on my or other financial sites advertising 8% CD rates from Millennium Bank. Wow, sounds great! But given the internet age, when you see "bank", it could be from any corner of the world. The terms "certificate of … [Read the rest]

June 2007 Financial Status / Net Worth Update

Posted on June 4, 2007 // 29 Comments

About My Credit Card Debt As usual, let me prevent any scathing e-mails by first explaining my high levels of credit card debt. In short, I'm borrowing money for free and keeping it in safe investments while earning me 5-6% interest. Along with … [Read the rest]

Future FICO Scores Won’t Consider Authorized Users

Posted on June 3, 2007 // 37 Comments

I had written previously about renting out your credit score, which takes advantage of a loophole in the credit score formula and allows people with poor credit scores to pay others with excellent credit so as to be added as an authorized user. This … [Read the rest]

Random Thrift Store Shopping Discoveries

Posted on June 3, 2007 // 20 Comments

I mentioned before that we were involved in a volunteer trip to Haiti, and part of it simply involved donating a bunch of unwanted clothing. We also went to a bunch of different Salvation Army's and Goodwills to find some additional cheap clothing … [Read the rest]

GrandCentral: Free Local Number, Rings Any Phone, Lots Of Features

Posted on June 2, 2007 // 39 Comments

Tired of juggling multiple phone numbers? Or just need an extra one? You should check out GrandCentral Beta, which offers all kinds of new tricks with phone calls by utilizing VoIP and the internet. First and foremost, they offer you a free local … [Read the rest]

What Does Jack Bogle, Founder Of Vanguard, Invest In?

Posted on June 1, 2007 // 13 Comments

John (Jack) Bogle is both the founder of the low-cost mutual fund company Vanguard and the creator of the first index fund available to the public. These days he spends his time speaking about corporate ethics and how index funds are great … [Read the rest]

Will You Make More Money Than Your Parents? Does It Matter?

Posted on May 30, 2007 // 33 Comments

Both the Wall Street Journal and CNN Money recently ran articles about a new study that concluded that American men in their 30s are earning less than their father's generation after adjusting for inflation. In 2004, the median income for a man in … [Read the rest]