My Money Blog

Don’t Be A Victim

Posted on February 27, 2006 // 31 Comments

I just finished watching the end of the Winter Olympics on my TiVo, and I was struck by something. These athletes are inspiring not because they can go fast on snow, but because they did not focus on the fact that they were too short or too skinny, … [Read the rest]

More Credit Card Debt, Here I Come!

Posted on February 26, 2006 // 42 Comments

I've decided to continue my somewhat controversial practice of borrowing cash from credit cards and profiting by earning interest off of it. As I've already got my $100 gift card from my Citi Professional Card with ThankYou Network, I'm going to use … [Read the rest]

Reconstructing Our Portfolio: Initial Thoughts

Posted on February 26, 2006 // 17 Comments

Now that I have decided to stop spending time learning to trade individual stocks, I want to focus instead on optimizing our retirement portfolio. Right now we have almost $50,000 in retirement accounts, and if I liquidate my stock positions and … [Read the rest]

Buying Generic… Sometimes

Posted on February 24, 2006 // 63 Comments

My wife and I were in Costco recently and came across the big tubs of laundry detergent. I moved instinctively towards the store-brand Kirkland, but then I got The Look. "Umm... no. We are going to spend the extra 4 bucks and buy the Tide." Tip … [Read the rest]

MyMoneyBlog Archives In Bite-Sized Bits

Posted on February 23, 2006 // 3 Comments

I have been blogging for over a year now, and it has been a great journey. For those that don't want slog through all the old posts, I've compiled a kind of highlight reel (insert ESPN theme here): Dates Link 12/04 to 2/05 First … [Read the rest]

Are Individual Stocks Worth The Time And Effort?

Posted on February 23, 2006 // 18 Comments

Thanks to everyone who shared why they do or do not trade individual stocks. Here's what I think. I believe there are market inefficiencies that can be taken advantage of. I also think that unless you understand how to read a company's financial … [Read the rest]

Why Do You Trade Stocks?

Posted on February 22, 2006 // 36 Comments

I'm conflicted. Lots of people trade individual stocks. I do. My friends do. Maybe you do. I used to dream of watching CNBC tickers, making quick trades on my PDA, getting in on IPOs. But so far, I've just made the occasional trade based on some … [Read the rest]

Mutual Funds: Don’t Chase Past Performance

Posted on February 21, 2006 // 21 Comments

This is a pet peeve of mine, and I am seeing it more and more as the dot-com crash of 2001 fades into the distance. As I read various money magazines, I see mutual fund companies taking out full page ads touting their 1-, 3-, and 5-Year average … [Read the rest]

HSBC Offers Extended, $10 Free Checking Bonus

Posted on February 21, 2006 // 9 Comments

It looks like the $50 bonus offer for opening HSBC's Smart Package checking is now extended to March 15th, 2006. There is also a $10 bonus for opening the HSBC Free Checking account. Go to this page and enter the promotional code 'check' in the box … [Read the rest]

Citi mtvU Card – 5% Back At Restaurants and Amazon.com

Posted on February 20, 2006 // 9 Comments

I forgot about this card - The Citi mtvU Platinum Select Visa Card is a credit cards for college students, that offers an interested array of perks. Like the Citi Professional Card, it is part of the Citi ThankYou Network. The card gives you 5 … [Read the rest]

Getting My 2% Cash Back On Everything

Posted on February 19, 2006 // 12 Comments

I just got my check from Fidelity for cashing out my 529 plan, courtesy of my MBNA 529 College Rewards Mastercard which gives me 2% cashback on everything I buy into that 529 account. My first disbursement request was lost in the mail, but my check … [Read the rest]

Carnival of Investing #10

Posted on February 19, 2006 // 5 Comments

Welcome to the 10th edition of the Carnival of Investing. Whew, with hosting my Reverse Carnival last week and then putting this one together, I forgot how much time it takes. Thanks to all the submitters, and then also all previous Carnival hosts! … [Read the rest]