Spring time! A new quarter means it is time to clean out your wallet and reassign the cards you are carrying to take advantage of 2nd quarter 2012 cash rewards credit cards bonuses. Since many credit cards now offer cash back on a rotating quarterly schedule, we have to reorganize each quarter to make sure […]

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11 Unusual Roth IRA Strategies

Posted by Madison on March 27, 2012

I converted funds to my first Roth IRA back in 1998, the first year they were available. Since then, I’ve not only made additional Roth IRA contributions, but found fun and exciting ways to use my Roth IRAs for even more powerful strategies. Most readers know the basics of Roth IRAs (contribute after tax money […]

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TD Ameritrade $200 Sign Up Bonus

Posted by Madison on March 23, 2012

It’s Free Money Friday! TDAmeritrade is offering $200 for using their debit card and bill pay services. But you’ll have to hurry, this offer is only available until the end of the month. Thanks to reader, Keerthi, for letting us know about the TD Ameritrade offer! How to Get Your $200 Sign up for a […]

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My kids don’t have baby books. Actually, they have them, but the entries are all blank except for the footprints from the hospital. However, since I started My Dollar Plan just after my second son was born (he’s turning 5 this year), I found many tidbits of their lives scattered throughout the site. After years […]

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As the tax deadline approaches, it is time to start thinking about some of the tax questions that are still lingering: What will the home office deduction do to your taxes if you sell your home? I freelance as a staff writer, as well as own my personal blog Frugal Confessions. For the 20-30 hours […]

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Unveiling The Retirement Myth Book Review

Posted by Madison on March 20, 2012

There are so many books about saving, investing, and building your portfolio, that it is rare to find a good book about spending down your portfolio, or the distribution stage. The book Unveiling The Retirement Myth by Jim Otar does a great job on explaining the distribution stage, in detail, with actual numbers. You can […]

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Amazon $10 Gift Cards for $5

Posted by Madison on March 19, 2012

A reader, Astrid, sent me a link to news story about a great Amazon deal tomorrow! Amazon Local is going to offer $10 gift cards for $5 tomorrow! Amazon Local is another social buying website, similar to Groupon. Amazon also ran this same deal last year on LivingSocial and it was incredibly popular. How to […]

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Ohio 529 $50 Contribution or Rollover Bonus

Posted by Madison on March 16, 2012

Many of you know one of my favorite bonuses is the Ohio 529 College Advantage sign up bonus. Over the years we’ve accumulated over a dozen accounts there, and I know many of you have also opened accounts there. Good news for existing customers… their newest bonus is for us! And it should be easy, […]

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How to Save Money on Your Insurance Renewal

Posted by Madison on March 15, 2012

A reader, Joe, just shared with me a list of homeowners insurance tips for dealing with increased wind and hail deductibles some of you might be facing. He originally sent out the tips to neighbors in his homeowners association. Wow! Wouldn’t it be great to have a neighbor like Joe? Keeping your insurance costs down […]

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6 Free Efile Tax Return Options

Posted by Madison on March 14, 2012

It’s time to efile! Since many tax forms are delayed this year, a lot of taxpayers are just getting their final documents. And of course, while I’m still waiting on a few more forms, many of you finally have everything you need to e file your tax return. Let’s check out all the free efile […]

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