What Would You Do with a Million Dollars?

It’s a fun game, isn’t it? Imagining you have won a million dollar windfall and trying to figure out what you would do with it. Or, a different scenario: you work your butt off for 40 years, saving and investing wisely, and eventually get to a net worth of a million dollars. Phew. Now what? A Million Dollars Isn’t That Much! I think we’re all very aware that a million dollars isn’t what it used to be. In either scenario, whether you have worked and accumulated a million dollars, or whether you’ve received a windfall, you absolutely cannot go… Read the whole article...

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Robert Wilkinson - February 4, 2011 at 12:04 am

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Turbo Tax Discount for Amex Customers (and Others?)

While perusing recent transactions in our Amex Delta SkyMiles account, I ran across an ad for a 35% discount on TurboTax Federal products when you pay with “any eligible American Express Card.” There’s also a link from the ad itself (go ahead and click it if you wish) which appears to automatically apply the discount when you click through. I’m not sure what happens if you pay with something other than Amex after clicking that link, but it’s worth a shot. The discounts are as follows: Free Edition: Free for 1040EZ (as always) Deluxe: $ 29.95 –> $ 14.95 Premier:… Read the whole article...

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Robert Wilkinson - February 3, 2011 at 10:04 pm

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Best Zero Percent Balance Transfers (Updated February 2011)

Once a month, every month, I’ll be providing an update on the “state of the balance transfer” on the first Thursday of the month. With the credit crisis abated and the economy recovering, a lot of credit card companies are resuming their credit card offers, including the once prominent 0% balance transfer. In these monthly posts, I’ll keep you apprised on how the landscape has changed in the last month along with a look at some of the more prominent cards in each category. In the last month, we’ve seen the introduction of a lot of cards with longer 0%… Read the whole article...

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Robert Wilkinson - at 8:05 pm

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$50 Bonus on a ING Direct IRA Account

ING Direct is offering a $ 50 sign up bonus when you open an IRA (Roth or Traditional) savings or CD account and deposit $ 200 by February 7th. Not sure how great an idea it is to invest your IRA contributions into a savings account for the long term, but getting a 25% return (via the bonus) in 2011 is enticing. You can always rollover your assets to another IRA account in the future. If you are already an ING account owner it is very easy to open your account. We opened one for my wife in less than… Read the whole article...

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Robert Wilkinson - at 6:04 pm

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Spot Fake Product Reviews By Looking For Marketing Speak

Online marketers are constantly trying to game the system by leaving puffed up reviews for their own products on online shopping sites. But they often leave tracks behind. One of the biggest is "marketing speak," turns of phrase and words that no human would ever use to describe an actual experience they had. Coupon Sherpa says to look for the following red flags: An overabundance of technical features with proper names, such as "X3000 1080p Upscaling technology"; info most normal buyers wouldn't care about, like where the product was developed or tested; repetition of the exact product or company… Read the whole article...

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Robert Wilkinson - at 4:04 pm

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What’s Your Best Consumerist Valentine’s Day Story?

With Valentine's around the corner, we're looking for Consumerist love stories! Inspired by the touching tale of the husband who bought up 38 bottles of his wife's favorite discontinued conditioner and then secretly refilled her bottle for 9 weeks, we want to hear your true tales of relationship romance, love and heartbreak that revolves around a product or service at its center. Remember, what makes it good is the emotion, story and stakes, the product is just the medium or "MacGuffin" for the tale. Sound off in the comments or email ben@consumerist.com, subject line "I heart love." RELATED A… Read the whole article...

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Robert Wilkinson - at 2:04 pm

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25 Top-Paying Companies

It’s clear that if you can work for a company that provides a valuable service to major corporations, you have the ability to earn millions of dollars of income for that company. That’s the only reason I can determine that a Senior Account Executive at SalesForce.com would earn an average annual total compensation of $ 318,233, according to a new list published by Forbes of the 25 top-paying companies. SalesForce.com tops this list. I had heard of SalesForce.com, but I was never quite sure what they do, and after looking around their website, I’m still not completely sure. According… Read the whole article...

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Robert Wilkinson - at 12:04 pm

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2010 Net Worth Review

Once a month I update my net worth in Quicken (by adding in any expenses, updating my fund prices, etc.) And once a year I give you all a review of how I did the previous year. This is my wrap up for 2010. Here are the highlights: My net worth ended 2010 at an all time high, up 20.9% versus the previous year. Note that this includes my entire net worth -- including the value of items that didn't go up during the year (like my house, my cars, and cash investments), which weren't inconsequential in total value.… Read the whole article...

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Robert Wilkinson - at 10:04 am

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