Betterment $25 Sign Up Bonus

Posted by Kate on June 3, 2011

Looking for a new, simple place to invest? This week’s Free Money Friday offer from Betterment may be for you! Betterment is offering a $25 sign up bonus for 5 minutes of your time. How to Get Your Sign Up Bonus Open a new Betterment account. Make an initial deposit of at least $250 within […]

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Our asset allocation in the past was based strictly on our retirement funds that I can control at a 88/12 stock/bond asset allocation. Then I worked on adding phantom bond allocations to incorporate the net present value of our pension plans and analyzed the impact of including the same for possible social security benefits. The […]

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The Overzealous Stock Market Operator

Posted by Madison on May 11, 2011

This is a story that a reader Joe, shared with me a few years ago. With the stock market again gaining momentum, it’s a great reminder for everyone about what can happen when you ignore your time horizon and focus only on current market conditions. In your early 20’s, you never know when you will […]

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Best Online Discount Broker Comparison

Posted by Madison on May 10, 2011

Each time I look at a new discount broker, the first thing I do is see how it stacks up against some of the best discount brokers I already use. With the new offer from OptionsHouse, I wanted to see how they stack up. As a benchmark, I always begin my comparison with Scottrade, an […]

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Investing in Tax Lien Certificates and Tax Deeds

Posted by Amanda on January 12, 2011

Last week I sat down with my husband Paul after reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad. My mind was racing with ideas, as I am sure yours were if you have read the book, and I decided to delve into these ideas by first looking at the topic of tax lien certificates. Admittedly when I sat […]

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Billionaire Winners and Losers from the Recession

Posted by Amanda on December 27, 2010

I fared pretty well with my portfolio during the recession. Instead of being fearful and pulling my money out of the market, I took Warren Buffett’s advice and bought more. I bought shares in my IRA when the market was down (vs. dollar averaging throughout the year). I also purchased some US Steel stocks when […]

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Vanguard Admiral Shares Lower Minimum Balance Requirements

Posted by Madison on October 11, 2010

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 […]

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Are Municipal Bonds the Next Bubble?

Posted by Jill on September 8, 2010

If you watch Suze Orman, you know that she LOVES to recommend municipal bonds. Municipal bonds allow you to loan money to a city, county or other local government. They are attractive investments because they are considered nearly risk-free and provide income that is exempt from federal taxes. As the stock market tanked, investors fled […]

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OptionsXpress Review

Posted by Kate on September 7, 2010

optionsXpress Review OptionsXpress is a brokerage with an all-in-one trading platform that allows you to trade bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, options, futures and stocks ALL in one convenient online trading account. Part of their company mission is to be the “ideal broker for options traders looking to maximize their returns.” Here is a closer look […]

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Social Lending Arbitrage Beats Projections

Posted by Derek on August 27, 2010

Our social lending arbitrage expert, Derek, is back! After one of my Lending Club loans defaulted, I really wanted to know how Derek’s loans were doing! We’ll check in with him and see how his strategy is working… Social Lending Arbitrage Its been six months since I first introduced my Social Lending Arbitrage method to […]

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