If you have a Hilton HHonors number, a cell phone that accepts text messages, and a Visa card, you can register at visa.com/hiltonhonors to receive promotion text messages and get 1,000 HHonor bonus points. You can earn another 4,000 points if you … [Read the rest]
Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus Summary 2011: Over $2,500 in Free Money
Posted on January 20, 2012 // 34 Comments
Looking back, 2011 was a great year for credit card sign-up incentives. The major issuers rolled out some new cards and features and offered up big bonuses to get you to try them out. By picking up the tastiest offers, you could have reaped thousands … [Read the rest]
Do I Have An Obsession With Early Retirement?
Posted on January 19, 2012 // 36 Comments
After my post counting down my years until early retirement earlier this week, I received a very thoughtful e-mail from reader Tim: I've been reading and enjoying your blog for a long time, and think it's one of the best out there for your mix of … [Read the rest]
Historical Bond Yields vs. S&P 500 Dividend Yield
Posted on January 18, 2012 // 7 Comments
Here's a chart from a Morninstar article on dividend stock ETFs that caught my eye. It shows the historical relationship between the yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds and the dividend yield on the S&P 500. I am not convinced that this means one … [Read the rest]
TeamViewer: Great Free App For Controlling Parents’ Computer Remotely
Posted on January 18, 2012 // 20 Comments
If you're the person in your family or circle of friends that always seems to be asked computer questions, or are simply the person asking for help, what you really need is software that allows remote access between computers. That way, you can … [Read the rest]
How Many Years Until You Can Reach Early Retirement?
Posted on January 17, 2012 // 14 Comments
One of the recurring themes of personal finance is that while the concepts are often simple, execution can be quite difficult. A couple of excellent posts from Mr. Money Mustache and The Military Guide (both also mention the Early Retirement … [Read the rest]
The (Next) Big Short: Current Investments of Michael Burry and Steve Eisman
Posted on January 16, 2012 // 7 Comments
I've read parts of The Big Short by Michael Lewis before, but finally re-read the entire thing over the weekend. If you are unfamiliar with this bestseller, it tells the story of the housing bubble through the viewpoint of investors who saw the … [Read the rest]
Selling Unwanted Gift Cards For Cash: Price Comparison
Posted on January 11, 2012 // 43 Comments
Updated with current price quotes for 2012! Now, I always love every gift card that I get... ;) but what if you're trying to simplify your life and wanted to convert your Overpriced.com gift card to good ole' fungible cash? Well, the … [Read the rest]
Active Mutual Funds, Passive ETFs, & Tax Efficiency
Posted on January 10, 2012 // 9 Comments
When looking at your investment returns, it's important to calculate your return after the impact of taxes and expenses (management fees, commissions, bid/ask spreads). That number is what you really end up with, but it's never shown on any … [Read the rest]
TreasuryDirect Electronic Savings Bond Purchase Limit Now $10,000 Annually
Posted on January 5, 2012 // 12 Comments
The Treasury announced today 1/4 that the annual purchase limit for electronic U.S. savings bonds bought at TreasuryDirect is now $10,000 per series, per person. I'm not sure why they waited so long to decide this, given that it's been six months … [Read the rest]
Jack Bogle’s Personal Investment Portfolio
Posted on January 4, 2012 // 12 Comments
While poking around doing research on municipal bond funds, I ran across this 2010 Marketwatch article about the personal portfolio of Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard. The 81-year-old Bogle said that for his personal portfolio he follows an … [Read the rest]
WSJ on Lowering Your Cable Internet Bill Through Negotiation
Posted on January 3, 2012 // 17 Comments
Looking for some financial improvements in the New Year? Why not get rid or lower a monthly expense that you don't need? Do the yard yourself - it's good exercise too! Sell that extra car (and the insurance payment with it)? Or trim that … [Read the rest]
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