There has been a lot of commotion about banks and debit card fees recently. Fees were tested, added, announced, removed, and probably soon, added back indirectly. However, megabanks still have the power of inertia and convenience. I am betting that … [Read the rest]
Reader Experiment: How Well Do You Know Your Own Spending?
Posted on October 31, 2011 // 20 Comments
Even though I'm really into personal finance, I hardly ever do a monthly budget. However, I do think a common problem out there is that folks spend more than they think they do. Often this is just in one "problem area" such as groceries, dining … [Read the rest]
Citizens Bank / Charter One CollegeSaver Account: Potential 6% Annual Return (For Kids, Limited States)
Posted on October 31, 2011 // 5 Comments
Citizens Bank and Charter One bank have an interesting CollegeSaver bank account for those with children. However, it is only open to residents of certain states in the Eastern and Northeastern US (CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, … [Read the rest]
Zecco Refer A Friend Promotion: $100 Referral Bonus (2012)
Posted on October 29, 2011 // 5 Comments
Discount broker Zecco Trading has a refer-a-friend offer where a new account holder can get a $100 cash bonus if you are referred by a existing member and fund the account with $10,000 within 60 days of receiving the invitation. A minimum $10,000 … [Read the rest]
Thermostat + iPod = The $249 Nest Energy-Saving Appliance?
Posted on October 27, 2011 // 19 Comments
What happens when a former Apple executive and other top geeks focus their energy on a... thermostat? The Nest Learning Thermostat. I just finished a neat Wired magazine article about this new gadget, which hopes to make saving energy both trendy … [Read the rest]
The Hazards of Combining Overconfidence and Investing
Posted on October 27, 2011 // 5 Comments
Daniel Kahneman, behavioral economics guru and Nobel Prize winner, has a new book out called Thinking, Fast and Slow. This one is definitely on my to-read list. You may remember him from his TED Talk about Happiness = Earning $60,000 A … [Read the rest]
American Express Network: $40 Off $200 Purchase at Lowe’s
Posted on October 26, 2011 // 24 Comments
The following offer is targeted at American Express Business Platinum cardholders, but has been reported to work successfully with all American Express cards. The deal is if you register your card at AmexNetwork.com/LowesPlatinum and make a single … [Read the rest]
Balanced Portfolios Do Equally Well in Economic Recessions and Expansions
Posted on October 25, 2011 // 12 Comments
Vanguard's research division published a new report [pdf] that found that a portfolio split 50/50 between stocks and bonds had very similar inflation-adjusted returns regardless of whether the U.S. economy was growing or in recession. Here are the … [Read the rest]
Needs vs. Wants, Scaling Your Luxuries, and Conscious Priorities
Posted on October 24, 2011 // 16 Comments
There was a thought-provoking NYT article about luxuries last week that pointed to a 2006 report by the Pew Research center that surveyed Americans on what they considered "necessities" versus "luxuries". Some things have become more accepted as … [Read the rest]
Two Movie Tickets From Fandango.com for $12
Posted on October 24, 2011 // 1 Comment
Daily deals site KGBDeals has a national deal of 2 Fandango.com movie tickets for $12. Each ticket has a maximum value of $12 (total $24). Supposedly has 13 days left, but with over 9,000 sold it may sell out. Valid until January 31, 2012 and … [Read the rest]
FedEx $25 “Shop Small” Gift Card For Small Business Saturday
Posted on October 24, 2011 // 4 Comments
In addition to the $25 statement credit for American Express cardholders, FedEx has a separate promotion where they will be giving out $25 "Shop Small" AmEx gift cards in support of Small Business Saturday through a Facebook promotion. You'll need … [Read the rest]
Citi Forward Card Review & Improved Offer – $100 Gift Card Bonus
Posted on October 20, 2011 // 16 Comments
Update: Also check out the Citi Forward® Card for College Students. As I was reminded in my best cash back credit cards post, the Citi Forward card is a great rewards card for those who spend a lot on restaurants and at Amazon.com. That's not … [Read the rest]
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