Free Financial Industry Trade Magazine Subscriptions

TradePub is a site with a big list of free subscriptions to trade magazines in various industries, from finance to IT/engineering to healthcare. I like the idea of reading about the industry from an insider’s perspective. It’s all advertiser-supported, so just pick out what you want. Here are a few financial mags that caught my eye:

  • Financial Advisor was “created exclusively for independent financial planners and RIAs. […] Operating on the premise that an individual’s personal and financial lives are inextricably linked, the magazine tackles issues from college funding, second careers and divorce to charitable giving, business succession and retirement, estate and legacy planning.
  • Global Finance “delivers the full story; corporate finance, joint ventures and M&A, country profiles, capital markets, investor relations, currencies, banking, risk management, custody, direct investment, money management and all the rest-specifically tailored for corporate readers around the world.”
  • Registered Rep. is the “preferred magazine for stockbrokers, financial planners and advisors, and senior and branch management of retail brokerages large and small. From bringing you news about the firms to helping you attract high-net-worth clients, Rep. offers provocative coverage of the financial services industry in every monthly issue. Coverage with a focus on how you can build a better investment advisory practice by being of better service to your clients.”
  • U.S. Banker is “written for those individuals charged with generating greater profits and shareholder value for a financial institution: bank and nonbank directors, chairmen, CEOs, presidents, EVPs, SVPs and other business line managers. Each monthly issue covers the market trends, regulations, innovations and individuals that are reshaping the financial institutions.”

Another trade magazine that I have been receiving for years that I initially found through TradePub is Financial Planning. Although it’s no longer offered through them, it looks like you can still get a free subscription here.

WT Direct $500 Promotion: Earn 5% APY For 3 Months

(The promo below was discontinued after 3 days. Sorry, I warned you guys!)

The online division of Wilmington Trust Bank, WT Direct, is running another promotion for new customers. You can get up to a $500 cash bonus on top of the standard interest rate (currently 1.16% APY) if you open a new account and maintain a certain balance for 3 months. Here is the offer text:

Join WTDirect now and for every $10,000 that you deposit, we’ll give you a $100 cash bonus, up to $500!* Just open and fund your account by June 15th, maintain your initial deposit for three months, and you’ll receive a cash bonus.

The Numbers: Like a 3-month CD paying over 5% APY
This offer is basically a 1% flat bonus on your deposit after only 3 months if you deposit a multiple of $10,000. How does this work out when converted to an interest rate? To start, you are already getting 1.16% APY. On $10,000 for 3 months, you’ll get $28.40 interest and $100 bonus. That’s roughly 5.15% APY during that time.

Therefore, you can treat this bonus as a 3-month CD paying over 5% APY, more than 3% higher than any other available 3-month CD out there, and works for deposits up to $50,000:

Application Process and Setup

I’ve already opened a WTDirect account for a previous bonus, so here a quick summary of what to expect when applying. First, they gather the personal info. Second, they use the now-popular Equifax ID check questions to verify your identity. Third, you can fund electronically with account and routing numbers, although you must come back and verify trial deposits later. Finally, you can electronically sign the application and disclosures. There were no physical forms to send in, although a welcome packet does arrive by mail. They state explicitly that there is no credit check.

As for practical matters, WT Direct’s online transfer system allows unlimited linked banks, and transfers to external accounts are free both in and out with a 2-3 day transfer time.

Final Details
You must click through the promotional page and not the regular front page, so that the promotion code of dxxxc01 should already be filled in for you. WT Direct offers can be pulled early (and have been in the past), so don’t dawdle too long if you’re interested…

The fine print:

This offer is available to new WTDirect clients only. Primary account holder must NOT have held a WTDirect account in the past 12 months. WTDirect account must be opened and funded via electronic (ACH) transfer received by 6/15/10. Bonus is based upon the lowest daily balance during the promotional period of 6/15/10 – 9/15/10. Bonuses will be paid approximately 2 weeks after the end of the promotional period to clients whose accounts are open and in good standing. Wilmington Trust employees and their family members are not eligible. WTDirect reserves the right to cancel or modify this promotion at any time without notice.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 50,000 Bonus Points Review

Chase Sapphire Preferred ImageThe Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a rewards credit card that is now offering new cardholders 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. This is quite a good deal, as 50,000 points can be redeemed for $625 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards™ (you can buy a more expensive ticket and simply pay the difference). Earn 5,000 additional bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening. No annual fee for the first year, $95 in future years.

[This card is the “big brother” of the regular Chase Sapphire® Card, where you can get 10,000 points after you spend $500 in the first 3 months (no minimum amount) – that’s $100 in travel rewards when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards! and there is no annual fee in the first year or subsequent years. As well as an additional 2,500 bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening. I would personally rather go for the 40,000 points offer since the annual fee is waived for an entire year.]

Rewards Features
As a rewards card, the Sapphire offers 2 points per dollar spent on travel, 2 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants and 1 point for every dollar on all other purchases (100 points = $1, or the usual 1% back). However, this card separates itself with it’s flexible redemptions. Cash redemptions are easy – you can redeem in $1 increments as long as above $20, so you could cash out $27 or $253 without anything left over. There are no earning caps, or points expiration dates.

As noted above, airplane ticket redemptions can also be maximized because you can book any ticket and simply pay the difference. For example, 25,000 points can be used for any ticket up to $312.50, but if say you wanted a $325 ticket you could just pay the $12.50 difference. On other cards, you would have to go up another tier and spend an extra 10,000 points or similar.

More Details
In addition, Sapphire also promotes a “premium, dedicated service line that gives you access to a live person anytime, 24/7.” I tested this out and it really works! A real person picks up after a couple rings… it’s actually a bit disconcerting. You can also redeem cash rewards over the phone for free, although booking rewards tickets this way costs $20 (doing so online is free).

Fine print:

Earn 50,000 bonus miles – That’s $625 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards™
You will receive 50,000 bonus points with this bonus offer, which can be redeemed for a round trip ticket on most major airlines up to a $625 value. Ticket value exceeding $625 can be charged to your new card. A service fee of up to $20 per ticket may be charged for the use of our toll-free number to book or change airline itineraries. Redemptions made online do not have a service fee. Cardmember is responsible for any airline or government imposed fees. To qualify and receive your bonus, you must make qualifying transactions totaling $4,000 or more during the first 3 months from account opening. Qualifying transactions include purchases, balance transfers, and any checks that are used to access your account, and exclude cash advances. After qualifying, please allow 6 to 8 weeks for bonus points to post to your account. To be eligible for this bonus offer, account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment. This one-time bonus offer is valid only for first-time cardmembers with new accounts. Previous and existing cardmembers/accounts are not eligible for this bonus offer.

I already have the Chase Sapphire regular card and got my $250 (previous offer). But given how easy it was to redeem the reward, I’m going to have Mrs. MMB apply for a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card as well this time. (I try not to bother her too much unless it’s very juicy.)

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred Card application link

“Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer. This site may be compensated through the issuer’s Affiliate Program.  “The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.”

Free iPod Touch Offer From KeyBank

KeyBank is offering a free iPod Touch if you:

  • Open a Key Express Free checking account by July 30, 2010 (No monthly maintenance service charge, no minimum balance requirement)
  • Make one KeyBank Rewards debit card transaction
  • Make a combination of two direct deposits and/or automated payments each of $100 or more by October 1, 2010

You can get an additional $25 iTunes card if you open a checking account with higher balance requirements. The catch is that I think you must live in an area that KeyBank serves to open an account. (Update: Cleveland, Eastern OH, Idaho, Western NY, Oregon, Seattle Cascades, South Puget Sound, Central NY, Rochester, Maine, Northwest OH, Michigan, and Capital Region NY.) I still have my iPod Nano from a previous KeyBank offer. Additional details in the fine print:
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Free Crown Financial Money Map

Crown Financial Ministries is a Christian ministry with the mission of teaching financial principles which they believe are based on the Bible. I’m not very familiar with them, but they seem to be best known for their Money Life radio program. Their message focuses on removing all forms of debt, which strikes me as similar to Dave Ramsey.

Another central part of their curriculum is what they call the Crown Money Map, and it is currently free for a limited time. (Retail is $3.) New visitors can receive it either as a PDF or paper copy via snail mail. I thought it was worth a look.

Here’s a quick overview of their steps to financial freedom, which they call “destinations”. It is meant to be put on display and used interactively as a visual guide and reminder system.

  • Destination 1 – Emergency Savings
  • Destination 2 – Credit Cards Paid Off
  • Destination 3 – Consumer Debt Paid Off
  • Destination 4 – Save for Major Purchases
  • Destination 5 – Buy Home and Begin Investing
  • Destination 6 – Home Mortgage Paid Off
  • Final Destination – True Financial Freedom

Bing Offers Free Turn-By-Turn Navigation on Windows Mobile Phones

This only helps a few people so far, but I know there are a lot of Sprint SERO users like myself who are still using Windows Mobile phones. Microsoft’s Bing Mobile application now offers free turn-by-turn navigation on WinMo 6.x OS, similar to Google Maps on Android OS. If you don’t have GPS, it uses cell phone triangulation. Sprint, AT&T, and T-mobile look to be covered, but on Verizon phones it is disabled due to VZ Navigator. See the full list of compatible phones here.

The second feature is turn-by-turn navigation for Windows 6.x phones, powered by Bing Maps. We took advantage of the Microsoft Tellme team’s expertise in voice applications to deliver an amazingly lifelike voice experience for the turn-by-turn navigation. If you have a Windows phones on Sprint, T-Mobile, or AT&T you can use the voice guided navigation.

I took it for a test run today on my Sprint Touch Pro2, and it worked well overall. The phone tells you to turn shortly before reaching an intersection. Bing did seem to have more trouble locating my position initially than Google Maps. Also, I have a screensaver-like app that shuts off the navigation sounds after 30 seconds of inactivity, which I need to figure out how to disable.

Still, can’t complain about free! It appears to only be a matter of time before similar navigation is free to anyone with a data plan.

Chase Checking Account Bonus: 25,000 Continental Miles

Chase Bank is offering up to 25,000 bonus frequent flier miles from Continental Airlines with a new checking account if you (1) open a Chase Checking account and make 5 debit card purchases or set up direct deposit, and (2) open a Chase Continental Airlines Preferred Debit Card and make a purchase. The debit card has a minimum annual fee of $25, and a perk of that card is that you get your first checked bag for free.

If you can use the miles, and don’t have a Chase Checking account already, it’s a pretty easy way to earn some United/Continental miles. Expires June 30th. Redeem the coupon in-branch or online (use the coupon code during application). Read the fine print below to cover all the bases:

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2010 TradeKing New Account Referral: $50 Bonus

TradeKing.com has brought back their $50 sign-up bonus for new accounts as part of celebrating the birthday of the NYSE. If you get a referral from an existing account holder, fund it with at least $1,000, and make a trade, both people will get $50.

I have an account, so if you’d like a referral just contact me, and I’ll be happy to send you one. I only need your e-mail address. There is no promotion code, but you’ll need to click on the specific link on the e-mail for tracking purposes. Offer expires June 3rd, 2010.

TradeKing offers $4.95 trades with no minimum balance requirement. For more information, please check out my TradeKing Review. Here are some more recent accolades.

SmartMoney gave TradeKing the maximum 5-star rating for customer service and trading tools in 2008 and 2009. Barron’s has awarded TradeKing 4 out of 5 stars for four years straight. Kiplinger’s says “TradeKing reigns” in customer service, awarding them their highest rating of five stars.

The details:

  • New customer must fund new non-IRA account with a minimum of $1,000 within 30 days of new account opening.
  • Must execute one trade in the new account within 180 days of new account opening.
  • The minimum funds of $1,000 must remain in the account (minus any trading losses) for a minimum of 180 days of new account opening or the credit may be surrendered.

Free 500 American Airlines Miles

You can get 500 free American Airlines miles if you register for the AAdvantage eShopping Mall as a new member by May 31st, 2010. The mall is like other cashback shopping portals, except that they give you American miles back instead.

You’ll need to provide any valid credit card number, which allows you get miles back for purchases at physical retail stores. Fine print below… though the 500 miles showed up much earlier than 8-10 weeks for me. Quick and easy.

You must register on this page to earn the 500 mile enrollment bonus. Bonus miles will post to AAdvantage eShopping member’s account within 8 to 10 weeks from enrollment. This offer is not valid for existing AAdvantage eShopping members.

Energy Star Appliance Rebates Available Nationwide

“You may be eligible to receive rebates from your state or territory for the purchase of new ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. These rebates are being funded with $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Under this program, eligible consumers can receive rebates to purchase new energy-efficient appliances when they replace used appliances.”

Each state is running their own program. California just started their Cash for Appliances program yesterday, and it’s much better than I thought it was. Some states have already ended their programs (sorry!).

For example, on a $500 front-loading washer that we were looking at, certain CA residents (by zip code) could get $300 back in rebates! That’s $200 from the state of California, $50 from WaterEnergySavings.com (PG&E + local water utility), and another $50 from PG&E. This is on top of the potential water and electricity savings that you’d would get from switching away from an old top-loading washer.

Click on your state on this map for more information. Here are some frequently asked questions.

Lonely Planet Offers Free iPhone Apps To Travelers

In response to the disruption caused by a certain Icelandic volcano, Lonely Planet has made their iPhone apps for 13 European cities free until April 22nd. These usually cost $15.99 each, and seemed to work fine on my iPod Touch. From their blog:

‘Travellers stuck in unfamiliar places need access to practical information as well as suggestions on what to do whilst stranded’, said Tom Hall, Lonely Planet Travel Editor. ‘That’s why we’re giving away iPhone city guides to major affected destinations.’

I think it’s a nice gesture on their part and also good PR. Heck, I didn’t even know Lonely Planet offered apps until today. Should make for some neat reading. Here are direct iTunes links to the included cities:

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Berlin
  • Budapest
  • Copenhagen
  • Istanbul
  • London
  • Moscow
  • Munich
  • Paris
  • Rome
  • Stockholm
  • Vienna

Chase Sapphire Card: $100 Signup Bonus

Chase Sapphire Card BannerThe Chase Sapphire Card is a new rewards credit card that is offering 10,000 bonus points after your first purchase on the credit card, which can be redeemed for $100 cash. No annual fee.

As a rewards card, it offers 1 point for every dollar in purchases (100 points = $1, or the usual 1% back). The nice part is that redemptions are easy – you can even redeem in $1 increments as long as above $20, so you could cash out $27 or $113 without anything left over. There are no earning caps, or points expiration dates.

In addition, you can get double points on airfare booked through their Ultimate Rewards website. It also promotes a “premium, dedicated service line that gives you access to a live person anytime, 24/7.” I tested this out a couple of times and it really works! A real person picks up after a couple rings… it’s actually a bit disconcerting. Makes redeeming rewards much easier as well.

Fine print:

10,000 bonus points
You will qualify for and receive your bonus after your first purchase/first use of the card. First purchase/first use includes purchases, balance transfers, or any checks that are used to access your account, and excludes cash advances. After qualifying, please allow 6 to 8 weeks for bonus points to post to your account. This one-time bonus offer is valid only for first-time cardmembers with new accounts.