My Money Blog

Social Security, Ponzi Schemes, and Realistic Expectations

Posted on September 16, 2011 // 56 Comments

Recent political debates have brought up comparisons between Social Security and Ponzi schemes. (Have you read the book about the real Ponzi?) Even though seemingly every single economist on Earth has weighed in, this discussion has been around … [Read the rest]

Jack Bogle Makes Market Prediction For Next Decade

Posted on September 15, 2011 // 12 Comments

I don't usually post market forecasts, but I just wanted to jot this one down for posterity. Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard, is interviewed in a WSJ article Why a Legendary Market Skeptic Is Upbeat About Stocks where he makes a prediction of 7% … [Read the rest]

Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund vs. Vanguard Wellesley Income Fund

Posted on September 14, 2011 // 17 Comments

There's a ways to go, but we're still aiming to retire within the next 10 years. As such, I've been thinking about what happens when we want to live off of withdrawals from our retirement portfolio. According to the passively-managed Target Date … [Read the rest]

LivingSocial: $20 Whole Foods Market Gift Card For $10

Posted on September 13, 2011 // 9 Comments

LivingSocial, the group-buying deal-a-day website trying to go IPO like Groupon, is offering national deal today of a $20 value voucher to Whole Foods Market for only $10. Limit one per person. 5% of the sale price goes to the Whole Kids … [Read the rest]

My Unclaimed Money From State of California Actually Came

Posted on September 13, 2011 // 7 Comments

Amazingly, less than two months from mailing in my claim submission, the State of California actually sent me a check for my $74.93 in unclaimed money. Thanks guys, sorry you can't use it to plug your gaping budget hole, but I'm sure you'll get me … [Read the rest]

GE GeoSpring Hybrid Electric Water Heater: Good Investment?

Posted on September 12, 2011 // 28 Comments

I'm normally not excited by water heaters, but I do love the idea of investing small money upfront to lower my expenses and save big money in the future. We currently have a 10-year old electric water heater which I'd like to replace soon due to … [Read the rest]

American Express Electronic eGift Card Fee Waiver Code

Posted on September 9, 2011 // 10 Comments

I've mentioned American Express Gift Cards are being useful for shifting your purchases forward, in case you're still working on satisfying spending requirements for big bonuses like the $400 cash bonus from the Chase Sapphire Preferred(SM) Card or … [Read the rest]

Poll: How Would Winning The Lottery Change Your Investment Risk Tolerance?

Posted on September 9, 2011 // 20 Comments

In a discussion about risk on the Bogleheads forum, member John Norstad brought up an intriguing question. Let's say you won $1 million (net after taxes) in the lottery tomorrow. This money will get added to your existing investment portfolio, and … [Read the rest]

New Laptop? Extend Your Warranty By A Year For Free With American Express

Posted on September 8, 2011 // 13 Comments

School is back is session and lots of people are buying new computers. I'm thinking of one myself, to replace my aging 2007 refurbished Mac Mini that cost $400. As an example, the manufacturer's warranty on a new* Apple Macbook is only one year, … [Read the rest]

Sharebuilder $50 Bonus For Existing Customers, Promo Code

Posted on September 8, 2011 // 25 Comments

Got a Sharebuilder.com brokerage account? Current customers can get an extra $50 by making transferring over at least $100 each month from September 2011 through December 2011. Log into your account, and navigate the following tabs: Accounts > … [Read the rest]

Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture [Book Review]

Posted on September 7, 2011 // 21 Comments

Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell covers a wide variety of topics, but the main idea I got from reading it, was that we are too focused on price, and not enough on value. We have shifted from quality, durability, and … [Read the rest]

Free 2,500 Chase Sapphire Rewards Points + $5 Free Postage With Stamps.com

Posted on September 6, 2011 // 21 Comments

If you signed up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card recently (most likely for their $625 travel bonus offer, like me), here's how to get another $25 out of the deal. As cardholders, log into the Chase Ultimate Rewards shopping mall, which is one … [Read the rest]