Articles by Madison @ My Dollar Plan

Car Not For Sale

Posted by Madison on November 9, 2007

Right now I’m driving a 2005 Mercedes Benz C230. I got it as a birthday present from my husband 2.5 years ago. I love it! And I want to keep it forever…. but there’s two things that bug me about it.

Print | Email | 4 Comments

Investment in Vanguard ETF for Roth IRA

Posted by Madison on November 8, 2007

I received a phone call earlier this week. Hereâ€™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: Weâ€™ll worry about that later. Are you […]

Print | Email | 4 Comments

Our 529 plans: Accounts and Rationale

Posted by Madison on November 6, 2007

I recently covered how to open a 529 college savings plan. I revealed that we have multiple plans for our children. We currently have six accounts in five different states. Here’s a summary of which states we have an account at and why:

Print | Email | 6 Comments

How to open a 529 college savings plan for your children

Posted by Madison on November 3, 2007

As a mom of small children who spends time with other parents of small children, Iâ€™m often asked how to open a college savings account. Below Iâ€™ve put together a step-by-step plan to open a 529 plan. Iâ€™ve tried to keep it simple, as I often find the reason for not doing anything is because […]

Print | Email | Comments?

Early Retirement: How much money will you need?

Posted by Madison on November 2, 2007

So you don’t want to work until 62, 65, or 67? Many people are interested in retiring early, but do not know where to start. It is much easier to get there once you know how much you will need.

Print | Email | 4 Comments

Credit card use bonus money solicited

Posted by Madison on

Today the Dollar-a-day challenge originated from junk mail again. The mail that I used to throw away is fulfilling many challenges and is turning into a great source of new money. I received an offer from Bank of America to use one of our current credit cards to receive $15. You must spend $250 before […]

Print | Email | 1 Comment

Selling Coupons on Ebay

Posted by Madison on November 1, 2007

Last week one of my Dollar-a-day challenges was from taking a closer look at my mail for potential opportunities. As a mom of toddlers (more about me here) I am inundated with junk mail from everywhere. This week I received a 20% off coupon to Gymboree, a children’s clothing store. Quality children’s clothing is very […]

Print | Email | 2 Comments

Bank IPOs: Mutual to stock conversions

Posted by Madison on

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 […]

Print | Email | 2 Comments

Dollar-a-day challenge

Posted by Madison on October 31, 2007

The dollar-a-day challenge is to actively earn a dollar or more each day that I otherwise wouldn’t have earned. It originally started to get some money tasks done at home (entering receipts, paying bills, etc.) But as always, it quickly morphed into something new…making money! Each day I try to pursue a new moneymaker. Ideally […]

Print | Email | Comments?

My Dollar Plan blog goals

Posted by Madison on

Here’s the goals for My Dollar Plan: Offer a place for friends and family to go to get answers to their questions. I spend a considerable amount of time researching and advising people on all money matters. Because the topics often repeat and overlap, I want to point them to this site for their answers. […]

Print | Email | Comments?