Here’s how to make good choices in medical, dental, and vision benefits during open enrollment.
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Finance Charge in Insurance Payment Plans
I often read on the blogs when someone talks about their insurance my ___________ (life, car, home, …) insurance is $______ a month. or I saved $_______ a month on my ____________ insurance. So it seems that a lot of people pay their insurance by month. I’ve always paid my insurance in a single payment […]
I Love Southwest Airlines
Or should I say LUV, which is their ticker symbol? Southwest Airlines is the only airline I know that will not charge you a fee for changing or canceling a non-refundable ticket. Things come up all the time. You can’t make it to your brother’s place or you want to go on a different date. […]
Combatting Survival Instincts
Jonathan Clements wrote in the Getting Going column on today’s WSJ (link) about a theory dubbed “Lizard Brain” that traces the bad money management behaviors to our hunting and gathering ancestors. The theory goes that, deep down, the survival instincts inherited from experiences thousands of years ago tell us to: consume more than we need favor […]
Some MBNA Cards Didn’t Merge Into B of A After All
There has been some speculation about whether the much coveted MBNA Bill Pay Choice service will survive the web site merge into Bank of America. It turned out that it was kept intact. Smart consumers can continue to use it to pay other credit cards and mortgage payments. I was also hoping that with the […]
Calculator for 401(k), Roth IRA, then Back at 401(k)
[Last updated on July 10, 2008 with 2008 tax year IRA contribution limit.] I searched on the Internet for a calculator that implements the strategy outlined in my previous post 401(k), Roth IRA, then Back at 401(k). But to my surprise I couldn’t find any. There are calculators for 401(k), calculators for Roth IRA, but […]
9-Step Plan From Dilbert
Jason at Wheaties for Your Wallet brought up a 9-step plan for better personal finance from Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert: Make a will. Pay off your credit cards. Get term life insurance if you have a family to support. Fund your 401(k) to the maximum. Fund your IRA to the maximum. Buy a house if you […]
401(k), Roth IRA, then Back at 401(k)
Money magazine published a list of 25 Rules to Grow Rich By. A few rules are a little silly, for example, Rule #22: Resist the urge to buy the latest computer or other gadget as soon as it comes out. Wait three months and the price will be lower. Three months! Gosh, stop buying those crap […]
Best Mutual Fund Company
This is part of the TFB Awards for Best In Class in Financial Services series. The Vanguard Group wins the award in the category of Best Mutual Fund Company. It is truley second to none in the mutual fund industry. Most other mutual fund companies are owned by private investors. They operate mutual funds for […]
Best Mutual Fund for Investing More Than $3,000
This is part of the TFB Awards for Best In Class in Financial Services series. The Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund (VSMGX) wins the award in the category of Best Mutual Fund for Investing More Than $3,000. This fund (hereinafter LS Moderate) requires a minimum investment of $3,000. If you are investing $1,000 – $3,000, […]