Does your employer offer to match a portion of your retirement contributions? If so, are you taking advantage of it? I hope so. If you’re not, you’re leaving free money on the table.
There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not you should suspend your retirement [...]
I recently got an e-mail from a reader who was concerned about the long-term stability of peer lending outfits like Lending Club. In it, he asked:
Is there any credible data as to how long companies such as Lending Club are likely to persist (5, 10, [...]
This is just a quick note to point out that GoGo is offering free in-flight internet via a series of promo codes. Airlines offering GoGo include Air Canada, AirTran, American, Delta, United, and Virgin America, though they don’t offer service on every flight.
Apparently these codes are [...]
If you don’t spend the balance of you Flexible Spending Account before the ball drops in Time Square, you forfeit the excess and burn up your savings. Don’t squander your FSA! Let’s go spend some money!
What is a Flexible Spending Account?A flexible spending account, commonly referred [...]
The Vanguard Group recently published a list of books about money that would make great Christmas presents. There are nine books about investing, and seven books about financial planning.
Without further ado, here they are…
Books about investing Winning the Loser’s Game: Timeless Strategies for Investing A [...]
It’s very easy to slip into “keeping up with the Joneses” mode. Your friends have a new TV, or maybe they traded in their old car for a new one. Or perhaps you want to get a nice big house like they have, and take advantage of [...]
With Christmas just around the corner, I though now would be a good time to talk about holiday tipping. To be perfectly honest, our holiday tipping has been somewhat hit or miss over the years, in part because we’re never sure who to tip or how much [...]
Back in October, Lending Club hosted a webinar on “Credit & Collections.” Having had a couple of loans go late, and one actually wind up being charged off, I was naturally interested.
While you’re more than welcome to view the webinar itself, it’s about 35 minutes [...]
When’s the last time you asked a seller to reduce their asking price? If you’re like most people, it’s probably been a long time. In fact, maybe you’ve never done it.
“Haggling (bargaining) is common in some countries, such as China, Turkey and Egypt. If you don’t haggle, [...]
Those of you who have been following my blog know that I’ve been experimenting with Lending Club and have been impressed by the results.
Guess what? Lending Club has upped the ante this month with a $64.62 signup bonus. This odd amount is in honor [...]
Last night, I finally got around to opening a TreasuryDirect account. For those that aren’t familiar with TreasuryDirect, it’s the web portal for investing in Treasury securities. As I noted a few weeks back, I’m interested in buying some Series I Savings Bonds – [...]
A reader named Jo left an interesting comment in response to my recent Lending Club update. As it turns out, Jo has been involved in peer lending (via Prosper as opposed to Lending Club), albeit as a borrower instead of an investor/lender.
According to Jo:
What [...]
Have you ever heard of the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS)? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. CDARS is a private, for-profit service that spreads large deposits (anywhere from $10k above the FDIC insurance limit up to a maximum $50M) across numerous banks. [...]
Another week, another weekly roundup… Before we get to the links, I just wanted to share with you a project that I’ve been working on…
It’s a blog devoted to health and fitness. I actually launched this back in 2008, but had to put it on [...]
During the month of November, my net annualized return with Lending Club took a bit of a tumble. The reason for this is that the loan from my “High Risk” portfolio that had gone into default was finally written off. Once this happened, my net [...]
As I’ve noted in the past, the income limits on Roth IRA conversions are going away in 2010. This is great news, especially for those that make too much money to contribute to a Roth IRA.
Consider the following… Even if you make too much money [...]
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re living in the midst of an epidemic of childhood obesity. And for that matter, adults aren’t doing so well themselves. A couple years back, I got very interested in this topic, so I did some research, and found the answer.
It’s [...]
This is a guest post from Kevin Mercadante of Out of Your Rut. Kevin is also author of Lighten Your Load, an e-book focused on reducing living expenses while still maintaining a comfortable lifestyle.
Credit limits are cut. Interest rates are increased to 29.9% after [...]
This is just a quick note to let you know that Chase FreedomSM is offering a $50 bonus for new cardholders. Simply apply for the card and you’ll get the bonus after your first purchase with or use of the card.
Here’s the scoop:
Receive $50 Cash Back [...]
I was hoping to write about the logistics of moving and painting parties, but we just had a huge setback with our home purchase. Last Monday we did our walk through and it went well. There were some minor things that needed to be fixed before [...]
This is just a quick note to point out that optionsXpress is currently offering a $100 bonus for opening a new brokerage account with them. All you have to do is open an account and fund it with at least $500 in cash or securities (transferred [...]
Debt settlement. I’ve heard this term over and over in recent months. While I’ve had a vague idea of what this means, I’ve never known exactly what debt settlement entails, so today I thought I’d take a closer look.
Debt settlement in a nutshellDebt settlement involves negotiating with [...]
Today was a big day in our household… November 29th marks the traditional start of the “The Cinnamon Bear,” an old-time, holiday-themed radio serial. I first learned about The Cinnamon Bear when JD wrote about it over at Get Rich Slowly a few years [...]
With just over a month left in 2009, it’s time to start thinking about your finances in 2010. Back in late October, the IRS released details regarding income tax changes for 2010, including (very slightly) modified income tax brackets. Here’s a quick rundown.
2010 Federal Income Tax BracketsHere’s [...]
Let me start by wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving holiday from all the writers here at FiveCentNickel. Hopefully you’re spending time with family, eating turkey, and falling asleep while watching the Lion’s lose.
(I can say that since I live in Michigan and am a long-time suffering fan!)
I [...]
I recently received the following question from a reader named Merry that’s interested in paying off her mortgage early.
I have been making an extra regular mortgage payment in the middle of every month. Currently, my next mortgage payment is not due until May 1, 2010. Is [...]
Those that have been following my weekly posts know that we’ll be closing on our new place soon. We’re knee deep in packing, ordering a refrigerator, etc. Everything is moving fast and we’re trying to remain cool.
During this time, we’ve benefitted tremendously from the advice and help [...]
This is just a quick note to point out that PerkStreet Financial is offering a $50 signup bonus for new customers who open an online checking account with them.
Here’s the scoop:
To get the $50 bonus, open an account with a $25 minimum deposit and [...]
Back in April, I wrote up a fairly detailed comparison of Netflix vs. Blockbuster. In a nutshell, we started out as Netflix subscribers, eventually migrated over to Blockbuster Total Access for the in-store exchanges, and then came back to Netflix when Blockbuster tightened [...]
Have you ever wondered what kind of impact a foreclosure, short sale, or bankruptcy would have on your credit score? Well, wonder no more…
According to a recent report from VantageScore Solutions, which is a credit scoring company created by the “big three” (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion), [...]
Today I want to share with you one of my recent home projects… Frugal and effective DIY garage kayak racks.
As I’ve continued down the path of voluntary frugality, I’ve gotten more and more interested in DIY projects of all kinds. Whether or not you’re handy around the [...]
This is just a quick note to remind you that the good folks at Lending Club are still offering a $25 signup bonus* just for opening a Lending Club account.
Here’s how it works…
1. Visit Lending Club using a link in this post
2. [...]
I recently ran across an interesting letter to the editor in Time Magazine, and thought it would make good fodder for discussion. For background, this letter was written in response to an article by Joel Stein titled “The Week of Living Cheaply.”
Here’s an excerpt [...]
Last month was a bit of an adventure with our seven year old cat. He ran away (something he’s never done) and we were worried sick. Once we got him back, we spent some money on keeping him healthy.
In addition to taking him to the vet for [...]
As a followup to my earlier post about high deductible health plans, I’m curious if you guys have any recommendations when it comes to health savings account (HSA) custodians. My employer has picked one, but their terms aren’t great (too many fees) so I’m thinking of [...]
‘Tis the season… For open enrollment. This year, my employer is really pushing the high deductible health plan, so I spent the weekend poring over the plan documents. Today I thought I’d share what I learned.
Lower premiumsThe primary draw of the high deductible health plan are the [...]
Did you know that you have to pay back the homebuyer tax credit if you claim it and then sell your house (or otherwise stop using it as your principal residence) within the next three years? I didn’t, but apparently that’s the case. Here’s the scoop straight [...]
This is a guest post from Craig Ford of Money Help for Christians. If you like what you see here, please consider subscribing to his RSS feed.
When evaluating purchases, some folks are just so enamored with the price. They think a good deal is all [...]
Back in April of 2009, I was already mad at my debt. It wasn’t until I conjured up the idea of tabulating how much interest I was paying, however, that my eyes were finally opened to the enormous power my debt had over my ability to retain [...]
Last week I contacted Ally Bank with a last minute change of heart. I had intended to roll our 12 month CD into a 5 year CD upon expiration, but had second thoughts when I saw that Series I Savings Bonds are more attractive than [...]
This is just a quick followup to yesterday’s post about Series I Savings Bonds. As I noted in that post, you are limited to purchasing $5k of these bonds in electronic and paper form each year for an annual total of $10k (per Social Security number).
Assuming [...]
Buying a house is probably the biggest purchase that most people will ever make. Given what’s at stake, you want to be sure you’re not buying a lemon. If you’re buying an existing home, a home inspection can save you from getting a house that needs costly [...]
Last week I noted that Series I Savings Bonds are now paying 3.36% (current as of 11/09). Given current CD rates, this makes them a rather attractive alternative to bank CDs. That being said, a lot of people aren’t familiar with them, and are thus [...]
I’ve received several comments/e-mails asking about whether Congress has decided to make the first time homebuyer tax credit retroactive. If you saw my previous article, you’ll know that Congress has extended the first time homebuyer credit and added a new $6500 credit for existing homeowners.
Is [...]
This just in… The House of Representatives has voted to extend — and expand — the first time homebuyer tax credit.
Extending the $8000 credit, adding a $6500 creditAccording to the NY Times:
The bill extends an $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers that was due to [...]
As October came to a close, things were still going well with my Lending Club investments. The one loan that has gone bad has stayed bad, but everything else is being paid on time.
Even with that delinquency, however, my “High Risk” portfolio is back in [...]
If you don’t control your money, your money will control you. Today let’s focus on getting control over the cost of auto repair and maintenance.
The cost of owning a carHere’s a look at all the budget categories you may want consider when attempting to nail down your [...]
This is just a quick note to say the new Series I U.S. Savings Bond interest rates have been released. I haven’t written much (anything?) about savings bonds in the past, but I’m planning on changing that in the near future.
In the mean time, I’ll just say [...]
This is a guest post from Adam Jusko, founder of IndexCreditCards.com, a credit card information site where you can compare credit card offers. Please consider following Adam on Twitter for quick credit tips and opinions.
As the founder of a website about credit cards, I’m [...]
Nickel, Matt, Laura, Guest Contributor
