My Money Blog

More Credit Card Debt, Here I Come!

Posted on February 26, 2006 // 42 Comments

I've decided to continue my somewhat controversial practice of borrowing cash from credit cards and profiting by earning interest off of it. As I've already got my $100 gift card from my Citi Professional Card with ThankYou Network, I'm going to use … [Read the rest]

Reconstructing Our Portfolio: Initial Thoughts

Posted on February 26, 2006 // 17 Comments

Now that I have decided to stop spending time learning to trade individual stocks, I want to focus instead on optimizing our retirement portfolio. Right now we have almost $50,000 in retirement accounts, and if I liquidate my stock positions and … [Read the rest]

Buying Generic… Sometimes

Posted on February 24, 2006 // 63 Comments

My wife and I were in Costco recently and came across the big tubs of laundry detergent. I moved instinctively towards the store-brand Kirkland, but then I got The Look. "Umm... no. We are going to spend the extra 4 bucks and buy the Tide." Tip … [Read the rest]

MyMoneyBlog Archives In Bite-Sized Bits

Posted on February 23, 2006 // 3 Comments

I have been blogging for over a year now, and it has been a great journey. For those that don't want slog through all the old posts, I've compiled a kind of highlight reel (insert ESPN theme here): Dates Link 12/04 to 2/05 First … [Read the rest]

Are Individual Stocks Worth The Time And Effort?

Posted on February 23, 2006 // 18 Comments

Thanks to everyone who shared why they do or do not trade individual stocks. Here's what I think. I believe there are market inefficiencies that can be taken advantage of. I also think that unless you understand how to read a company's financial … [Read the rest]

Why Do You Trade Stocks?

Posted on February 22, 2006 // 36 Comments

I'm conflicted. Lots of people trade individual stocks. I do. My friends do. Maybe you do. I used to dream of watching CNBC tickers, making quick trades on my PDA, getting in on IPOs. But so far, I've just made the occasional trade based on some … [Read the rest]

Mutual Funds: Don’t Chase Past Performance

Posted on February 21, 2006 // 21 Comments

This is a pet peeve of mine, and I am seeing it more and more as the dot-com crash of 2001 fades into the distance. As I read various money magazines, I see mutual fund companies taking out full page ads touting their 1-, 3-, and 5-Year average … [Read the rest]

HSBC Offers Extended, $10 Free Checking Bonus

Posted on February 21, 2006 // 9 Comments

It looks like the $50 bonus offer for opening HSBC's Smart Package checking is now extended to March 15th, 2006. There is also a $10 bonus for opening the HSBC Free Checking account. Go to this page and enter the promotional code 'check' in the box … [Read the rest]

Citi mtvU Card – 5% Back At Restaurants and Amazon.com

Posted on February 20, 2006 // 9 Comments

I forgot about this card - The Citi mtvU Platinum Select Visa Card is a credit cards for college students, that offers an interested array of perks. Like the Citi Professional Card, it is part of the Citi ThankYou Network. The card gives you 5 … [Read the rest]

Getting My 2% Cash Back On Everything

Posted on February 19, 2006 // 12 Comments

I just got my check from Fidelity for cashing out my 529 plan, courtesy of my MBNA 529 College Rewards Mastercard which gives me 2% cashback on everything I buy into that 529 account. My first disbursement request was lost in the mail, but my check … [Read the rest]

Carnival of Investing #10

Posted on February 19, 2006 // 5 Comments

Welcome to the 10th edition of the Carnival of Investing. Whew, with hosting my Reverse Carnival last week and then putting this one together, I forgot how much time it takes. Thanks to all the submitters, and then also all previous Carnival hosts! … [Read the rest]

Ponzi : The Legend Lives On

Posted on February 17, 2006 // 12 Comments

Ponzi scheme. You've most likely heard of the term, although you may not know exactly how it works. A Ponzi scheme is a scam where investors are promised amazingly high returns on their money based on some 'secret super-investment', but in reality … [Read the rest]