Personal Finance for Young Professionals
"What if we told you that you could be mortgage free years sooner? That's what The BiWeekly Advantage Plan® offers homeowners like you!" That was the opening line of an e-mail I received last week from Citi Mortgage. I'd heard of a bi-weekly … [Continue reading]
When I first purchased my condo three years ago, I was not offered the lowest rate due to my insufficient credit history. Even though I always checked my credit score and it was in the high 700's, the bank considered me a slight risk because my … [Continue reading]
Ok I know most people may find it odd that I'm doing an end of summer update in October, but the weather has cooled down out here and it's finally starting to feel like fall. In my 9 years in San Diego, this summer has been the best weather-wise. … [Continue reading]
I've always enjoyed flying Southwest, but since I've signed up for their rapid rewards credit cards, I fly with them almost exclusively. Although Southwest is far from luxurious, they get the job done efficiently and at a fraction of the cost of … [Continue reading]
Tuesday was a big day at the bureau of labor statistics; they released the news that we've all been waiting for. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers(CPI-U) increased 0.6 %! Ok I have no idea what that actually means(ok maybe I do, no … [Continue reading]
Ever since I started working in a cubicle environment, I feel like I get sick much more frequently than I used to. Although we have unlimited sick days at work, I don't like to use them unless I'm truly sick and can't get out of bed. For all the … [Continue reading]
Here's a question from a reader named Bilbo Baggins, not sure if this his real name or not :) "I'm fully convinced its a great time to buy property. However, I am not ready to make that kind of commitment and am looking for investments that will … [Continue reading]
I've had an iPhone for the past four years, but the other day I finally decided to switch to the Android OS and get a Galaxy S3. I was pretty disappointed with the iPhone 5 release, essentially the same phone as the iPhone 4, but slightly taller and … [Continue reading]
If you've been following this blog, you know how much I love a good deal. So when I finally decided to upgrade my iPhone 4 to a Samsung Galaxy S3, I remembered a tip that Amazon wireless has no sales tax on smart phones. If you've ever bought one … [Continue reading]
For an update on I bonds rates as of(10/18/12), please see: November 2012 I bonds rates are announced: 1.76%. Believe it or not, the money in your savings and checking accounts is actually losing money. It doesn't even matter what bank you … [Continue reading]
The following article is a guest post by Justin Gordon. If interested in submitting a guest post, please ready my guest posting policy and then contact me.. Justin is a recent graduate of Temple University School of Law and majored in Political … [Continue reading]
Even though it's the middle of September, the weather has been great here in Southern California. It's actually been almost too hot, with temperatures close to 100 degrees last week. When I played golf the other day it was 95 degrees out, way too … [Continue reading]
This post was inspired by an article I read the other day entitled: 15 Ways to Save Money at Chipotle. Now I don't want to throw another blog under the bus, but man were their ideas lame(google the article title to find it). I've actually been … [Continue reading]
[This is the third article in a three part series about re-balancing, the first article covered why to rebalance and the second covered when to rebalance your retirement accounts] Even though asset allocation will determine over 90% of your … [Continue reading]
[This is the second article in a three part series about re-balancing, the first article covered why to rebalance and the last article will cover how to rebalance your retirement accounts] A year in the life of the stock market can be brutal. … [Continue reading]
[This is the first article in a three part series about re-balancing, the next two articles will cover when to rebalance and how to rebalance your retirement accounts] A crucial part to a successful investment portfolio requires that you … [Continue reading]
After two years of churning credit cards for sign-up bonuses, I've amassed quite a collection of cards. I'm almost embarrassed by how many I now have, but one great benefit of having so many cards is the ongoing promotions. With some companies you … [Continue reading]
If you followed the market from 2000-2009, you'll know that US stocks got hammered. Investing in international stocks wouldn't have saved you from a period like that, but it could have helped. International stocks provide some much needed … [Continue reading]
A year ago I refinanced to a 3.75% 7/1 ARM with Quicken Loans and my experience with them was fantastic. I bought my property almost three years ago and that refinance lowered my payment by $200 a month. I was definitely content, but as I watched … [Continue reading]
I got my first credit card when I was in college and I used it for most of my entertainment(see alcohol) and dining out purchases. Although I was approved for a high limit, fortunately I never carried a balance. After four years, I realized I had … [Continue reading]