My Money Blog

Emigrant Direct now at 4.0% APY

Posted on September 20, 2005 // 4 Comments

Sweet. Emigrant Direct's American Dream Savings Account is now paying 4% APY [Info Page, Bank Review], up from 3.50% and leapfrogging basically everyone in the liquid online savings arena, including Presidential Bank's Premier Savings Account. And I … [Read the rest]

PayDays Loans Revisited: Who Is Really Using Them?

Posted on September 19, 2005 // 4 Comments

I'll admit I don't know much about PayDay loans, I just avoid them like the plague. So when a commenter posted a very interesting 4-part series from the Motley Fool about the merits of payday loans in my previous post, it made me think: who is … [Read the rest]

Net Worth Blogs Mentioned in New York Times

Posted on September 19, 2005 // Leave a Comment

Jim of Blueprint For Financial Prosperity and Nev of Neville's Financial Blog were interviewed recently in a huge article in the New York Times today in an article called 'Psst: Want to Know My Net Worth?' (annoying registration may be required). … [Read the rest]

Online Payday Loans: Get Fleeced Without Leaving Your House!

Posted on September 18, 2005 // 6 Comments

Most people know Payday Loans are a bad idea. Except for, of course, the people that use them. This weekend I saw one of these places having a free BBQ outside their store, with a decent turnout. I can already imagine the banner: "Pay 600% APR … [Read the rest]

Book Review: Freakonomics

Posted on September 17, 2005 // 6 Comments

I grew weary of my real estate textbook, so I picked up Freakonomics at the obligatory overpriced airport bookstore. You may have heard of this book as the one that suggests that the legalization of abortion is the main cause of recent decreases in … [Read the rest]

Success Linking Capital One 360 Directly to Emigrant Direct

Posted on September 16, 2005 // 24 Comments

Yes, I used 'Direct' three times in the title. Many people have wanted to link their new Emigrant Direct account with their existing Capital One 360 accounts. However up until recently, unless you used your Capital One 360 account as your initial … [Read the rest]

How To Predict I-Bond Savings Bond Rates

Posted on September 15, 2005 // 8 Comments

I-Bonds pay a rate based on two parts, a fixed component good for the life of the bond and a variable component based on inflation that changes every November and May 1st. It turns out you can actually predict the variable component of the rate … [Read the rest]

Delta and Northwest Airlines File For Bankruptcy

Posted on September 14, 2005 // 7 Comments

Well, it happened. Delta Air and Northwest Air both filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Check out the 1-Year charts for Delta [DAL] and Northwest [NWAC]. This is going to be bad for current and future pensioners. United already broke its promise to … [Read the rest]

Emergency Funds Brainstorming Options

Posted on September 14, 2005 // 15 Comments

I apologize if my post topics are a week late, I am a bit late processing this stuff. Several bloggers have touched upon this subject, all making good points. In light of current events, you can see how emergency funds are important. What if your … [Read the rest]

Cash In That Spare Change Without Fees

Posted on September 13, 2005 // 12 Comments

I hate carrying around spare change, I don't know why. I put all mine into a jar by the front door the second I get home. I try to use credit cards exclusively, but somehow the spare change has filled two spaghetti sauce jars already. Coinstar … [Read the rest]

MyMoneyBlog Flashback: Third Quarter

Posted on September 11, 2005 // 1 Comment

Continued from 1st and 2nd Quarter... June » Finally made up my dang mind about car insurance. » My current favorite savings account, Presidential Bank's Premier Savings Account, was born with a great interest. » Talked about … [Read the rest]

MyMoneyBlog Flashback: Second 3 Months

Posted on September 7, 2005 // Leave a Comment

Continued from December to February, here is the next installment: March » Started my 5 minutes of fame, with mentions in BusinessWeek and the Wall Street Journal online. » Continued my 5-minutes with a blurb on television's CBS … [Read the rest]