Live Cheaply and Invest In Yourself

The The Money Diaries series at Wealthsimple continues to offer periodic interviews with an interesting mix of people sharing about their financial lives. I'd never heard of Carson Mell, but I appreciated how he cared most about doing what he wanted … [Read the rest]

William Bernstein and Safe Withdrawal Rates

A recurring theme in investing is that you start out learning the simple basics, then you feel like you can optimize things and spend a lot of effort trying to do so, and eventually you realize that simple is probably just fine. No matter how … [Read the rest]

Best Interest Rates on Cash – June 2020

Another month of slight rate drops, although bank accounts can still beat out Treasury bonds and/or brokerage cash sweep options by a significant margin. Here's my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash for June 2020, roughly sorted … [Read the rest]

The Role of Luck in Long-Term Investing, and When To Stop Playing The Game

I am re-reading a series called "Investing for Adults" by William Bernstein. By "Investing for Adults", Bernstein means that he assumes that you already know the basics of investing and that he can skip to more advanced insights. There are four … [Read the rest]

Citibank $200/$400/$700 Checking Account Bonus 2020

Citibank has tiered $200, $400, and $700 bonus offers when you open a new eligible Citi checking account by 6/30/20 and deposit and maintain a certain balance for 60 to 150 days. There is also a $1,500 bonus if you have $200,000 to move over. … [Read the rest]

Creative Business Idea: Selling Baked Goods Online via Etsy

My family enjoys watching Kid's Baking Championship on Food Network, and I'm always impressed how many of these 8-13 year-old contestants have a side baking business! Last weekend, the WSJ article How Etsy Became America’s Unlikeliest Breadbasket … [Read the rest]

Suze Orman’s Updated Financial Advice 2020

The NYT has a new Suze Orman comeback piece called Suze Orman Is Back to Help You Ride Out the Storm. I'm old enough to feel nostalgia over the peak Suze Orman years, and it was interesting to read how some of her advice as changed: Some of Ms. … [Read the rest]

Tastyworks Brokerage Bonus: 100 Free Shares, Worth $100 to $600

Free stock shares are the trendy bonus nowadays - WeBull, SoFi, Robinhood, Public, and more - but how about 100 free shares? Tastyworks wants your attention by offering 100 free shares of a randomly-picked stock valued between $1 and $6 per share. … [Read the rest]

Morningstar Target Date Retirement Fund Rankings 2020: Not All The Same

The default option inside many employer-sponsored retirement plans are Target Date Funds (TDFs), which adjust their portfolio holdings automatically over time based on a specific target retirement date. Morningstar just released their 2020 … [Read the rest]

Top 10 Sources to Raise Emergency Cash, Ranked

While not exactly a fun exercise, do you know where you'd turn for some extra cash in an extended emergency? Morningstar has 10 Sources of Emergency Cash, Ranked from Best to Worst which contains many good points, but I would differ in my rankings. … [Read the rest]

PenFed Credit Union $200 Checking Bonus

Update: This promotion appears to have ended early. Pentagon Federal Credit Union has a $200 bonus promotion for opening their new Access America checking account. You must deposit a minimum of $1,200, and make 5 debit card purchases within … [Read the rest]

Refinance Your Car Loan Due To Ultra-Low Interest Rates?

Many interest rates are at all-time lows right now. This means that if you have any sort of debt, you should explore refinancing. The goal is to lower your interest rate and monthly payments while paying minimal upfront costs and fees. Did … [Read the rest]