The NYT Economix blog and a new BLS report had some nice graphics comparing how the average consumer spends their money in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and Japan. The data is from 2009. Source: BLS.gov Compared with the other … [Read the rest]
Warren Buffett Was Nearly Content With Early Retirement At 25
Posted on April 2, 2012 // 9 Comments
Here is an insightful ForbesLife interview by Warren Buffett in their "When I was 25" series. The article is primarily about how he ended up starting the investing partnership that eventually became Berkshire Hathaway. But what I didn't know was … [Read the rest]
Walgreens Pharmacy $25 For Transferring Prescription
Posted on April 1, 2012 // 4 Comments
Walgreens Pharmacy has a new promotion where you get a $25 gift card if you transfer a prescription over to them. Looks like you can do it online and have it shipped to you for free if you don't want to pick it up. I remember when it seemed like … [Read the rest]
MarketRiders Portfolio Manager Review: First Look, Asset Allocation
Posted on March 29, 2012 // 5 Comments
Time to try out another online portfolio manager - MarketRiders.com. While previously-reviewed Betterment is an website/broker/advisor combo that handles all the decisions and trade executions for you, MarketRiders is more like an online portfolio … [Read the rest]
Poll: Do You Use AutoPay To Pay Bills Automatically?
Posted on March 28, 2012 // 55 Comments
One common recommendation for new parents is to save time wherever you can. So tonight, for the very first time, I have signed up for the AutoPay feature for my most heavily-used American Express card to have it pay the credit card bill in full … [Read the rest]
First Baby! Things To Buy, Things Not To Buy? (Ask The Readers)
Posted on March 23, 2012 // 169 Comments
After a long period of trying and a month before our planned IVF procedure, we recently found out Mrs. MMB was pregnant! We were being carefully optimistic so we kept things rather quiet until now. We just had another ultrasound at 20 weeks that … [Read the rest]
Understanding the Habit Loop: Cue, Routine, Reward
Posted on March 22, 2012 // 6 Comments
Personal finance in theory is simple. Earn more, spend less. We all know that. But what makes it hard is changing our behavior, and much of that behavior is controlled by habits that we can't stop. A new book called The Power of Habit: Why We Do … [Read the rest]
Vanguard Lowers My Portfolio’s Fund Fees… Again!
Posted on March 21, 2012 // 6 Comments
There will always be debate regarding investing in actively-managed stock pickers vs. passive index followers. But even for active managers, costs matter more than star ratings and past performance. The lower the expenses, the less headwind year … [Read the rest]
AmazonLocal: $10 Amazon GC for $5
Posted on March 19, 2012 // 10 Comments
If it wasn't for the ads on my Kindle (no good offers recently... boo), I wouldn't even know that Amazon had their own Groupon-clone called AmazonLocal. I don't even bother subscribing to any new copycat sites other than Groupon and Livingsocial, … [Read the rest]
What Do People Regret The Most On Their Deathbeds?
Posted on March 19, 2012 // 12 Comments
Bronnie Ware was a nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last weeks of their lives, and recorded her experiences in a blog. She wrote an excellent post about the most common regrets of the dying, which … [Read the rest]
Kiva Microfinance Loan Update & Default Rates
Posted on March 19, 2012 // 8 Comments
I have been lending some money to people through Kiva microfinance to help alleviate poverty since 2007. While reinvesting some funds that were paid back, I noticed that I just reached $1,000 in money lent out through 40 loans of $25 each. Kiva … [Read the rest]
The Ethics of Credit Card Rewards and Bonuses
Posted on March 16, 2012 // 54 Comments
The NY Times has a regular column called "The Ethicist", and it recently talked about credit card rewards. A reader writes in and asks: When shopping at big retailers, take up the offer for a new credit card to take advantage of the, say, 10 … [Read the rest]
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