Nathan's Financial Mindset

Emigrant Direct now up to 3.50% APY, ING at 3.15%

2005-07-22T11:02:31-08:00

I was logging into my Emigrant Direct account today and noticed they just raised their APY to 3.5%. So of course I rushed over to my ING account to see if their rate had changed (seeing as changes are usually blocked together between banks) and noticed they had raised their ...

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Ask for the Package You Need

2005-07-21T09:00:58-08:00

The other day I called my local phone company to inquire about phone plans. The only reason we have a landline is so our home security system can be monitored, so I wanted the cheapest plan available.

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Passing up free money

2005-06-27T19:09:51-08:00

There is a good article on MSN Money about people who pass up free money by not using their employer's 401(k) plan. I'm sure most people reading personal finance blogs already know this, but it's an interesting read none-the-less.

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ROTH IRA vs 401(k)

2005-06-18T18:32:51-08:00

Most people know what both the Roth IRA and 401(k) are, and how they differ. But many people get confused as to which they should max out first in their own situation. Although there is no set rule that works for everyone, there are a few pointers that can get ...

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Options Part III - The Downside

2005-06-07T18:44:21-08:00

In my first two blogs of this series, part I and part II, I explained the good side of options. Basically, a high percentage return in a short amount of time. However, as promised, today I'm going to get into why some people choose to stay away from options, and ...

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Options Part II - Why Investors Choose Options

2005-06-03T05:07:30-08:00

In yesterday's blog I gave a brief introduction to what stock options are. I also gave an example of both a winning options play and a losing one, and the result of each scenario. Today I'll touch on some of the reasons people find options such an attractive investment tool.

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Options Part I - What are Options?

2005-06-02T05:58:44-08:00

If you are like most people, you have heard of options but don't know exactly what they are. Of course, this being a personal finance blog most of the readers are a bit more savvy, however I will start out this multi part series on Options with a brief introduction ...

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Paper Trading Part III - Resources

2005-06-01T08:20:30-08:00

So you've read my first two blogs on paper trading here and here, and you want to jump in with both feet and get started, here are a few resources you can use to guide you through it.

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Car Repairs - Final Update

2005-05-22T18:56:30-08:00

This blog is an update to two previous blogs, found here and here. I received a check in the mail from Bob Sumerel the other day. The check covered a refund for both the diagnosis fee and the charge for the work I had done last fall where they put ...

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Car Repairs - Update

2005-05-01T18:19:07-08:00

A week and a half ago, I wrote about an experience I had at a local auto shop and how I decided I would take my car to the dealer for repairs from now on. You can read about my whole adventure here. I finally received a reply late last ...

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Paper Trading Part II - Keeping the Discipline

2005-04-21T18:50:06-08:00

In my first blog about paper trading, found here, I described what I thought the advantages of paper trading were. If you agree that paper trading is a good idea, you'll want to read about my views on keeping the discipline. An undisciplined paper trade does you little to no ...

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Car Repairs - Take it to the Dealer!

2005-04-20T10:37:26-08:00

For the past 3 years, I've been living by the thinking that you don't want to go to the dealer's shop for car repairs because they're too expensive. Find a local mechanic and stick with them, after awhile they'll even give you the heads up for potential problems in the ...

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Paper Trading Part I - Why Paper Trade?

2005-04-14T08:24:33-08:00

Paper trading has long been a way for individual investors to get their feet wet in the market. It involves giving yourself a set amount of fake money, and treacking your own virtual trades in the market. People use this to test out trading strategies, learn about stock technicals, or ...

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Babymint vs. UPromise

2005-04-07T07:23:36-08:00

A few days ago, I blogged about UPromise. An alert reader, KB, pointed out that Babymint has a similar program, so I headed over to check it out. I will detail the differences here.

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UPromise College Savings Tool

2005-04-03T18:31:14-08:00

Being a new dad, I fill my time between feedings and changing diapers reading up on how I can successfully get rid of my child and relive the peace and quiet I enjoyed before she was born. From what I've discovered, I can send her away to college in about ...

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Save Now, Even if it's Just a Little

2005-03-26T16:34:48-08:00

Too often, people put off saving towards a particular goal because they don't have the spare cash flow to do so. Saving can be very daunting, I recently figured out that to fully fund my child's college education, and assuming a 6% return, I need to stash away almost $500 ...

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Paying Off Your Mortgage Early? Why?

2005-03-26T08:25:46-08:00

There are many theories about whether or not you should pay off your home mortgage early, or even make extra payments on it. One group, which my brother falls into, says pay as much extra as you can afford every month in order to own the house outright as soon ...

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Don't Pay Interest for Something that Depreciates!

2005-03-25T09:13:56-08:00

Year after year, conversation after conversation, I'm simply amazed at how many people don't follow this simple rule of shopping. If what you are buying will depreciate over time, then you shouldn't pay interest on it.

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Why a Big Refund Might be a Good Idea

2005-03-24T08:20:57-08:00

Everything you hear/read/see in this world tells you that if you get a big refund at tax time you have your withholdings set up incorrectly. Although I agree in principle that an interest free loan to the govt isn't the best personal finance decision, there are some cases where it ...

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Cash Better than CDs?

2005-03-23T18:33:54-08:00

Can putting your money in cash accounts really be smarter than putting it in a CD? Even when you know you won't need the money for over a year? Sometimes it is, when interest rates are rising as fast as they are right now.

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Investing for Children

2005-03-23T13:03:10-08:00

Seeing as we just brought our daughter home from the hospital a few days ago (our first child) I thought it would be a good time to start thinking about what big expenses I can forsee in her childhood and the best way to prepare for them. As with any ...

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Jim Cramer's Mad Money

2005-03-17T07:56:20-08:00

Just this week, Jim Cramer started a new TV show on CNBC, 6:00 Est. Time. Although I've listened to his radio program for well over a year, I was really looking forward to the TV show. I think Jim is a smart guy, and he's made a lot of money ...

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DRiPs for the small time investor

2005-03-16T08:42:00-08:00

When I first looked into investing, I was blown away by the fees and commissions involved with trading. I had about $1000 to invest, but from most brokers I found I noticed that 1% of that would immediately go towards the fee for buying stocks. And that figure is assuming ...

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Why I keep multiple accounts

2005-03-15T07:04:41-08:00

My brother and I argue about this all the time. He keeps all his savings in one savings account, and tracks his different savings goals (vacation, christmas, new home, etc) through quicken. I on the other hand like to keep multiple accounts, one for each saving's goal.

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Paying all at once

2005-03-15T06:52:51-08:00

Like most people, I like to hold on to my money as long as I can before paying bills. However there is a definite advantage to paying off insurance premiums yearly instead of monthly, to avoid costly processing charges.

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What to save for

2005-03-12T13:04:21-08:00

Everyone has goals, but lines often get blurry between what deserves savings and what doesn't. Obviously people should save for retirement, but where do you draw the line between attainable goals and unrealistic dreams?

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Nathan's Financial Mindset

Emigrant Direct now up to 3.50% APY, ING at 3.15%

Ask for the Package You Need

Passing up free money

ROTH IRA vs 401(k)

Options Part III - The Downside

Options Part II - Why Investors Choose Options

Options Part I - What are Options?

Paper Trading Part III - Resources

Car Repairs - Final Update

Car Repairs - Update

Paper Trading Part II - Keeping the Discipline

Car Repairs - Take it to the Dealer!

Paper Trading Part I - Why Paper Trade?

Babymint vs. UPromise

UPromise College Savings Tool

Save Now, Even if it's Just a Little

Paying Off Your Mortgage Early? Why?

Don't Pay Interest for Something that Depreciates!

Why a Big Refund *Might* be a Good Idea

Cash Better than CDs?

Investing for Children

Jim Cramer's Mad Money

DRiPs for the small time investor

Why I keep multiple accounts

Paying all at once

What to save for

Why a Big Refund Might be a Good Idea