I don’t know why unlimited calling, texting and data for smartphones is so popular these days. Or is it just advertising that makes it appear to be popular? Radio guru Clark Howard likes Straight Talk at $45/month for unlimited everything. He also mentioned a T-Mobile plan for $30/month with unlimited web and text plus 100 […]
Latest Blog Posts
Keep a Local Bank Account As Backup When You Use an Online Bank
When you use an online bank without a physical branch near you such as Ally Bank or USAA for your main checking account, sometimes it’s helpful to keep a local bank account as a backup for what you need done in person at a branch. I use a Citi Checking account for this purpose. I […]
If Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness What Exactly Does It Buy?
I didn’t post last week because I was here: My wife and I visited that same place about 15 years ago. I remember we had a great time. I remember the surreal bamboo forest we walked in when it was raining. I remember the quiet black sand beach that had only the two of us. […]
Financial Planning When You Don’t Know the Future
On my way to work I see a sign for a psychic. It’s been there forever. I wonder how a psychic stays in business. Low overhead, I guess. When I hike during the weekend, I listen to The Clark Howard Show on podcast. Clark Howard is a personal finance guru on radio and television, based […]
Invest In Long Term Bonds Now?
Back in June 2012, a reader asked in a comment on my post What to Do When Interest Rate Is So Low: What would you think about this Vanguard Bond Fund for the next couple of years of low interest rate – VWESX [Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund]? I said I wouldn’t be comfortable with it […]
My Experience With Selling Cash-Secured Put Options
I should give an update for my experiment with selling cash-secured put options. Back in June 2012, when the percentage of my portfolio invested in stocks was close to reach a trigger point for rebalancing, I wrote this post: Sell Cash-Secured Puts: Get Paid for Your Rebalancing Commitment. The gist was that by announcing to […]
Is a Vantage Score Good Enough?
I don’t care much about my credit score as long as I still get the best rates when I borrow. In previous posts I showed you don’t need a top score to get the best rate. I don’t buy credit scores. My bank Alliant Credit Union shows me a VantageScore by Experian every quarter for […]
Diversify Bond Funds with CDs
Bond funds and CDs are not mutually exclusive. Considering investing in both bond funds and CDs.
Debit Card Discounts vs Credit Card Rewards
I heard a legal settlement between retailers and Visa and MasterCard got rid of a credit card network rule that prohibited retailers from surcharging credit card purchases. Although it’s a theoretical possibility, I don’t think we will see surcharges any time soon. More likely we will see discounts for debit card purchases. Although the lack […]
For Profit vs Not For Profit
If two businesses do pretty much the same thing, but one is for profit and the other is not for profit, as a customer, should you automatically favor the one not for profit? I subscribed to a publication called Consumers’ CHECKBOOK for several years. It publishes ratings for local service providers — plumbers, landscapers, auto […]