One of the best deals in online banking comes from ING Direct. Not only does the bank offer excellent interest rates and virtually no fees, but it regularly runs bonus offers. On this page, we track the current promotions available when you open a savings or checking account, or a certificate of deposit with ING [...]
ObamaCare Upheld!
Following oral argument in the Supreme Court case on ObamaCare, I predicted that the statute would be ruled unconstitutional. As you no doubt know by now, that prediction turned out to be dead wrong. And my prediction was scuttled by none other than Chief Justice John Roberts. So much for my predictions. And that raises [...]
YNAB 4 Review
I’ve used a lot of money management tools. From mint.com, which is free, to Quicken, which is not, I’ve tried them all. And without a doubt the absolute best tool for budgeting is YNAB (short for “You Need A Budget”). A few days ago, the folks at YNAB released a new version of their software, [...]
Reader Mailbag: How to Compare Balance Transfer Offers
Q:A reader recently asked which of the following balance transfer offers was the best: 0% interest for 18 months, then going to 14%, or 0% interest for 12 months, then going to 10%? She explained that the balance transfer fees are the same for both offers at three percent. And she wants to pay off [...]
Raising a Kid Costs An Arm and a Leg
You may have heard the recent report that raising a kid costs a fortune. To be more specific, the government estimates that it costs $300,000 over the first 17 years to raise a child. Gulp. But don’t worry, it gets worse. Add in the cost parents spend on children after age 17 and the income [...]
How to Turn Credit Card Points and Miles Into Cash
Recently I’ve grown weary of using so many credit cards. In order to maximize rewards, we have been using the Capital One® Venture SM Rewards Credit Card, Starwood Preferred Guest® Card from American Express, and The Platinum Card® from American Express. The problem is that it’s a pain to manage and budget three different cards [...]
Unhappy with Your Credit Card? Complain
Yesterday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released data on complaints it has received from consumers about credit cards. Recall that the CFPB enables consumers to file complaints about mortgages, credit cards, bank accounts, car or consumer loans, and student loans. The data was interesting for several reasons. First, there weren’t that many complaints. In total [...]
Want Cheaper Car Insurance? Move
It’s common knowledge that where you live affects your car insurance premiums. People in Manhattan will pay more for insurance, all things being equal, than in most rural towns in the mid-west, for example. But a new study by CarInsurance.com shows that even moving a few miles away from where you currently live can have [...]
Mortgage Discounts Points and the 5 Year Rule of Thumb
Recently I wrote an article on how big of a down payment you need to buy a home. Today we’ll look at a question that has perplexed a lot of future homeowners–should you pay discount points to lower your interest rate? Discount points act as a type of prepaid interest on your mortgage loan. Each [...]