For a young person making a plan to reach financial independence at a very early age (under 50), I think using a 3% withdrawal rate is a reasonable rule of thumb. For someone retiring at a more traditional age (closer to 65), I think 4% is a … [Read the rest]
TopCashBack Existing User Promo: Free Fall-Themed Dish Towel ($2.99 Value)
Posted on October 18, 2018 // Leave a Comment
If you shop at Target stores and are an existing TopCashBack portal member, grab a free $2.99 Thanksgiving Dish Towel at this link. Offer expires Sunday, October 21st at 11:59pm PST. Instructions: 1) Simply click the "Get Offer" button to go to … [Read the rest]
My Money Blog Portfolio Asset Allocation, October 2018
Posted on October 18, 2018 // 8 Comments
Here's my quarterly portfolio update for Q3 2018. These are my real-world holdings and includes 401k/403b/IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts but excludes our house, cash reserves, and a few side investments. The goal of this portfolio is to … [Read the rest]
Infographic: Where Did Housing Prices Crash the Most and the Least?
Posted on October 17, 2018 // Leave a Comment
The Washington Post had an article looking back 10 years later: How the housing market has changed since the crash. Inside was an interesting map of where the home prices crashed the most and the least (click to enlarge): I wish they had a … [Read the rest]
Ally Bank Payback Time Promotion: 1% Additional Cash Bonus (~6% APY 3-month CD)
Posted on October 15, 2018 // 19 Comments
Ally Bank has a new promotion called Ally Payback Time that is offering a 1% cash bonus (up to $1,000) on new deposits on top of their existing interest rates. Valid for both new and existing customers. Given the holding period, this roughly … [Read the rest]
Citi Simplicity® Card Review: 0% Intro APR for 21 months on Balance Transfers, No Late Fees, No Penalty Rates
Posted on October 11, 2018 // 1 Comment
Interest rates are rising, and that applies to credit cards as well. The Citi Simplicity® Card comes with an extended 0% intro period for balance transfers while also offering some "accident forgiveness insurance". Do you have a balance that you … [Read the rest]
Total Bond ETF Review: iShares Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) or Vanguard Total Bond ETF (BND)
Posted on October 10, 2018 // 3 Comments
One of the major building blocks of your portfolio is probably a bond mutual fund or ETF. The most popular bond benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate Bond Index (AGG), which basically tracks all U.S. taxable investment-grade bonds. … [Read the rest]
Citibank $500 Checking Account Bonus 2018
Posted on October 3, 2018 // 15 Comments
Citibank has $500 bonus offer when you open a new eligible Citi checking account 10/1/18 through 12/31/18 and complete qualifying activities. This offer is restricted to those who have not had a Citibank checking account within the last 180 … [Read the rest]
Owning Businesses Around the World: Global Market Cap Breakdown 1990-2018
Posted on October 3, 2018 // 2 Comments
When you're deciding where to invest your money, a good starting point is to consider every single business that you can invest in around the world. I still find it amazing that with a few clicks, you can own a share of Alibaba in China, Nestle … [Read the rest]
Best Interest Rates on Cash – October 2018
Posted on October 1, 2018 // 11 Comments
Here's my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to get an idea of how much extra interest you'd earn if you are moving money between … [Read the rest]
The Quest of the Simple Life: Escaping The Work Grind in 1907 vs. Today
Posted on September 30, 2018 // 11 Comments
The Quest of the Simple Life by William J. Dawson was published over 100 years ago; it's so old that the copyright has expired, making the book public domain (and thus available as a free Kindle download). Yet, other than the old-fashioned writing … [Read the rest]
Infographic: Average Auto Insurance Premiums For All 50 States
Posted on September 26, 2018 // 15 Comments
Here's another interesting 50-state infographic compiled by HowMuch.net about The Real Difference Between Minimum and Full Coverage Car Insurance. It shows the average annual cost of auto insurance for both the minimum level required by law … [Read the rest]
The Best Credit Card Bonus Offers – 2026
Big List of Free Stocks from Brokerage Apps
Best Interest Rates on Cash - 2026
Free Credit Scores x 3 + Free Credit Monitoring
Best No Fee 0% APR Balance Transfer Offers
Little-Known Cellular Data Plans That Can Save Big Money
How To Haggle Your Cable or Direct TV Bill
Big List of Free Consumer Data Reports (Credit, Rent, Work)