I like the idea of living off dividend and interest income. Who doesn't? The problem is that you can't just buy stocks with the highest dividend yields and junk bonds with the highest interest rates without giving up something in return. There … [Read the rest]
Here's a (late) Q3 2015 update on my investment portfolio holdings for 2015. This includes tax-deferred accounts like 401(k)s and taxable brokerage holdings, but excludes things like real estate and cash reserves (emergency fund). The purpose of … [Read the rest]
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the national launch of myRA (my Retirement Account), a new starter option for those who don’t have access to a retirement savings plan at work. There have been some improvements and tweaks since their … [Read the rest]
Investment research firm Morningstar has released their annual 529 College Savings Plans Research Paper and Industry Survey. While the full survey appears restricted to paid premium members, they did release their top-rated plans for 2015. … [Read the rest]
New fixed rate for November 2015 is 0.1%. The most recent official announcement states that effective November 2015, the new fixed rate on Series I savings bonds is 0.1%, up from the previous 0.0%. The variable inflation-indexed rate is 1.54% (as … [Read the rest]
After reading many reviews including from Bob Lefsetz and Brad Feld, I had to add Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance to my reading list. I can recommend this book to anyone who likes biographies about … [Read the rest]
Below is a chart taken from this WSJ article about employer-run 401(k) retirement plans and how the default settings have changed over the last decade: The trend: Employers are making you save more initially by default, making you save a … [Read the rest]
Updated October 2015. I'll try to keep this post updated with any current discount on Consumer Reports subscriptions. Send me a message if you have a tip. Groupon has Consumer Reports digital edition for $15 a year (50% off). You can also … [Read the rest]
Author and investment advisor William Bernstein wrote a thoughtful WSJ piece on bonds, which I think is useful for the DIY investor. The overall theme is that you should take minimal risks with the bonds in your portfolio. Taken in isolation, … [Read the rest]
Consumer Reports recently released the results from their 2015 Annual Auto Reliability Survey of over 740,000 vehicles owned by its subscribers. Below are the complete rankings from Consumer Reports, including the change from last year. Taken from … [Read the rest]
Bank of America is the issuer behind many different credit cards, but only a few of them carry the "BankAmericard" co-branding. I have written up reviews of the BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card and the BankAmericard Travel Rewards® Credit … [Read the rest]
If you like to listen to podcasts, or are thinking of starting, the full version of the Overcast app (iOS only) is now completely free while remaining ad-free. (There is a patronage option and much accompanying drama that I'll ignore here.) All of … [Read the rest]
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