Money Hackers Blog Network

Attacked By Vanguard

I’m writing this out of pure disbelief. Back in November I received a threatening e-mail from someone in Vanguard’s legal department. I would gladly post the e-mail in its entirely, but they will probably sue me if I do since it contains a confidentiality statement. Nevertheless, I will describe enough of the e-mail so that other [...]

The Great Portfolio Pummeling of 2008

A New Year is upon us. At the end of a year, I normally have feelings of pensiveness and of reflective nostalgia about the year past and the inexhaustible marching forward of time.

This time, not so much. Sure, I still have those nostalgic feelings on a personal level, but economically, I’m ready to kick 2008 to [...]

5 Reasons Why You Should Open A 529 Account Right Now

My wife and I are both grad students, currently without any children. Even so, I recently opened 529 plans through Learning Quest (Kansas). What is a 529 plan? Essentially, it is a tax-advantaged account meant for future expenses related to higher education.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I thought you could only open 529 plans after you [...]

Checking Your Long-Term Investments Every Day – A Horrifically-Bad Habit

A wise friend once told me when I first decided to buy mutual funds:

Just stick money in the fund(s) and FORGET ABOUT IT. Resist the urge to log in and check it every day. You’ll only give yourself ulcers!

I think it’s terrific… fantastic… nay, stupendous advice! There is just one problem:

I have not [...]

Opening a Roth IRA on a Budget

A reader recently asked me about starting a Roth IRA with a minimal opening amount (less than $500), and I think it’s a good question. Most of the major companies expect you to have a substantial initial investment (usually 2-3k), so what can someone who doesn’t have that much do?

It doesn’t seem fair to indirectly punish [...]

Fed Cuts Rate Again, and I Don’t Care

Earlier this week the Fed slashed the Funds Rate another 0.25%., which means that savings account rates nationwide will undoubtedly begin another session of racing toward absolute zero. ING Direct seems to be leading pack, as their rate just dropped down to 4.2% APY.

Guess what? I don’t care. Ever since I simplified my setup, more of [...]

Vanguard Simplifies Account Fees

Effective 26 April 2007, Vanguard is changing its fee structure. It used to be that Vanguard charged “small” accounts an extra $10 per year. For example:

Old fee structure

$10 per year for each index fund with less than $3,000 invested
$10 per year for any fund with less than $2,500
$10 per year for an IRA with less than [...]