Do you write reviews for items you buy from Amazon? Most people probably don’t bother. But I do at times, especially if I find a particular purchase to be either great or horrible. Although the ways of the Amazon Vine program are mysterious, I’m guessing that’s why last October I was invited to join.
The Vine program allows members to pick from a daily and ever changing menu of Amazon items to receive for free. In exchange,

I have a high-yield savings account and several CDs at Marcus bank, owned by Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs and named after one of its founders, Marcus Goldman. I originally discovered Marcus bank while perusing rankings on bankrate.com.
Marcus is an online bank and a member of FDIC. All accounts are insured up to $250,000. Marcus charges no monthly fees. There is no minimum balance to open a high-yield savings account, but a minimum balance of $500 is required to open a CD.

What you give for $386,000? If you were 5 years from retirement, would you move 3 hours away from your home and friends to accept a job that pays about $60,000 more annually? Assume you won’t sell your house but would rent a small one-bedroom or studio that would cost maybe $1000 a month.
So, I tried following the decision-making process of David Gartland (link to Make That Choice) to help me with my decision. First,

On our drive back from our stay in South Dakota, I was feeling pretty good about myself. We didn’t get lost and the trip was going according to plan. Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse monument, Wildlife Loop road, Spearfish Canyon scenic byway and Needles Highway were lots of fun.
I admit, after watching an online video of Needles Highway, I had my doubts that I could drive our rental car, a Toyota Camry, through the Needles Eye Tunnel.

When to claim Social Security retirement benefits is one of the most popular topics on HumbleDollar. It can also be a somewhat controversial topic among retirees. I’ve met many people who are firmly convinced that they made the right decision, despite any facts to the contrary.
I think much of the emotion around the topic comes from the fact that it forces us to contemplate our mortality. The popular concept of “breaking even” is all about getting our money back before we die.

One of my relatives lived on a pension of $23 a month. Of course that was his military pension in 1866. That’s $491 in 2024 –  poverty level for sure. 
In retirement I do a great deal of reading, listening to and viewing opinions and strategies about others planning to retire. Having managed pension and 401k plans for decades, I can’t let go. 
One thing I know for sure, views about retirement are as diverse as each individual.

BACK IN 1987, Nassim Nicholas Taleb was a trader on Wall Street. But unlike most of his peers, Taleb wasn’t pinning his hopes on a market rally. Instead, he’d positioned himself to benefit from a market meltdown. On Oct. 19, just such an event occurred. For no apparent reason—in the midst of an otherwise strong market—the S&P 500 dropped 23% in a single day. The result: Taleb made a fortune—enough to retire at age 27.

I have 10% of my portfolio in I-Bonds, 10% in Short term treasuries. With interest rates likely to go down, would long/intermediate bond funds make sense?

When you make out the form to contribute some of your income for a 401K or Roth 401K, your HR department will default to setting equal deductions for each pay period in the year. However, you can change this.
You can request a larger dollar amount per pay period so that your 401K contribution is complete before year end.
This can be helpful if you may be leaving your job, voluntarily or involuntarily, before year end.

How Long, a big rock hit in the seventies, opens with, “How long has this been going on?” A guy who suspects his lady is cheating on him declares “I’m not dumb.” I can’t say the same for  myself, because I’ve been having a five-year affair with the wrong size stock and I’m not so sure I can take it anymore.
While the whole world has been piling into large cap stock funds,

Note: The following is an abridged version of an article I wrote months ago but never submitted to Jonathan. It’s from my ‘Shelved Articles’ archive. 
RETIREMENT CAN BE a time for reconnecting with old friends. I’ve always enjoyed keeping up with pals from my early years. Of course, many friendships have fallen by the wayside as time passed, but I value the long-term connections I’ve been able to maintain.
I had a habit of saving nearly every personal letter I received—back in the days when handwritten missives were a thing.

I walked into the room and saw Freddie sitting on the exam table with a bloody gauze on top of his bald head. I asked him what happened and he told me that he had been snaking a clogged toilet in a rental apartment. He does maintenance on a lot of rental properties around our area.
All of a sudden the snake backed up on him and hit him on top of his head and caused a V-shaped laceration.

I hate change.  When Schwab acquired TD Ameritrade where I had my brokerage account, I knew at some point I would have to use the Schwab platform.  Well it happened a month and a half ago.  I am not thrilled by Schwab but it’s not as bad as I feared.  Anyone go through this?

I’m curious what you wish someone had told you when you were in your 40s – doesn’t have to be career or even financial advice.  Thanks.

My question is which would be better to use to pay down debt a 401k withdrawal (sell stocks) which would raise taxes (SS) at years end significantly a 0% credit card balance transfer (cost 3-5% annually) or a 9.3% home equity loan that hopefully the interest rate goes down next year.  I enjoy reading all your stories about finances and life. thank you.