Last week, Ally Financial announced that they are acquiring TradeKing. What made this interesting was that they didn't refer to TradeKing as a discount brokerage firm, but a "digital wealth management company". This another move from independent … [Read the rest]
The Department of Labor has released their final rule on reducing conflicts of interest on retirement savings advice. As expected, the new rule now requires any person who provides investment advice on retirement accounts like 401(k) or IRAs to act … [Read the rest]
Successful haggle update, April 2016. Shortly after the NY Times profile of Bill Fixers came out, I submitted a request for them to help me lower my Time Warner cable bill. I had haggled with Time Warner in the recent past, but was currently back … [Read the rest]
While doing the research for my auto premium comparison post, I noticed that several of the state websites promoted an app called WreckCheck. Created by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), this free mobile app for iPhone and … [Read the rest]
The standard advice for saving money on auto insurance is to shop and compare prices. You could use a comparison website, but they may not include every insurance carrier listed in your state. A lesser-known fact is that auto insurance is … [Read the rest]
Morningstar is holding a free online event this Saturday, April 2nd called the Individual Investor Conference. Starting at 9am Central, according the full agenda there will be six live streaming video sessions from their staff. You can chat … [Read the rest]
Updated. Although I originally wrote this post a few years ago, it (unfortunately) still gets regular traffic. Bank reforms instituted in 2010 made overdraft "protection" only applicable on an opt-in basis on ATM/debit card usage. Despite this … [Read the rest]
This post provides updated information and instructions regarding the free FICO score that is available to Bank of America credit card holders. (Thanks to reader Andy for the tip.) Background. Bank of America started rolling out free FICO scores … [Read the rest]
If you have self-employment or other income outside of your W-2 paycheck this year, you may need to send the IRS some money before the usual tax-filing time. Here are the due dates for paying quarterly estimated taxes in 2016; they are supposed to … [Read the rest]
A common frugal tip is to lower your cellphone bill by switching to a cheaper provider. Many of the cheaper options use the T-Mobile and/or Sprint networks, which in general have fewer cellular towers and coverage density. But what should really … [Read the rest]
There is always a demand for starter books on investing and personal finance, especially as graduation season is coming up again. Although they often cover similar topics, the execution varies widely. For example, I found Tony Robbin's "7 Simple … [Read the rest]
We all know that personal income tax filings are due soon, but so are the first round of quarterly estimated taxes for 2016. Many of us with freelance or side-gig income must makes these payments in order to avoid a tax penalty at the end of the … [Read the rest]
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