Archive for October, 2009


Prosper $50 Sign Up Bonus

Posted by Madison on October 30, 2009

Prosper is back just in time for today’s Free Money Friday offer. Prosper is giving a $50 sign up bonus! And it could quite possibly be the fastest $50 we’ve ever earned. I signed up my husband (because I already had an account) and it took a total of 4 minutes to get the $50! […]

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IRS Enrolled Agents, Investing, and Housing

Posted by Madison on October 29, 2009

To satisfy one of my crazy tax desires, I’ve decided to become an enrolled agent. Not exactly your typical free time hobby, but something I find intriguing. I’ve completed taxes for years and volunteered for VITA, so it’s really the next logical step. As an enrolled agent, you can practice and represent taxpayers before the […]

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Interest is, well, quite interesting. Instead of your money accumulating in your mattress or shoe box, it can now accumulate plus earn its own money. Money earning money—what a concept. And there are multiple ways to achieve this: you can open a savings account or purchase certificates of deposits in order to earn interest, or […]

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Finding the Value in Money

Posted by Amanda on October 27, 2009

Let’s be honest—money has no real value. When you strip away the power, the glamour and glitz, and the intrigue that is associated with owning some, it becomes nothing more than exactly what it is: a piece of green and white cotton paper with some jargon about trust, a photo of a dead president, and […]

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11 Ways to Save Money on Groceries

Posted by Jill on October 26, 2009

One of the money saving tips you’ll read about most often is to eat out less and cook more. But just like you need an overall spending plan to manage your income and expenses, you might need a good grocery shopping plan to make sure that cooking is actually cheaper for you. Over the last […]

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$70 Sprint Credit

Posted by Madison on October 23, 2009

Sprint customers get to cash in on this week’s Free Money Friday offer. Sprint is giving you $70 to renew your contract. And why would you want to renew? Well, if you are a SERO customer, it’s a no brainer! Since there aren’t any plans around like it, I figured why not take the extra […]

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Joining Pentagon Federal, Real Estate, and Investing

Posted by Madison on October 22, 2009

I recently highlighted our mortgage refinance with Pentagon Federal Credit Union. A reader, Vic, wanted to know more about joining the credit union. Not only do they have some incredibly good mortgage rates, but they also have good balance transfer rates from time to time (which we used on our rental property), and decent car […]

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ETFs Versus Index Funds

Posted by Madison on October 21, 2009

ETFs versus index funds, which is better? Yesterday we determined what is an ETF? In the overview, Jill mentioned that ETFs usually have lower expense ratios and are ideal for a one-time small investment that you will hold for a long time. They’re also good for trading a large group of assets at once. However, […]

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What is an ETF?

Posted by Jill on October 20, 2009

Whether you are investing through tax-advantaged retirement accounts or in other taxable accounts, you might want to consider Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs, as part of your long-term investment strategy. ETFs are one of several ways to invest in equities. Others include individual stocks, mutual funds, or index funds. What is an ETF? An ETF […]

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Sovereign Bank $100 Bonus

Posted by Kate on October 16, 2009

This week we got a tip from a reader, Dimitar, on a great Free Money Friday offer. Dimitar found a $100 bonus to Sovereign Bank when you open a new checking account. How to Get Your Sign Up Bonus Visit Sovereign Bank or a Sovereign branch to open a new checking account with a minimum […]

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