My Money Blog

Emigrant Direct Changes Account Numbers

Posted on July 24, 2006 // 34 Comments

Emigrant Direct released their new site today... and promptly got hammered by the millions of people eagerly waiting to type in their 10-digit access code. I finally just got through. Most importantly, with the new website you also get a … [Read the rest]

Why I Open My Junk Mail… 12,000 More Miles From Discover

Posted on July 23, 2006 // 3 Comments

I always read my junk mail. You never know when you'll get a juicy targeted offer not available to the general public. It may be extra cashback on a specific category, or just 0% APR with no balance transfer fees from a bank that usually charges … [Read the rest]

Gone Phishing? How To Get Your Money Back

Posted on July 22, 2006 // 4 Comments

If you're like me, you get 10+ phishing e-mails a day, asking you to login to some fake bank account site. Heck, my PayPal account was "suspended" five times just today. (Although it was really was frozen once.) Combine this with all the other … [Read the rest]

Emigrant Direct – Upcoming New Website, Higher Rate

Posted on July 20, 2006 // 18 Comments

I keep forgetting to write this - Emigrant Direct is rolling out their new website on 7/24. Current accountholders should get an access code via snail mail. In addition, they announced that their interest rate will increase to 5.15% APY on … [Read the rest]

All Beginner Investors Should Read This.

Posted on July 19, 2006 // 22 Comments

...discussion at Vanguard Diehards forum, started by a newbie investor after today's big stock market jump. Does it sound familiar? I am 27 years old and just recently decided to buy into the market in a lump sum in a taxable account ... on May … [Read the rest]

Carnivals

Posted on July 19, 2006 // Leave a Comment

This week's Carnival of Investing is up at Free Money Finance. For more information on participating and hosting schedule, please check out the main Carnival of Investing page. MyMoneyBlog also participated in the Carnival of Personal Finance at … [Read the rest]

Fun With Online Mortgage Calculators

Posted on July 19, 2006 // 20 Comments

Lots of good comments on my previous post on how much to spend on housing. As a follow-up, let's run some numbers for fun. To make things easier, let me refer to what I call mortgage calculator heaven at DinkyTown. How Big A Mortgage Can I … [Read the rest]

Where To Get Free Food On Your Birthday

Posted on July 18, 2006 // 22 Comments

My buddy just had a free meal at Todai, a Japanese seafood and sushi buffet located primarily along the West Coast. They offer free meals to people on their birthday (they check ID), as long as you go with one paying customer. I usually avoid … [Read the rest]

How Much Of My Income Should I Spend On A House?

Posted on July 16, 2006 // 76 Comments

My new favorite pastime is searching MLS listings for houses. Who needs baseball when you can drool over houses you can't afford? Or can I? I'm also reading Automatic Millionaire Homeowner by David Bach (free review copy, will give it away when … [Read the rest]

American Express Version of Citi Dividend Card

Posted on July 15, 2006 // 25 Comments

(This entry used to be about the Citi Dividend Card, but it has been discontinued. I'm going to wait for the dust to settle and put up some good alternatives.) Another option is the one I took, which is to get the Citi Driver's Edge Card. … [Read the rest]

Do You Have A Fun Money Account?

Posted on July 15, 2006 // 15 Comments

I tend to swing constantly between being really interested in trading individual stocks and then not looking at a quote for weeks. To make things worse, I live in the Pacific time zone and the markets close at 1pm here. I am not a morning person, … [Read the rest]

Avoiding ATM Fees Using the Grocery Store Trick

Posted on July 13, 2006 // 29 Comments

When I can't find an ATM without fees, I just go into the nearest grocery store, and buy something small and pay for with the ATM card and ask for cashback. In urban areas I look for a drugstore like Walgreens. I've never had a surcharge, and it's … [Read the rest]