Bud Caddell shows us how to be happy in business with a clever Venn diagram. Very insightful and concise! Which is harder? Saying no to work that pays well, getting better at something you're not, or learning to monetize? It was … [Read the rest]
WT Direct Savings: $75 Bonus For Direct Deposit
Posted on June 6, 2009 // 6 Comments
WT Direct is running a new "Stay Financially Fit!" promotion for their savings account. Ostensibly it's to help you build your emergency fund with regular savings deposits, but of course you have to do it with WT Direct. ;) To participate, you must … [Read the rest]
Buffett: Wealth, Estate Taxes, and the Ovarian Lottery
Posted on June 5, 2009 // 49 Comments
I've finished reading The Snowball, and one of the things that struck me was how Buffett thought about individual destiny, meritocracy, and wealth. For one thing, he is a wealthy person who supports an estate tax for those with very large estates … [Read the rest]
Why I Don’t Use LendingMatch To Invest With Lending Club
Posted on June 4, 2009 // 23 Comments
Peer-to-peer lending site LendingClub has a feature called LendingMatch that allows you build a portfolio of multiple notes simply by choosing a desired risk profile. Even though I've funded over 30 loans, I never touch the thing. Now, I think in … [Read the rest]
FDIC and NCUA Insurance Limits $250,000 Until 2013
Posted on June 4, 2009 // 4 Comments
The standard maximum insurance limits for both FDIC and NCUA-insured accounts will remain $250,000 for at least until December 31st, 2013. Previously, it was temporarily increased from $100,000 to $250,000 only until December 31st, 2009. The … [Read the rest]
Free Krispy Kreme Doughnut on June 5th
Posted on June 4, 2009 // 3 Comments
Get a free yeasty donut from Krispy Kreme on Friday, June 5th. Apparently it's National Doughnut Day... who knew? I love how my friends always know where the nearest KK is, even if its an hour or more away. No purchase is necessary to receive … [Read the rest]
Monthly Financial Status / Net Worth Update (June 2009)
Posted on June 3, 2009 // 30 Comments
Credit Card Debt In the past, I have taken money from credit cards at 0% APR and placed it into online savings accounts or similar safe investments that earn 4-5% interest or more, and keeping the difference as profit. I even put together a series … [Read the rest]
FDIC Will Cap Interest Rates For Weakest Banks In 2010
Posted on June 2, 2009 // 10 Comments
On May 29th, the FDIC issued a ruling [PDF] that would limit future interest rates offered by FDIC-insured banks which were deemed "less than well-capitalized". This was viewed by some as a response to a complaint filed earlier with the FDIC by the … [Read the rest]
2009 Callan Periodic Table of Investment Returns
Posted on June 1, 2009 // 9 Comments
Investment consultant firm Callan Associates created a neat visual representation of the relative performance of 8 major asset classes over the last 20 years. You can find the most recent one below (click to view PDF), which covers 1989 to 2008. … [Read the rest]
Ally Bank Review: Online Savings, 9-month, and 12-month CDs
Posted on May 30, 2009 // 42 Comments
You may have been seeing a bunch of purple ads for something called Ally Bank recently. Actually, this "new" bank used to be GMAC Bank. But besides a cosmetic name change, they have revamped the website and tweaked their product offerings. Their … [Read the rest]
Warren Buffett’s Original Money Management Fee Structure
Posted on May 30, 2009 // 11 Comments
Here's a another little fact from The Snowball that I found interesting. When Warren Buffett set up his first investing partnerships where he agreed to manage other people's money, he wanted a compensation agreement that was fair and … [Read the rest]
CollegeAdvantage Refer a Friend Program Expires Soon
Posted on May 30, 2009 // 1 Comment
A quick reminder that the deadline for getting $25 for each of your kids from the Ohio CollegeAdvantage 529 program is May 31st, 2009. I contacted them about the referral program, and they said that just the application must be submitted by Sunday, … [Read the rest]
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