Reader Questions: Worried About Debt Limit? Worried About Smaller Banks?

I'm probably dating myself using the image above. How old do you have to be to remember when MAD magazine was popular? In retrospect, the magazine served a very important purpose, which was basically to show kids the many tricks out there and how … [Read the rest]

Do US Stock Dividends Grow Faster Than Inflation? (1927-2021)

The hard problem of retirement planning continues to be how to turn a pile of assets (like in a 401k plan) into the maximum reliable income stream for decades without running out of money. Historically, companies that pay a high-yet-reliable … [Read the rest]

2023 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting Video, Transcript, and Notes

The 2023 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting occurred on May, 6 2023, and while there are articles offering highlights (including this one), it's never the same feeling as watching/listening to the actual thing. I always find a few things … [Read the rest]

Swagbucks Review: Unique Bank, Broker, Crypto, and Finance App Bonuses

Swagbucks is a loyalty rewards site where users can earn "Swagbucks" points (SB) for activities like shopping online, taking surveys, scanning grocery receipts, playing games, watching videos, or even searching the web. Many of these activities … [Read the rest]

Fidelity Money Transfer Lockdown: Block Fraudulent ACAT Transfer Brokerage Scams

For the average person, the most valuable information may be knowing how to identify and avoid the most current financial scams. Nearly everyone I know has either been targeted or has become a victim of one of these scams, and I am betting many … [Read the rest]

Worried About Unused 529 Funds? New 529 to Roth IRA Rollover Option

One of the concerns about contributing to 529 plan for college savings is that you won't end up using all the money and end up being hit with additional taxes (at ordinary income rates) and penalties on an non-qualified withdrawal. The funds … [Read the rest]

Best Interest Rates on Cash – May 2023

Here's my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash as of May 2023, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. We all need some safe assets for cash reserves or portfolio stability, and there are often lesser-known opportunities … [Read the rest]

Amazon Prime: Buy $50 Amazon Gift Card, Get $5 Credit

Amazon is offering Prime members a $5 credit when you buy a $50 Amazon eGift card as part of their Mother's Day promotions. You must activate on the offer page first before it will show up on your account. 10% off, not bad. There a limited number … [Read the rest]

Savings I Bonds May 2023 Inflation Rate: 0.90% Fixed, 4.30% Total Composite Rates

May 2023 fixed rate will be 0.90%, total composite rate is 4.30% for next 6 months. For Savings I bonds bought from May 1, 2023 through October 31, 2023, the fixed rate will be 0.90% and the total composite rate will be 4.30%. The semi-annual … [Read the rest]

Citi Rewards+ Card Review: 25,000 Bonus Points, 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 Months

New limited-time 25k offer w/ no annual fee. The Citi Rewards+® Card has improved their sign-up bonus while keeping its 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, round-ups rewards on small purchases, and no annual fee. … [Read the rest]

Alternative Ways To Track Savings I Bond Values (Tools and Calculators)

If you have accumulated some savings bonds but don't really enjoy logging into TreasuryDirect.gov all the time, here are some alternative methods to tracking your balances over time. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the unofficial ones … [Read the rest]

Consumer Reports: Which Store Brand Food is the Cheapest Overall?

Consumer Reports compared several name brand products against generic store brands to see which private label products get the closest to the name brand for the lowest cost. I have never found any other ketchup that tastes like Heinz, but I could … [Read the rest]