Admiral shares at Vanguard have lower minimum balance requirements! This is great news for all the investors at Vanguard, since the admiral shares have a lower expense ratio, which means you’ll keep more of your money in your own pocket. Lower Minimums for Vanguard Admiral Funds Vanguard lowered the minimum per fund for the admiral […]
Articles by Madison
Have You Tried Once a Month Cooking?
Posted byWhen Jill mentioned once a month cooking, yesterday in 6 Ways to Change the Impact of Food on your Budget, I got sucked in and spent a bunch of time reading about once a month cooking. We all know I am not a good cook, even though I try. (Although I have mastered Sue’s frugal […]
8 Best Personal Finance Apps for Android
Posted byAfter my husband got his new Android phone, the HTC Hero, the first thing I had to check out were the Android apps for money management. He finally gets to upgrade, courtesy of the new sero premium from Sprint. I downloaded every financial android app I could find and narrowed it down to my favorites. […]
Target 5% Discount Credit Card
Posted byWe all know that cash rewards credit cards are a fantastic way to get free money without much effort. And now one of my favorite retailers, is jumping on the 5% bandwagon. Starting in two weeks, Target will offer a 5% discount for purchases made on their Target credit card. How to Get Your 5% […]
In just a short month we’re going to be kicking off year number four at My Dollar Plan! It’s been an incredible journey, and I couldn’t have done it without the best readers in the world. Thanks, everyone! I thought it would be fun to celebrate with the My Dollar Plan readers, Oprah style. You […]
Some of my favorite cash rewards credit cards now offer cash back on a rotating quarterly schedule. Since we’re winding down 3rd quarter, it’s time to do our planning to maximize your cash rewards for fourth quarter (and holiday spending!) to make sure we’re carrying the right cards and know where to use them. Happy […]
Will You Pay for College for Your Kids?
Posted byLately, I’ve been working on planning for college expenses for our three kids (ages 1, 3, and 4). We stopped contributing to their 529 plans a few years ago, as I felt they were fully funded. Now, I’m working on optimizing the investments and planning for all the tax impacts and strategies. At this point […]
Moving to 100% in Stocks
Posted byI decided to move our portfolio into 100% stocks. But it’s not a scary as it might sound. I’ve been maintaining a 88/12 stock/bond asset allocation for awhile now. But we have a few components to our portfolio that haven’t been included. I want to include them for a more holistic picture. Pension Plan. The […]
Poll: Will the Obama Tax Cuts Pass?
Posted byThe clock is ticking for Congress to decide the fate on the Obama tax cuts. Will they pass in time for end of the year tax planning? As of right now, the tax brackets are up in the air, you can estimate what your taxes might look like with the 2011 tax calculator. Our current […]
There’s No Such Thing as Bad Debt
Posted byI can’t remember how many times I’ve heard people classify debts as good debt and bad debt. And the definition is based on what the debt is for. For example, mortgages and student loans are classified as good debt, and auto loans and credit card debt are often classified as bad debt. I don’t agree. […]