Keep Your Cash

It pays too complain

2007-09-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm back. During my 8 month hiatus, I quit my old job, got married and moved to Austin, TX. I have a new job, a wife an a new apartment. Before I met my wife I never knew that complaining about bad customer service could pay off. In the past years she has received 4 free drinks at Seatle's Best coffe, a few free meals and free shipping and a discount on an item that was damaged the first time we received it. I am not advocating to complain for any small thing, but to complain when you feel that the service rendered was not what you paid for.

Have You Crossed The Frugal Line into Cheapness

2006-10-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks I have been trying to save like a madman. I am getting married on March 31, 2007 and need all the money I can get. Well, I am eating in at work four days a week. Last Wednesday I brought in a hamburger patty and chopped it up to make two Burritos. One of my friends at work was very critical of me and told me not to be too cheap. He said that I was not frugal but cheap. He said that my salary was a sign that I was not poor and that I should not be skimping on a good meal. In my opinion I was making the most of the 8-pack of patties I had bought and thought that I was being "creative". His comments made me think of other things I have been doing lately that made me think I was not being frugal anymore but just cheap. Have you crossed the line without even knowing?

Found a $130 Check in my unopened mail stash

2006-10-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went going through my old mail and to my surprise I had received a check for $130 from the IRS a few weeks ago. Apparently I was due a refund back in 2000, but never got it because I had moved. I will but this money in my Wedding Savings account which I recently opened with Amtrust Bank. I have missed on class action lawsuits and other small refunds just because I do not open my mail on a regular basis. I quit opening my mail regularly due to the fact that I pay all my bills online and keep in touch with friends through the phone and e-mails. Remember to open all your mail at least once a week.

Trading Fees Going Down. Thanks BofA

2006-10-12T04:33:00.000-07:00

This is good news to small investors like me. Bloomberg has a article on how BofA free trades will lower discount brokerages costs.

Can you save 32.2 % of your pay for Retirement?

2006-10-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

In order to max out my 401K and Roth IRA (15K+4K), I need to save about 32.2% of my pay. My employer only matches if we had a profitable quarter, thus I cannot count on that contribution to lessen my burden. I have never been able to max my 401K, but I am confident that as I grow my financial foundation and salary, it will become easier to max out both of my accounts. What is your percentage?

How much should a Wedding cost?

2006-10-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

My Fiancee and I are planning a wedding next April or May. We will not have a lot of outside help due to the financial situation of our parents. Her mother and her will contribute about 1 to 1.5K towards the wedding. I do not want to go much into debt for the wedding. I think that the cash I have would be better used for a downpayment on a house, but she wants a "beautiful" wedding. I plan to contribute about $5K total. My family and friends will probably come up with an extra 1K. Out total budget is going to be about 7-7.5K. We plan to cut cost by doing a daytime wedding and inviting about 150people. I heard that the average is about 20K. Do you guys think I am being cheap?

Are you the Family Money Expert?

2006-10-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

Most of my friends and family consider me the money expert eventhough some of them make more money than I do. My friends often call me or ask me what I think before they invest or apply for loans. I manage my mother's and sister's 401K. Some people at work have also asked me to take a look at their 401K plan and make some suggestions. The thing that makes me a little angry is that their plans seem to be doing as well as mine in the period of 3 years but with a lot less risk. I am a lot more conservative with other's people's money. I currently have about 10 holdings in my 401K account which I think its diluting my returns. I plan to drop my holdings to 7-8 before the end of the year.

CITI Rewards Increased Gift Card Point Price

2006-10-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

Today I checked my rewards points through Citi. I noticed that I had accumulated 5K points. I usually get a $50 Target gift card at this point. I went to a ask for it and to my surprise I saw that that you have to redeem 6K for the card. I check for other retailers and the change was for all of them. They did not change the $100 cards, they are still 10K.

Increased my 401K contribution to 17%

2006-10-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

I did it; it was a hard decision, but it was the right choice. I will see the difference in my check in a couple of weeks. I will not notice it a lot due to the fact that I stopped eating out everyday. This one action saves me about $35 a week plus about $5-7 in gas. I also figured that I will not be spending as much in electricity during the winter so the extra $20-$30 will go there too. I also plan to do all my Christmas shopping early and online to save on taxes, get reward points, use promo codes and to get cashback from Fatwallet or E-bates.

$7 TDAMERITRADE Trades

2006-10-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

I have been a customer of Ameritrade for a few years now. A few days ago I got the following e-mail. This was great news as I had planned to sell a few positions.

Thank you for choosing TD AMERITRADE. We appreciate your business!

We'd like to show our thanks by giving you $7 commissions on your Internet equity and options trades (contract fees still apply) for the next 60 days!¹ But that's not all...

Now is a great time to consolidate your investments at TD AMERITRADE
When you transfer an account to TD AMERITRADE, you'll also get $50 cash to cover the transfer fee. Plus, your accounts will be easier to manage with the new combined accounts screen, which gives you an integrated view of the balances and positions for all your linked TD AMERITRADE^® accounts. To see the combined view of your linked TD AMERITRADE accounts, visit the Balance and Positions page.

401K Return : 4.8% YTD Emigrant Account:5.05%

2006-10-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

How man yof you look at your 401K at least 3 times a week. I know I am in it for the long haul, and that short term fluctuations are not important but I am tempted to look at my progress. So far this year I am up only 4.8%. I am 100% in stock mutual funds. My combined ROI for the past two years is 32%. I have to say that my aggresiveness hurt me this year with my Fidelity Select Technology and Fidelity Select Natural Resources funds. Like my grandmother says, if you dont risk you will not win. I plan to keep my allocation until I have my first child(2 or 3 years).

Doing the right thing is very hard

2006-10-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

Do you guys ever get the feeling that we as a group are missing out? Sometimes I feel that I am forgoing my present to hopefully live a carefree future. I get the feeling that I am not enjoying life as much as I should. Sometimes I get discouraged when I read that you need about 2 million to retire. I guess I am just a little discouraged today because I saw a few articles about some people my age that have about 300K in their retirement accounts. I guess I need to step up my savings eventhough I feel that I am already saving more than most of my friends.

How I saved 16.1% on my Fiancee's Engagement ring

2006-10-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

I know what you are going to say, but the cash I saved I can use for the wedding. I saved a total of $269. The ring is .70 carat and its appraisal was for $3250. My fiancee and her friends were amazed at the quality and size of the diamond. I payed a total of $1674 after the discount and cashback. To save on Taxes I bought the ring online through Bluenile.com. Then I asked a friend to sign up with them and reffer me. Bluenile sent me an e-mail with a $100 coupon code for purchases over $1000. I bought the ring with the Citi Dividend Card. The tax savings was approx $152 and the cashback was 17. I could have saved more if I had bought giftcertificates through Citi Merchant Network. They give you 4% cashback or reward points, but they take up to three weeks to process.

Is ACAS a BUY? It was for me.

2006-09-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

A week ago I bought ACAS. American Capital is an equity partner in management and employee buyouts ; provides debt financing for buyouts led by private equity firms; and provides capital to private and public companies. I know that it is not a growth stock but low and steady wins the race in the long run. Currently they are paying 8.6% dividend and have and excellent DRIP program. They give you a 5% discount on the stock for Reinvested money.

$50,000 in Retirement by age 30

2006-09-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

My short term goal is to accumulate 50k by January 29 regardless of the market. I plan to get married in March or April of next year so I want to reach this milestone while I am still single. I have approx. 39,300 in my 401K and Roth accounts. I just increased my contributions to my 401k to 15% and am $750 away from maxing my ROTH. I know its a lofty goal but I think that if I sacrifice now I will not have to do it when I have a mortgage payment, a wife and a couple of kids. What's your short term goal?

Emigrant Drops Rate to 5.05% on September 30

2006-09-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

Is it time to start locking in your CD's? The general opinion is that the FED might do a rate cut during the first quarter of next year. Emigrant just dropped their rate, this may be a sign of what to expect from other rate leaders. I received an e-mail that said that effective September 30, 2006 the rate will drop to 5.05%. Bad news for all Emigrant Savers.

Cashback and Reward Offers this year: $975

2006-08-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

How much money have you made applying for offers and Rewards this year? So far I have made close to $1000 in cash and Gift cards. Here is a list of the offers and rewards I have accumulated so far this year. So far my credit score has not dropped, it actualy went up. My friends at work think that all this free money stuff I do is for the birds. I think of this money as a bonus for having a decent credit score. My score is not that great , but a little above average.

1. Citi Checking Account $200 Cash (Opening Account)
2. Citi Premier Pass Elite $150 in gift Cards (Opening Account)
3. Citi Diamond Reward $100 in Gift Cards (Opening Account)+ $200 ( Reward Gift Cards)
4. Citi Professional $100 in Gift Cards (Opening Account)
5. Citi Divedend $150 in Cash Back rewards
6. Unwired $20+$5
7. Fatcash $40
8. Creditcard offers.com $10

How much was your Raise? mine was only 5.7%

2006-08-26T04:07:00.000-07:00

I finally got my raise today. It was 5.7% . I felt a little dissapointed as I thought it was going to be around 9-10%. The 5.7% percent just covers the higher cost of gas, health insurance and electricity. I bumped up my 401K to 9% from 8% and increased my biweekly contribution to my Roth by $10. I only saw a $60 increase in my take home pay after I make my extra contributions. The only thing to do is to pretend the raise never happened and put my whopping $60 into my Emigrant account. This will bump up my biweekly contributions to $200. I am planning on purchasing a home whithin the next 18 months so I plan to use this account for my downpayment? How much was your raise?

Citi Premier Pass-Elite Level Card 15,000 Points

2006-08-25T05:06:00.000-07:00

I just received my card in the mail last Friday. I went and bought a 12 oz. milk for .99 with my card on Sunday. Today I got 15,000 Thank you points in my account. I ordered a $50Home Depot Card for my dad, and a $50 Target Gift Card for my mom. I'll save my other points to help me pay for a vacation. I usually do not order gas cards because you will not be earning points by paying with a gift card. You can earn an additional $10 if you apply through cardoffers.com. I will cancel the card in under a year because the charge you $75 per year after the first year.

Tip: Place your name as your buisness name

Citi Dividend Card Lowers dividend by 3%

2006-08-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

I got the letter. I was hoping it was only rumors, but to my dismay I received the Citi Dividend Card letter about the reduction in dividends. They are decreasing the divedend to 2% for purchases in supemarkets, gas stations, and drugstores. They added a 2% dividend on utilities to compensate for the 3% drop in dividend. The change will take effect on October 13, 2006. I have not looked at other cards yet, but plan to apply for a different card thay pays out a dividend. Any suggestions? I have other cards with Thank You Points, but nothing beats the $50-60 check I get in the mail every 2 to 3 months.

What to do with $250

2006-08-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

I recently opened a second ROTH IRA account with E-trade because of their great selection of no load, no transaction fee mutual funds. I came upon this little fund called the Hodges Fund(HDPMX). It only requires a min. of $250 to open and has a pretty good track record. I am going to keep investing in this fund until I can afford to buy one of the Bridgeway funds that require a $2000 min. investment. E-trade was the only place I could find that offers Bridgeway funds with no transaction cost. My other ROTH is with Fidelity, but their trade fees are too much for an small investor like me. They charge $19.99 per trade and charge transaction cost on most of the outside funds. The fees will go down once I pass the $50,000 mark. I am at $36,300 because my 401K is also in that account. I am hoping for a rally and more employer contributions.

Save Over 50% Eating out at Restaurants

2006-08-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

I typically buy restaurant.com certificates through Fatwallet. They offer 7% casback plus coupon codes of up to a 60% discount of the already discounted certificates. If you use your rewards card you will get an additional 1% reward. I recently bought a $25 certificate for $4.60(after fatcash and rewards). The min. purchase for the certificate was $35.00, so my girlfriend and I had desert and coffe after our meal. We only paid $16+4.60(certificate) for an excellent meal. I paid it with my 5% rewards card to save a little extra. Have fun trying out new places.

Google Coupons with Google Maps

2006-08-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Google has partnered with Valpak, the top U.S. supplier of coupon advertising, to provide more than 20,000 coupons from current Valpak advertisers when consumers search for relevant stores using its Google Maps map and local directory service. Google also lets local buisness owners enter coupons for free to increase traffic to their stores. Start Clipping.

$20 Off Orders Over $30 with Google Checkout.

2006-08-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

Google checkout has a few retailers that offer $10 off your order of $30 or more (before S&H and tax), just enter the coupon code listed here after clicking Google Checkout. To get the extra $10 register a CitiBank card with Thankyou Points Google Checkoutand they will give you 1000 ThankYou^SM Points the first time you use Google Checkout. Have fun shopping.

Top 10 Financial Books

2006-03-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

I know everyone has their own opinion, but here is my list . What is yours?

1. The Intelligent Investor by Ben Graham
2. One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch
3. The Richest Man in Babylon by GeorgeS. Clason
4. Bogle On Mutual Funds By John Bogle
5. The Investment Biker by Jim Rogers
6. The Money Masters and The new Money Masters by John Train
7. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
8. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
9. The Money Game by "Adam Smith"
10. The Nine Steps To Financial Freedom By Susan Orman

Entertaintment Book 50% Off Sale

2006-03-04T06:17:00.000-08:00

Buy an entertainment book for your City and save thousands of dollars. They are offering a 50% off the cover price today. I bought the book recently and it has already paid for itself. You can start saving immediately by logging into their web site and printing coupons and buying retarant gift cards for 10% off. Take a look. Tip: If you have an account with Mr. Rebates or Fatwallet buy it through their link and receive a $5.00 rebate+1% rebate from your rewards credit card.

Get a Library Card

2006-02-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

Have you visited your public library recently? I did a couple of weeks ago and was amazed. They have the newest DVDs, Audio Books and CDs. You can also order books from other banches for free and keep books for up to three weeks. They also have internet access and a plethora of magazines. Why pay for a book when you can barrow it? Its your tax dollars at work.

Worst Financial Mistake

2006-02-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

My worst financial mistake was not exercising my stock options when they were up about $5 a piece. I lost about $10,000 due to my greed. I kept thinking the options would go higher. By the time the trading window open for employees to trade the stock was below my exercise price. a year later they expired. I did not make that mistake twice, this time I exercised my options when I got the chance. My profit was only about $3700 after tax but the money was secure in my account. Greed is very hard to overcome when it comes to stock and money in general. My lesson learned was that money in the bank is worth a lot more that potential profits. What is your most expensive Financial Lesson?

Identity Theft Victim

2006-02-25T17:48:00.000-08:00

Be careful with your mail!!!!!!! I recently received a call from Citi Identity Theft Solutions questioning me on some "Suspicous activity" on my account. They asked me if I had my card and if I had made some purchases and balance transfers. I replied that I had my card but I had not made any balance transfers or big purchases. They immediately closed my account and send me an affidavitt to sign, notarize and return to them. It took them about three days to take it off my account and I received a new card within a week. The only explanation I could think of was that someone got a hold of the checks that they send me in the mail and used them to do a purchase of $1200 and a balance transfer of $1100. The weird thing was that the purchase was made near my zip code.

$200 Dollars for opening Two Citi Cards

2006-02-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

I recently opened the Citi Professional and the Citi Diamond Preferred Cards. I made a purchase as soon as I received them . The two cards rewarded me with 20,000 Thank You points or $200 in Gift cards. The points showed up at the end of the first billing cycle. i requested my cards and received them in about 7 business day. The whole process took under 10 minutes. The Diamond Preffered offers 0% on purchases and balance transfers for a year. The also offer 5 points on Gas, Groceries and drugstores but only for the first year. I plan to close it after the year is over. The nice thing of the the Citi Professional Card is the 3% cash back on restaurants. I will use my $200 of Target gift cards to buy my groceries for the next two months. To apply just go to their main site.
Enjoy.

Flex Plan or Cafe Plan

2006-02-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

Its about that time when most companies renew their health insurance. Pay close attention or ask about the Flexible Spending Account program. Most Companies have this bundled with their health insurance. You can save a lot on taxes by planning ahead. Paying for $2,000 in out-of-pocket expenses with income that was never taxed saves $500 in federal taxes for a person in the 25 percent bracket.

There's one catch: FSAs operate on a "use it or lose it" basis.

So if you still have money in your flexible spending account for 2005, it's time to get cracking.

The IRS sets guidelines for what is and isn't eligible for FSA reimbursement. And you'd be surprised by just how many items make the list, including acupuncture and contact lens solution.

But while most employers follow the IRS's guidelines for deductible medical expenses, employers ultimately determine what is and is not covered by an FSA.

Here are some common -- and not so common -- expenses to keep in mind.

Over The Counter Items: Cold and Flu Medicines, Muscle creams, Contraceptives, Alergy Medicines, Antacids, Pain Relievers, bandages, wart removers, and many more.

Standard medicine: With costs rising as they have been, a relatively healthy family could save hundreds of dollars a year by saving for out-of-pocket medical expenses in an FSA. Premiums are not eligible for reimbursement, but deductibles, cost sharing for office visits and prescription drug co-payments are. If you haven't saved receipts, the "explanation of benefits" sent by your insurance company should have information on what you paid on your own.

Perfect vision: Most plans will let you claim the costs of an eye exam, new frames, new lenses, contact lenses, prescription sunglasses, even contact lens solution. Or you can fix your eyes for good with laser surgery, which is not covered by insurance but is an eligible FSA expense.

Pearly whites: Your FSA money will also help fill in where your dental plan leaves off -- a big help if your kids need braces and other orthodontia or you need artificial teeth. Whitening procedures, however, are generally not covered. Nor are toothpaste, mouthwash and do-it-yourself teeth bleaching.

Weight loss: Most plans allow you to claim the cost of weight-loss programs like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, as long as your doctor prescribes it. Diet-plan booklets and weight-loss drugs may also be eligible expenses. "If you're 10 pounds over weight that's not counted," said Jay Coldwell, product director for Wausau Benefits. "But if you've been diagnosed as morbidly obese it probably is."

Smoking cessation: Smokers can sign up for smoking cessation programs and pay for it with FSA money. Depending on your employer's policy, you may now be able to claim over-the counter nicotine gum or patches.

Alternative medicine: There are all sorts of alternative treatments you can pay for out of your FSA, as long as they are viewed as medically necessary. Among them are acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, Christian Science practitioners and even massage if it treats a certain condition.

Cosmetic procedures: Generally, cosmetic procedures or products, such as plastic surgery, are not a legitimate expense. There are, however, exceptions for certain injuries, diseases or congenital abnormalities. If, for example, you lose your hair as a result of chemotherapy, you should be able to put FSA money toward a wig.

Assistance with disabilities: Guide dogs (and their vet bills), certain home improvements and school tuition are just a few examples of legitimate expenses if they are needed to accommodate a physical or mental disability.

Bugmenot.com No more Registrations

2006-02-16T21:43:00.000-08:00

Recently I was trying to log on to Forbes and CBS Marketwatch but they require you to register. I found this process annoying and time consuming. I found this cool site called bugmenot.com. BugMeNot.com was created as a mechanism to quickly bypass the login of web sites that require compulsory registration and/or the collection of personal/demographic information. This is how it works. Have fun and enjoy all the cool financial content on your favorite pages.

Instructions:

STEP 1: Make a note of the website address your are trying to access. For example:
http://www.nytimes.com

STEP 2: Visit http://bugmenot.com

STEP 3: Enter the address from step 1 into the box and press the "Get Logins" button

STEP 4: You should now be presented with at least one username and password. Make a note of them.

STEP 5: Go back to the site you were originally trying to access in step 1 and proceed to login with the username and password you noted in the previous step.

With any luck you should be able to access your article now!

Free E-file With TurboTax

2006-02-09T05:46:00.000-08:00

If you qualify you can get your taxes e-filed for free through Turbo Tax. I know its free to e-file through the IRS but you get the added benefit of Turbo Tax's software. The site is taxfreedom.
You qualify if :

If any of these apply, you qualify for FREE federal tax preparation and e-file! In 2005, did you:
1. Qualify for the federal Earned Income Credit (EIC)? What is this?
or
2. Earn $28,500 AGIAGI Your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is the amount from line 37 of Form 1040 (or line 21 of Form 1040A). It represents your gross income less allowable adjustments, such as moving expenses, IRA's and alimony paid. or less?
or
3. Serve as Active Duty Military Active Military Duty Includes Reservists and National Guard You must have a 2005 Form W-2 from the military and earn less than $50,000 AGI?

Maximize your tax return With Turbo Tax

2006-02-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

If you get a tax refund, you can apply part or all of it to gift cards for certain retailers. Turbo tax offers the cards at a 10% to 50% discount depending on the retailer. There is a $14.95 shipping and handling charge, which seems a little steep. My total Bonus Dollars were 92.00 but my net came to be 76.05 after the shipping fee. Here is a link to the retailers TIP- If yoo go through the fidelity link for Turbo Tax they give you a 50% discount.

Save on Valentines Day Gifts or Flowers

2006-02-03T05:16:00.000-08:00

Receive $10 off your final order at 1-800flowers.com with coupon code Friend10a on orders over $50 or 20% off with code GPMJ. If you are a member of fatwallet or Mr. Rebates you get an additional 8% rebate with them. Make sure you use your rewards card for the 1% casback from them also. Impress your grilfriend or wife for 25-35% less. You can use your savings for the dinner bill. Tip: try it out for free to see which one will give you the biggest savings. I entered fake info until I was sure of my purchase.

HSBC Direct Raises Savings to 4.80%

2006-01-31T21:47:00.000-08:00

(posted @ Bankdeals.blogspot.com) It looks like HSBC Direct intends to be the online savings account leader. It just raised its Online Savings Account rate from 4.25% to 4.80% APY. As was the case in December when it raised the rate to 4.25%, not all of the website has been updated with the new rate. The new rate is currently being shown at HSBC's rates page.

It has been reported on this fatwallet that the rate has been verified by an HSBC customer service representative. Another poster reported that HSBC's phone recordings are specifying that this is a promotional rate that'll last till April 30th. So this seems to be HSBC's version of ING Direct's Winter Save Up Sale . The question now is will the 4.80% apply to all savings or just new deposits. We'll have to wait for the details to be published at HSBC.

This great rate is guaranteed at 4.80 until April 30, thus you can compare it to a 3 month Cd with the advantages that you only need $1 dollar and that you can take the money out whenever you want to.

SAVE ON GAS

2006-01-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

GasBuddy.com can help you find cheap gas prices in your city. It is a network of more than 173+ gas price information web sites that helps you find low gasoline prices. All web sites are operated by GasBuddy and has the most comprehensive listings of gas prices anywhere.

Gasoline prices change frequently and may vary by as much as 20 percent within only a few blocks it is important to be able locate the service station with the lowest priced fuel. GasBuddy web sites allow motorists to share information about low priced fuel with others as well as target the lowest priced stations to save money when filling up at the pumps!

Woot Deal of the Day Electronic Closeout Deals

2006-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

Here a consumer electronics distributor unloads excess inventory of a single item each day at a steep discount. One day it could be a home theater system, the next a digital camera. This oddball approach has generated a cult following, which keeps the community forums abuzz with product reviews and other chatter.

Woot's motto is "One Day, One Deal". Generally, Woot offers one product per day, seven days a week, until its stock of that item is sold out or the product is replaced at midnight with the next offering. If a product sells out during its run, the next item still does not appear until midnight . Products are never announced beforehand and often sell out in a few hours or even minutes of frenzied buying. In contrast to a market characterized by ever-expanding consumer choice, the Woot.com approach relies on the elements of simplicity and surprise.

Customers may buy up to three of the day's item. Woot does not reveal how many units remain available in a given sale, but animates the "I Want One" button when 10 percent or less remains. Woot does list how many products were available after they are sold out.

Shipping is a flat rate of $5.00 per order, regardless of quantity of items purchased, size and weight of purchase, or shipping destination in the USA

ING SAVE UP SALE PAYS 4.75% TILL 4/15/2006

2006-01-20T06:05:00.000-08:00

Here's How It Works:

Deposits eligible for the Winter Save Up Sale
Only New Funds are eligible for the 4.75% APY. New Funds must:

Be from an external source
Be deposited into an Orange Savings Account
Be deposited any time between January 19, 2006 to April 15, 2006 – the Sale Period
Increase your total balances with ING DIRECT compared to your balances in all deposit accounts at the beginning of the Sale Period

4.75% Interest Calculation
To determine what portion of your Orange Savings Account balance will earn the 4.75% APY, during the Sale Period we add up all of your new deposits from an external source and then subtract all withdrawals from the account (whether internal or external) from that total. If that amount is greater than zero, it is eligible for the 4.75% APY. If an account is closed during the Sale Period, the 4.75% may not be earned for the entire period that the new funds were on deposit.

Accounts eligible for the Winter Save Up Sale

All new Orange Savings Accounts opened by new ING DIRECT Customers
All existing Orange Savings Accounts belonging to current
ING DIRECT Customers

ING Direct's $25 referral sign-up bonus plan is still valid. I still have a lot referrals to give.The person joining gets $25 and the referrer gets $10. Just send an email with your first and last name to rudycoro@yahoo.com. I will send you an email with the info to sign up. It requires a minimum deposit of $250.

Top Bank Deals

2006-01-18T15:28:00.000-08:00

Tired of receiving only .80% from your local bank, try the following online banks. They are able to offer higher rates due to the low overhead costs. I have all four accounts. Each has its advantages. The Paypal account is a money market account, not a savings account thus its not FDIC insured. HSBC, Emigrant and ING are all FDIC insured. The best web page and interface has to be ING Direct, but you pay for it with the lower rate. Ing Direct Offers mutuals funds also which you need 1000 to open but after that you can invest as often as you want with as little money as you want. HSBC and Emigrant are pretty much the same in my eyes, they are neck in neck as far as rates go. The thing I like about Emigrant Direct is that they post your money into your account the next day after you request a transfer. HSBC takes appox. a week to post to your account. I do transfer between all my account depending which rate pulls ahead.
All bank have no transfer fees, no penalties and a 1.00 min.

Bank APR Minimum Website
1.PayPal 4.30 $1 Paypal
2 HSBC Direct 4.25 $1 HSBC Direct
3 Emigrant Direct 4.00 $1 Emigrant Direct
4 ING Direct 3.80 $1 Ing Direct

Top 10 Tips to Save Money on Groceries

2006-01-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Tip #1-DO NOT shop without a list ! Do your best to stick to it and get out as quickly as you can!

Tip#2- Do not shop while you're hungry! You tend to buy unhealthy food( cookies, icecream, chips,etc.)

Tip#3 - Avoid last minute impulse purchases at the checkout for things like magazines and candy bars.

TIP#4- Do not be brand loyal, and try to buy only what's on sale. Sometimes a name brand can even be on sale for the same price as the store brand, or less... so read those price labels!

TIP#5 - Bigger does not always equal better! Be careful of big "value size" packages. Sometimes they are packaged for price value, but often they are simply packaged only for convenience. The store manufacturers must be thinking we'd rather save a trip to the store than save money...

TIP#5- Always check your receipt before leaving the store. Me sure to use one of your 5% rebate credit cards when you shop at supermarkets(i.e. Citi Divedend, Discover, Chase)

TIP#6 - Many people do not realize this (and the stores probably don't want everyone to know) but when a product is on sale, let's say for example "buy 2 for $5.00," you can almost always purchase just one of the items for the sale price (which in this case would be $2.50). You do NOT have to purchase 2 items to get the sale price! (However, if it's an item you use regularly it's a good idea to go ahead and purchase more than one)

TIP#7 - Ask if the store will honor both manufacture's and store coupons at the same time.

TIP#8 - One of the best ways to save money on groceries is to keep wasted food to a minimum. Use up leftovers quickly or freeze them for later use. If you’re cooking for just one or two, freeze leftovers in single-size portions, they’ll make quick and easy dinners on nights when you’re too busy or too tired to cook.

TIP#9- Buy the Sunday newspaper to get hundreds of dollars in coupons; if a certain week has a lot of great coupons for products that you use often buy two!

TIP#10- Double coupon offers are great. The double coupons are nice, but then when you buy grocery items that generally do not have coupons (such as milk, bread, meat, produce, etc...) you will more than pay for that double coupon savings. So, if your "double coupon" store is on the high-end use the coupons on their sale items when you have time and purchase everything else at a lower priced store of your choice.

Discount Gift Cards

2006-01-12T05:52:00.000-08:00

Turn your unwanted gift cards into cash at your favorite store! Now you can swap what you've got... for what you really want! Visit swapagift.com, Gift Card Again, or cardavenue.com. That's where you'll get matched up with other folks who are looking to buy, sell or trade their unwanted gift cards. You can buy gift cards at a discount. You can also find discount gift cards at ebay. Use these discounted cards with coupons and reward cards to get extra savings.

Keep Your Cash

2006-01-11T06:10:00.000-08:00

A lot of us are only focused on the number on our paychecks. People think that making more money is the ticket to financial freedom. Its true that this will make it easier, but it not necesarily true. The more your earn the more you want and "need". Things that were luxuries in the past become necessities such as the 3.50 daily latte or the $10 daily meals. Sometimes its not how much we make but how much we keep. I try to use coupons, savings codes and rebate cards whenever I make a purchase. I keep track of my savings and put this cash into my high yield savings account at the end of every month. Its fun to track how much you can save.

Save 50 to 60% Dinning or Eating out

2006-01-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

I often eat out everyday so I was trying to find a way to say on my weekly eat out budget without sacrificing the quality of the food. I found this great site that offers gift cards at a 50-60% discount.

Restaurant.com serves as the community matchmaker, introducing great restaurants to great people. From appetizers to dessert, from wine to dinner, Restaurant.com helps restaurant owners promote the new and unique aspects of their restaurants while providing diners with great value in a fun, new and cost effective way. Your favorite restaurant is in your neighborhood – maybe you just don't know it yet.

Find Missing Money

2006-01-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

Bank accounts, insurance payments, dividends, stocks, utility deposits or other intangible property usually become unclaimed assets because of a change of address. A company or government wasn't notified and was unable to locate the owner of the unclaimed property. As required by law, the unclaimed money was turned over to the state and added to the state databases. But its still your money and the states want to find you.

The states have implemented active outreach programs designed to reunite unclaimed property owners with their lost or forgotten assets. To enhance the states' outreach efforts, MissingMoney.com, a national database, was established in November 1999 and is the only database endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). MissingMoney.com enables owners to perform comprehensive searches for lost assets required by law to be turned over to the states.

I recently did a search and found $105. Dont be fooled by sites that charge from 10 to 15 percent to do this free search. it is estimated that there are billions of unclaimed property in the hands of the states. The states earn interest on your money until its claimed. I hope you find Money.

Free Credit Report

2006-01-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that U.S. consumers be entitled to a free credit report each year. The government’s goal is to make sure that consumers stay informed, fight identity theft, and get fair treatment.

In the past, not everybody was entitled to a free credit report. Instead, consumers had to pay or qualify based on certain activity within the credit report. Some states required that their residents periodically be entitled to a free credit report, but it is now nationwide.

A credit file disclosure provides you with all of the information in your credit file maintained by a consumer reporting company that could be provided by the consumer reporting company in a consumer report about you to a third party, such as a lender. A credit file disclosure also includes a record of everyone who has received a consumer report about you from the consumer reporting company within a certain period of time ("inquiries"). The credit file disclosure includes certain information that is not included in a consumer report about you to a third party, such as the inquiries of companies for pre-approved offers of credit or insurance and account reviews, and any medical account information which is suppressed for third party users of consumer reports. You are entitled to receive a disclosure copy of your credit file from a consumer reporting company under Federal law and the laws of various states.

This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This will not provide you with a FICO score. It is very useful and imformative to see what is on your report.

Internet Cashback Clubs

2005-12-25T20:54:00.000-08:00

These websites require the user to create a free account with them. They offer the user links, discount codes and deals. They pay the user rebates or cash back after they accumulate $10 for Fatwallet and $25 for Mr. Rebates in their accounts. These clubs are paid a commision by the linking site for refering customers. The clubs pay the user back a portion of the commision. The commissions ranges from 2-15%. The cool thing is that they offer hot deals info plus they give you coupon codes for additional discounts. If you use your rebate credit cards such as Citi or Discover to pay for your purchases you get an addition 1% off.

Citi Dividend Rewards Card 5% Rebate

2005-12-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

I have the Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard which gives me a 5% cash back for supermarkets, drugstores, and gas stations. You get 1% back on everything else. The max you can get is $300 bucks a year. I've had it for about 5 years now. You get unlimited cash back if you sign up with their Rewards Mercahant Program and shop with them. They average about 5% cash back. Make sure you pay your card in full every month so they dont charge you the high rates.

It has no annual fee, and it pays you back in straight cash in the form of a check. You can get a check after you earn $50 in cash back. I just got my check for $63. The check can be requested via their website and it only takes about 5-7 buisness day for you to receive it in the mail. I've also very satisfied with Citibank's online website and customer service.

I use my card mainly for Gas,Supermarkets, drugstores and for their Gift Cards that you can buy from the Merchants program. The sign up is free.

Tip: Many supermarkets sell gift cards to other bigname retailers. Buy a gift card at a grocery store with this card and you get 5% cash back. you can also look at for more Master card codes and discounts when you use a Mastercard.

Warning: The card also offers a 0% balance transfer for 12 months. Do not use this card for purchases if you plan on getting a balance transfer. They will count your payments towards the 0% and charge you the high interest reate on your purchases.

Quick To Click Savings Codes and Coupons

2005-12-19T17:51:00.001-08:00

This site is full of up to date coupons and codes. Why pay more when you can save tons of cash. Saving does not give you a license to spend more, instead save your earning in a high yield savings account such as HSBC or Emigrant Direct. When I was younger I was ashamed of what others thought when I used cupons, now I am proud to be saving. Remember its only fools who insist on paying retail prices, its like insisting on paying fifty cents for a quarter.

Save on Books

2005-12-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

If you like to read this is the site for you. This site has thousands of e-books whose copyright license has expired. It has books in all languages and categories. It includes most of the required readings for college and highschool students. You can print or download the books. Have fun reading. http://www.gutenberg.org/

PAYPAL MONEY MARKET AT 4.25%

2005-12-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

PayPal Money Market is at 4.25%. This is a great place to keep your spare cash to pay for your Ebay Auctions and other online shopping sites.

A little Bit about Myself

2005-12-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I am 28 years old an live in Dallas,TX. I decided to create my own blog because I am very interested in finance eventough I am a Mechanical Engineer by trade. I have been thinking about going back to school for an MBA in Finance. I graduated from Texas A&M but I want my MBA from the University of Texas.

I have never had a website so my blog might be a little crude while I learn. I enjoy reading literature and financial books. I also enjoy foreign movies. I hope my posts are useful to the readers.

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Top Bank Deals

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Keep Your Cash

Save 50 to 60% Dinning or Eating out

Find Missing Money

Free Credit Report

Internet Cashback Clubs

Citi Dividend Rewards Card 5% Rebate

Quick To Click Savings Codes and Coupons

Save on Books

PAYPAL MONEY MARKET AT 4.25%

A little Bit about Myself