Dec
31
Problems with Edward Jones
December 31, 2008 | 4 Comments
A while back I told you I dumped Edward Jones for Vanguard. So far I couldn't be happier (well, I could be if the market was down so much, but that just means I can buy more right?). A recent problem with Edward Jones convinced me that I made the right move. I logged onto [...]
Dec
22
Best Investmetns in a Depression Part 2
December 22, 2008 | 1 Comment
Right now is a terrible time for investors. Risk exists everywhere. Banks won't loan to each other let alone you. If you do have cash right now. Where is the best place to put it? In part of Best Investments in a Depression, I discussed paying off your debts as a way to get 100% [...]
Dec
17
Best Investments in a Depression
December 17, 2008 | 8 Comments
A financial apocalypse descends on the US and the world. Stock Market returns are terrible. Treasury Bills have a negative return. CD rates are falling. What do you put your money in times like these? A few people have asked me, where do you put your money now? Nothing is safe and the sky is [...]
Dec
16
Why You Need Renter's Insurance
December 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment
You can never have enough money or enough insurance. We live in a world full of risks. Disaster strikes at the most inopportune times. My sister in law just had a major disaster at her apartment. She didn't have renter's insurance, but she wishes she did. The sprinkler system and my sister in law's apartment [...]
Dec
11
Home Ownership is for the Wealthy
December 11, 2008 | 1 Comment
Now that America is trying to sleep off the housing bubble hangover, people like me can say I told you so. Houses are for the rich. Always have been, and for the foreseeable future, always will be. By definition, poor people can afford little. So putting a poor person in a house is a fundamentally [...]
Dec
10
Congress Doesn't Know Where $700,000,000,000 Is Going
December 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The congressional committee that oversees the financial bailout package doesn't know where the money is going. With $335,000,000,000 already spent, Treasury Secretary Paulson is about to ask for the other $350,000,000,000. Congressman Barney Frank is upset with the Treasury Department. Frank claims the Treasury isn't doing enough to oversee the distribution of the money. Frank wants [...]
Dec
9
Obama Stimulating Federal Light Bulb Changers
December 9, 2008 | 1 Comment
If you're waiting for another direct stimulus check, forgot about it. Obama doesn't have plans to send you one. Instead, he's going to change the bulbs in all the federal buildings. That should get the economy moving, right? Obama has publicly stated his 4 priorities: "a massive effort to make public buildings more energy-efficient" "the [...]
Dec
3
Warren Buffet's 10 Ways to Get Rich
December 3, 2008 | 1 Comment
If you're a Warren Buffet zealot then this is for you. It's a list of Buffet's "money making secrets." http://www.warrenbuffett.com/warren-buffett-10-ways-to-get-rich/ I don't think these are all that secret. It looks more like common sense but your mileage may vary. Maybe that's why Buffet's so loved. He's obscenely rich but acts just like the common man. [...]
Dec
2
I've Contributed the Maximum to my Roth IRA
December 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The markets are in turmoil, the economy is in shambles and the end is nigh. Most people are scared. I've just contributed the max to my Roth IRA. Am I incredibly brave or incredibly stupid? Here's my though process. You can't predict the markets. You can't time the markets. However, you can take advantage of [...]
Dec
1
It Doesn't Matter Where You Go To College
December 1, 2008 | 2 Comments
If you think you need to go to Harvard to succeed, think again. Many of today's top executives graduated from state universities. The Wall Street Journal Any College Will Do. Most CEOs of the biggest corporations didn't attend Ivy League or other highly selective colleges. They went to state universities, big and small, or to [...]