Archive for May, 2008
The Best and Worst Discount Brokers
I have always wanted to be the guy whose phone rings in a crowded room and say, “Excuse me, I have to take this one – it’s my broker.” Unfortunately for me, this big-headed moment probably will never come, thanks to the rise of discount brokers. Discount brokers like E*Trade and Fidelity, are companies that [...]
Watch for More Ridiculous Gas Prices
I have a prediction. Albeit not a difficult one, but I would still like your attention. Before the summer is over, gas is going to be $5 a gallon. I know we just discussed the value (perceived value, that is) of buying a hybrid car to try and dissuade the rising cost [...]
The Only Thing Funny About Fuel Prices…
…are the comics. Enjoy!
(Courtesy of the interwebz’ tubez)
Trading in For a Hybrid Could Be Costly
With gas prices averaging close to $4/gallon, many car owners are considering trading in their gas hogs for a hybrid vehicle. Hybrids of course have the potential to get upwards of 40 miles a gallon (mpg), versus the 15-25 mpg that many of us get with our current vehicles. The savings with the [...]
The Money Life Network
First off, I hope that everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and paid tributes to the men and women who have given so much in order for us to have the best country in the world. Knowing all that was done for us in the past and in the present is humbling and [...]
Whats the Deal with FiOS?
In all of the articles that Frank and I intend to write, we have missed very few. I recently missed one for a really silly reason. It was my night to write and my internet was down. It wasn’t just down, it was kaput. Thats the first time I have ever typed [...]
Is Flying Worth The Cost?
Lately, it seems as if the frustration associated with flying is increasing at the same rate of airline tickets. Layovers and canceled flights are becoming the norm and are leaving helpless customers twiddling their thumbs. What can we do about it? Unfortunately, there is not a lot we can do and this [...]
Is the Ticketing Industry Taking Advantage?
Within everyone’s budget, there is a place for entertainment and usually the first place we go is Ticket Master to get the latest tickets for shows, sports and other fun things. Thats the good news, there’s something fun to do. The bad news is that Ticket Master is a borderline monopoly (anti-trust) and [...]
What Are Income Replacement Funds?
As the baby boom generation slowly enters into retirement, millions of investors are going to be faced with the difficult task of selling off investments in order to live comfortably during retirement. The task of liquidating retirement assets is especially difficult for those retirees that do not have a traditional pension from their employer, which [...]
Is Blu-Ray Worth It?
HD-DVD’s and Blu-Ray – both are more likely to be on heard on your evening news than to actually be in your living room – have finally ended their competition war, with Blu-Ray taking the upper hand. In case you are unfamiliar, both HD-DVD’s and Blu-Ray DVD’s are the next step up from the traditional [...]
How Much Are HDMI Cables?
In my seemingly endless travels in doing research for competitive prices of audio/visual equipment, I came across an interesting little revelation. It is a waste of money to pay the inflated prices of name brand HDMI cables. (HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface and is used for almost all HD signals these days. [...]
Things to Consider When Purchasing a Car
Many vehicle owners think they are ahead of the game when they trade in their car after 3-5 years of ownership. By doing so, the owner thinks they can avoid the high cost maintenance that comes with older cars. This thought process makes sense for a second, but that’s about it. Generally, [...]
We May Have Found Your Stimulus Rebate Check!
Oh Eureka. So we are hearing from quite a number of people that they haven’t received their economic stimulus check yet, myself included. Well after we got a hot tip, (thank you Greg) the mystery has revealed itself. No thanks to the IRS mind you…
According to Turbo Tax, the difference comes [...]
Help Spread Frugality
A number of consumer advocate groups are teaming up in hopes of spreading the frugal gospel. In what will hopefully be a successful nationwide advertising campaign, the groups will try to change the spend first, borrow/spend second, and save last attitude that has slowly become our norm.
This new coalition has released a report, which [...]
Can I Save My Home?
As we all sit around, glued to our bank accounts, waiting for our stimulus check, the country is hurdling towards an unknown that won’t officially be settled until July. Once the magic “R” word comes out, I would imagine that there is going to be a new shock to the system as a whole. [...]
