To help you understand where I come from and my point of view, I thought it would be helpful if you learned more about me. My introduction to money, working, taxes, and retirement accounts has all influenced where we are today and how I handle money.
Growing Up
I grew up in a family of four in a [...]

I received a phone call earlier this week. Here’s a summary of how the conversation went:
Me: Hello.
Caller: Do I need a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA?
Me: Roth. Where are you opening it?
Caller: Scottrade.
Me: Do you know what to invest in?
Caller: No.
Me: We’ll worry about that later. Are you there right now?
Caller: Yes.
Me: Open the account, [...]

For today’s Dollar-a-day challenge I closed a savings account that was originally opened at a mutual bank. Since that bank has converted I can move the money elsewhere where it will earn interest at a more competitive rate.
Getting in on stock initial public offerings (IPOs) is rather difficult. Mutual bank conversions, however, provide a unique [...]