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 […]
Articles by Madison
ETFs Versus Index Funds
Posted byETFs 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, […]
Dow Breaks 10,000, Investing, and Credit
Posted byWouldn’t you know it, the day the Dow decides to cross 10,000, I have a chunk of money sitting on the sidelines. It wasn’t intentional, as I don’t believe in timing the market; it was the result of moving some money around. I was moving our solo 401k from Fidelity to Vanguard. At the same […]
Solo 401k Versus SEP-IRA
Posted bySolo 401k or a SEP-IRA, which one is the best retirement plan for the self-employed? When I told you about my struggles with my Solo 401k contribution at Fidelity, Lee suggested I look at the SEP-IRA, which made us take a step back and relook at all the available plans; the Solo 401k, the SEP-IRA, […]
Did you know you can get DirecTV at two houses on the same account? Crazy. I took the two little kids for a weekend visit to Michigan. My grandma used to live there; after she passed away last year, my extended family now uses it for vacations. My uncle, who was visiting from California, had […]
Sorry, this contest is over. However, if you want to buy gift cards for a fraction of their value, check out Plastic Jungle! You can even sell or swap your existing gift cards, too. To celebrate My Dollar Plan’s one millionth visitor, it’s time for a giveaway! What a perfect way to celebrate Free Money […]
Did Mortgage Rates Just Hit Rock Bottom?
Posted byI had to rearrange my schedule today. I subscribe to the rate watch at Pentagon Federal and they sent me an email that the 5/5 ARM rate had dropped to 4.0% with no points. And it’s a jumbo! Are you kidding? Is it April Fool’s Day? Whatever the reason, I had to drop everything and […]
HSBC Direct $50 Bonus
Posted byHSBC Direct is offering current customers Free Money. They’re giving $50 to customers for using the HSBC debit card. How to Get Your $50 Be a current customer, which is defined as having a HSBC Direct Online Savings Account as of September 8, 2009. Open an Online Payment Account by September 30, 2009. Make 3 […]
Why Fidelity Sucks
Posted byFidelity Solo 401k I opened a Solo 401k at Fidelity last year. However, I held off on making our contribution until just this month, so that we would be able to more accurately pinpoint our income. This is one of the best characteristics of the solo 401k. As long as you establish your plan in […]
Fidelity Sucks, Credit, and Investing
Posted byBefore diving into the personal finance articles of the week, I usually write about a quick personal finance topic that I’m engaged in for the week. However, as I was writing about my difficulties dealing with Fidelity today, I got a little long winded…. obviously I’m really mad! So, we’ll just jump right into the […]