My Money Blog

Vanguard Offers More ETF Equivalents To Their Index Mutual Funds

Posted on April 16, 2007 // 27 Comments

With Vanguard recently launching their new bond ETFs, I can almost reconstruct my entire portfolio of Vanguard mutual funds using their equivalent ETFs instead. While they won't work well for everyone, I am glad that Vanguard is offering this option … [Read the rest]

My Current Bank Account Setup To Maximize Interest

Posted on April 15, 2007 // 66 Comments

Over a year and a half ago I shared how I juggled my bank accounts to maximize interest. It was the best I could do then, although it was a bit annoying as transfers between banks still took a couple of days. My current set up now involves … [Read the rest]

April 17th Is Coming! How I Estimated My Tax Liability For Tax Extension Form 4868

Posted on April 14, 2007 // 14 Comments

Please don't take the following as tax advice. It's what I did, not necessarily what others should do. I'm filing Form 4868 for an automatic extension of time to file my tax return. But that doesn't give me any extra time to pay any taxes owed, so … [Read the rest]

More Thoughts On Buying Vs. Renting Calculations

Posted on April 14, 2007 // 15 Comments

There were some great comments on the NY Times buy vs. rent article, and many of them echo my own sentiments. Buying versus renting a house is a very individual decision. I do agree that the point of the article is that due to people's differing … [Read the rest]

Where Are All My 1099 Forms?

Posted on April 13, 2007 // 8 Comments

Here I am, trying to start on my taxes but wondering why only half of my clients sent me a 1099-MISC this year! It turns out that businesses do not have to send a 1099-MISC to corporations no matter how much money they paid them. My business is an … [Read the rest]

New York Times Weighs In On Buying Vs. Renting A Home

Posted on April 12, 2007 // 14 Comments

I am still "away from the office", but here is a very interesting New York Times article about buying versus renting a house I wanted to share - A Word of Advice During a Housing Slump: Rent. I'll add more commentary after I fly back tomorrow, … [Read the rest]

Free Phone Numbers That Should Be In Every Cell Phone

Posted on April 11, 2007 // 28 Comments

Here are some free and useful phone numbers that I am always glad are in my cell phone. 1-800-FREE-411 - Free 411 Directory assistance. Why pay 99 cents a call? They can even text message you the phone number of the business you're looking … [Read the rest]

Better Alternatives To Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs)

Posted on April 10, 2007 // 9 Comments

Dividend Reinvestment Plans, or DRIPs, are programs that allow individuals to buy stock directly from the company, with dividends from the stock being automatically reinvested into more shares. Here are some popular companies that have DRIPs and … [Read the rest]

Are You Moving Forward?

Posted on April 10, 2007 // 16 Comments

I'm going to my very first funeral today. It's actually a very strange experience for me. I'm still too young to have much wisdom, but one thing I realize more and more is that life is a marathon and not a sprint. There is so much you can … [Read the rest]

April 2007 Investment Portfolio Snapshot

Posted on April 8, 2007 // 18 Comments

It's time for another bi-monthly update on my investment portfolio. Retirement Portfolio Fund $ % FSTMX - Fidelity Total Stock Market Index Fund $12,599 17% VIVAX - Vanguard [Large-Cap] Value … [Read the rest]

Emigrant Direct Signup Bonus Update – February Payouts

Posted on April 8, 2007 // 2 Comments

Payouts for my Emigrant Direct Referral Bonus went out over the last two weeks for those that either sent me their Form #2's or Claim Form A's in February. Please let me know if there are any questions. Emigrant Direct offers an online savings … [Read the rest]

Google Now Lets You Search Real Estate Listings

Posted on April 7, 2007 // 13 Comments

You can now use the search engine to find homes for sale, rent, or even those in foreclosure. To try it yourself, just type in "Portland real estate" or "Home for sale in Chicago" into Google. You'll see something like this: Which then leads … [Read the rest]