October 2011

Secured Versus Prepaid Credit Cards

October 13, 2011

At least once a week a reader emails me to ask whether they can improve their credit with a prepaid credit card. Although the answer is a bit more complicated than this, I tell them no. If you are rebuilding your credit, the best type of card to use is a secured credit card. And [...]

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Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card 50,000 Bonus Points

October 13, 2011

A new travel rewards credit card offer has surfaced and it comes in the form of the .  Right away, cardholders will earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first three months of account opening. Depending on which Marriott location you redeem your points, this bonus has the potential to be worth close [...]

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How Much Do You Need To Retire?

October 12, 2011

As part of rolling over my 401(k), I’ve been spending some time with my retirement investments. I’ve tweaked my asset allocation and rebalanced my investments. And as part of this overhaul, the question of just how much money we need to retire has been on my mind. So I did some research into the question. [...]

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TD Ameritrade Review – A Canadian Spin on the US Market

October 11, 2011

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Sam Waterston (who you might know as district attorney Jack McCoy on Law and Order) promote TD Ameritrade in television commercials. But after years of wondering whether or not they are a top notch online discount broker, I decided to give them a shot.  Oddly enough, I learned [...]

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Quicken 2012 Review

October 10, 2011

Quicken was my first introduction to personal finance as an adult. With the magic of a computer and budgeting software, balancing my checkbook took seconds. It was easy to see where we were spending money. And the reporting tools made it easy to assess where we stood financially. So I jumped at the chance last [...]

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The Best Credit Card Deals of 2013

October 7, 2011

Even with the passing of the Credit Card Act, 2011 was a great year for credit card deals.  I did not expect issuers to launch so many lucrative cash back, free flight and balance transfer offers, but with 2012 now in full swing, there are still a wide variety of excellent offers available. The best [...]

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The Millionaire Tax To Nowhere

October 7, 2011

There was a time when millionaires were revered in this country. Becoming a millionaire was a financial goal of many, and those who reached this elusive pinnacle were evidence that the American Dream was alive and well. Today, the “rich” are seen as the source of all our economic woes. President Obama has fanned the [...]

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Why I’m Not Selling My Apple Stock (But You Probably Should)

October 6, 2011

As you’ve no doubt already heard, Steve Jobs lost his battle against pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. I’ve been a huge fan of Jobs and Apple for years. I run nothing but Macs for my business and home. And recently I began investing in Apple stock. With the death of Apple’s leader and [...]

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Citi Raises Fees On Checking Accounts

October 5, 2011

When in rains, it pours. Last week Bank of America announced a $5 fee to use its debit card. This week the Occupy Wall Street protesters are fanning out across the country, looking to unseat the bonus marchers in the history books. And now my own bank, Citi, has gone and raised fees on its [...]

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