Month: June 2009

With payments for the initial round of stimulus checks underway, do you think the government will be rolling out more stimulus checks later this year? [Update] - The answer was clearly Yes, with two more stimulus checks paid in 2021. There is already talk that stimulus checks could become an…

While reviewing and updating my 401K allocations at Fidelity, I noticed this relatively common graphic showing portfolio mixes (allocations) based on an investor's risk profile. Generally speaking most financial advisers and traditional market wisdom tell you that your portfolio allocation should be based on your age, which determines the duration…

A strange phenomenon is taking place – credit card companies are willing to really negotiate on how much you repay of your overdue debt. With revolving credit, a close approximation of credit card debt, totaling $940 billion in March of which 6.5 percent was at least 30 days past due…

I just completed my first home purchase – a long and challenging journey that eventually had a happy ending. I have few regrets in becoming a home owner, but little did I realize that when I started my home buying journey a few months ago that things would be as…

Rates on all things financial are heading up. This is good news for some and bad news for others. Savings rates on high interest savings and money market accounts are up after falling to multi-year lows. My recent CIT savings account is now paying nearly 4%, which is a lot…

The recent run up in Apple stock (AAPL) over the last three months has made me one happy stock holder indeed. My ill fated and much disparaged purchase last year (see comments) of the stock at $180+ had many saying that I was crazy to buy. I always had a…

Bloomberg, along with the WSJ, bring us an interesting viewpoint on the US automakers path down bankruptcy and the debate on who really cares. Living outside Detroit, I do feel sorry for the personal and financial tragedy that many are facing due to the bankruptcy of the automakers, but from…