Archive for March 2007

My Current Retirement Fund of Choice

Posted 31 March 2007 by
Tagged As: | Categories: Mutual funds, Retirement | Comments Off

Vanguard Target Retirement 2045 Fund (VTIVX) As I mentioned previously, I recently moved my Roth IRA from American Funds to Vanguard. When I transfered, I placed all my money in the Vanguard STAR Fund (VGSTX) initially, which only requires a $1,000 minimum. Recently I contributed enough money to break the $5,000 mark, and this was [...]

Do you have $1 to spare? Start Saving Now!

Posted 31 March 2007 by
Tagged As: | Categories: Goals, Savings | Comments Off

(Rates may be out-dated. Please see the Current APY Wiki for updates) One of my friends recently told me that he did not have any money saved – any money that he receives is immediately spent that month. Now, my friend is not in dire straits. He’s in his 20s, single, and has a modest [...]

Chase Freedom Card – my first month cashback earnings

Posted 27 March 2007 by
Tagged As: | Categories: Credit cards | Comments Off

Back in February I applied for a new credit card from Chase. Dubbed the Freedom card, it comes in Visa and Mastercard varieties. To my knowledge, both variants have the same potential rewards – namely, 3% cashback for all purchases at grocery stores, gas stations, and “quick service” restaurants (such as pizza, burgers, coffee houses, [...]

Three Online Savings Accounts Compared – E-Loan, HSBC, and E-Trade

Posted 24 March 2007 by
Tagged As: | Categories: Banking, Savings | Comments Off

(Rates may be out-dated. Please see the Current APY Wiki for updates) Still keep your savings in a local bank earning a piddling amount of interest? So was I, until last year. Then I discovered online savings accounts, and I realized I could earn a much higher return with the added benefit of not having [...]

Mutual Fund Basics – Making the Plunge

Posted 24 March 2007 by
Tagged As: | Categories: Mutual funds | Comments Off

So, you’ve heard about mutual funds, but the plethora of companies and funds is enough to leave your head spinning? That sounds familiar, for that was me not too long ago. Mutual funds can be an intimidating investment for the beginning investor, especially for the type of person who seeks safety in banks. Just last [...]

ClearCheckbook.com – keep track of finances online

Posted 23 March 2007 by
Tagged As: | Categories: Checking, Management | Comments Off

Recently I discovered ClearCheckbook, a slick, free way to track finances online. For the past year or so I’ve simply been monitoring my checking account using online banking. While handy, I never knew exactly how much money I had in checking because the transactions always take a few days before they show up. For a [...]

Roth IRA Transfer

Posted 23 March 2007 by
Tagged As: | Categories: Mutual funds, Retirement | 1 Comment

(Vanguard legally obligated me to remove their logo image from this post. Why? Because they’re a bunch of assholes. I still dislike “loaded” mutual funds, but I like Vanguard even less.) Today I transferred my Roth IRA from American Funds to Vanguard. Why, you ask? It’s simple. There is not much money in it, but [...]