My Money Blog

HSBC Direct Unveils Online Checking Account… Sort Of

Posted on May 30, 2007 // 30 Comments

For a while now there have been rumors that HSBC planned to enter the online checking account arena, competing with the likes of Capital One 360's Checking. Instead of using the apparently taboo words "checking account", HSBC Direct announced today … [Read the rest]

Apologies For Unrequested E-mails

Posted on May 29, 2007 // 1 Comment

At the end of each of my posts, there is the option to subscribe to future comments. It's not checked by default, but it provides an way to easily follow the conversation. Today, for some reason, some people who were already subscribed to certain … [Read the rest]

Cheap Admission To Nature’s Amusement Park

Posted on May 29, 2007 // 12 Comments

Sorry for the relative silence recently, I had friends over for the weekend. A while I ago I wrote about choosing frugal hobbies, and one great thing about Portland is that the biggest draw, regardless of cost, is really the outdoors. You get … [Read the rest]

Who Needs Extreme Sports When You Can Be A 0% APR DareDevil?

Posted on May 27, 2007 // 11 Comments

MSN Money recently wrote a new article titled 0% daredevils chase 'free' cash discussing the practice of borrowing cheap money from credit cards offering 0% APR interest and no fees, putting that money into an online savings account at 5-6%, and … [Read the rest]

My Attempts at Frugal Mattress Shopping

Posted on May 25, 2007 // 71 Comments

It's time for a new mattress. Our current one was found 10 years ago from a university mailing list for $75. It's actually a nice mattress and the seller said it cost $400 new and was only a year old. I remember believing her because she lived in … [Read the rest]

Pay Your Mortgage On Credit Cards, Buyer’s Agent Rebates Are Not Taxable, Japan’s Real Estate Bubble

Posted on May 25, 2007 // 17 Comments

Buyer's Agent Rebates Are Not Taxable It struck me that the buyer's agent rebates I am seeking may be taxable income. That would stink. But it seems that Redfin, another company that does rebates in selected areas, received a private letter ruling … [Read the rest]

Another Free $50 Credit From Sprint SERO

Posted on May 24, 2007 // 52 Comments

Wow, this deal keeps getting better. If you recently got in on the Sprint SERO plan (review), it looks like you can get another $50 discount. Thanks goes out to Jason for the tip. Just e-mail Sprint online and type something like this: Dear … [Read the rest]

Will Future Long-Term Stock Returns Be Less Than 8%?

Posted on May 24, 2007 // 24 Comments

While reading The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by Vanguard founder Jack Bogle, I found one of the chapters on predicting future stock returns especially interesting. Here's my attempt at summarizing it. What are we buying when we buy a … [Read the rest]

Finding A Home Buyer’s Agent: Commission Rebates, Interview Questions

Posted on May 23, 2007 // 42 Comments

We know that it is important to find a good buyer's agent that listens to our needs, will help us negotiate with sellers, and basically guide us through the entire buying process. On the other hand, we are very comfortable sifting through the MLS … [Read the rest]

Get A Refund On Airfare Price Drops With Yapta

Posted on May 22, 2007 // 18 Comments

I just saw a blurb on TV about a new site called Yapta, or Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant. On the surface, it's just another airfare price tracker that can be found on sites like Travelocity. But, if you've already purchased your ticket, … [Read the rest]

Tools For Evaluating Index ETF vs. Mutual Fund Purchases

Posted on May 22, 2007 // 9 Comments

Even though the expense ratio for an ETF may be slightly lower than a mutual fund, that doesn't necessarily completely explain the cost differential between them. In addition to any commission costs, there are also the issues of bid/ask spreads and … [Read the rest]

In Defense Of Buying: Our Housing Situation Explained

Posted on May 21, 2007 // 34 Comments

I'm probably going to be writing a good bit about our house buying process in the upcoming months, and wanted to clarify our position a bit. Of course, you are still free to disagree with me afterwards ;) Right now, we're just looking. So far … [Read the rest]