Going back to school? Citibank has some good card options for college students: Citi mtvU Platinum Select Visa Card Citi Forward Card for College Students - $75 Statement Credit Both the mtvU and Forward cards offer 5x rewards on bookstores, … [Read the rest]
Undo a Roth IRA Conversion For Profit – Tips & Tricks
Posted on July 18, 2010 // 2 Comments
Did you know that if you do a Traditional to Roth IRA conversion, that you can undo it? This "do-over" process is called recharacterization, and can come in very handy if the value of your investments drop significantly after your conversion since … [Read the rest]
Traditional to Roth IRA Conversion at Vanguard
Posted on July 16, 2010 // 9 Comments
So, you've done your research, read the articles, crunched the numbers, and you want to convert your Traditional IRA held at Vanguard into a Roth IRA. But, how do you actually do it at Vanguard.com? There is no explicit "Convert" button or link to … [Read the rest]
Is Generic Financial Advice Helpful or Hurtful?
Posted on July 15, 2010 // 17 Comments
Good financial advice is hard to come by. There are so many variables, such that you have to find the balance between providing enough information, and making things digestible enough that peoples' eyes don't glaze over. Check out this advice … [Read the rest]
Fun With Charts: P/E Ratios vs. Future 10-Year Returns
Posted on July 14, 2010 // 7 Comments
Here are another set of charts comparing the P/E10 Ratios for the S&P 500 and subsequent 10-year annualized real returns, courtesy of Mebane Faber based on Professor Shiller's data. Can we really decide if the market is "overvalued" or … [Read the rest]
Free Year of Amazon Prime For Students (.edu email)
Posted on July 13, 2010 // 11 Comments
Amazon.com has a new program called Amazon Student where you can get "exclusive deals", the best of which is a free one-year subscription to Amazon Prime. This allows you to get the convenience of free 2-day shipping on most products (including … [Read the rest]
Inflation As a Hidden Tax Increase
Posted on July 13, 2010 // 13 Comments
With all of the current government spending, future promised spending, and the huge trillion-dollar budget deficit, there is a lot of talk about impending inflation. Many people are convinced that there is going to be a tax increase as a result, … [Read the rest]
Net Worth & Goals Update – July 2010
Posted on July 12, 2010 // 19 Comments
Time for another net worth update... last one was back in April. Credit Card Debt I used to take money from credit cards at 0% APR and place it into online savings accounts, bank CDs, or savings bonds that earned 4-5% interest (much less … [Read the rest]
New Credit Card Trend: Rotating Rewards, Swiss Army Style
Posted on July 8, 2010 // 26 Comments
When you charge something on your credit card, the merchant usually pays about 2-3% in transaction fees for the convenience and benefit of accepting these cards (it makes it easier for people to spend money with them). In order to get their specific … [Read the rest]
Property Tax Assessment Appeals: Share Your Story
Posted on July 8, 2010 // 24 Comments
Another problem with escrows is by mixing it in with your mortgage payment, it can obscure what you're paying towards property taxes and homeowner's insurance premiums. Do you know how much you paid in property taxes this year versus the last? Or … [Read the rest]
Paying Homeowner’s Insurance Yourself, Even With Escrow
Posted on July 7, 2010 // 8 Comments
In response to my earlier post on Should You Manage Your Own Mortgage Escrow?, reader James e-mailed me a trick he found to save some money even if you are required to have an escrow account: Even if you've got an loan that requires an escrow … [Read the rest]
Housing Prices Are Still Too High, Says These Charts
Posted on July 6, 2010 // 11 Comments
Housing prices. Are they still falling? Stable? Best time to buy ever? Barry Ritholtz of The Big Picture thinks that housing prices have much further to fall. Here's part of his analysis: Today, residential real estate confronts … [Read the rest]
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