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. […]
Latest Blog Posts
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 […]
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 […]