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 […]
Latest Blog Posts
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 […]
How To Withdraw [A Large Amount of] Cash From Online Bank Account
Last time I wrote about How To Deposit Cash To Online Bank Account. This time I’m writing about the opposite: when you use an online bank for your main checking account, how do you withdraw cash, especially a large amount? If you answer ATM or cash back with debit card purchase at a store, that’s […]
Buying On Dip With 2013 IRA Contribution
It’s a new year. The IRA contribution limit has gone up by $500 to $5,500 ($6,500 if you are 50 or older). Have you made your IRA contribution for 2013 yet? I haven’t. I’m going to continue with my experiment with buying on a dip. Last year I bought Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund […]
Fiscal Cliff Law and Exemption and Deduction Phaseouts
The previous two posts about the fiscal cliff law looked at Roth conversion and dividends and capital gains. Today we look at the new law’s reductions to personal exemptions and deductions for higher income taxpayers. Higher income for this purpose is defined as having Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2013 over $250k for single and […]
Fiscal Cliff Deal and Dividends and Capital Gains
Today we look at how dividends and capital gains will be taxed after the fiscal cliff deal, officially known as the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Don’t be surprised it gets a little more complicated. First of all when I say dividends and capital gains, I’m referring to qualified dividends and long-term capital gains. […]