Oct 2012 Links
Here’s some other stuff around the web I’ve been reading: 2millionblog writes about his net worth growth over the past 12 years, which is nearing $1,000,000! Nord over at the-military-guide.com was...
View ArticleUSAA Career Starter Loan Under $10k, Should Pay it Off in a Year
Just a quick personal note on my progress towards paying off my student loan debt. This week my USAA Career Starter Loan went below $10,000! You can see the screenshot below: I’m having trouble finding...
View Article5 Crazy Things I Did for Cash in College
If you enjoyed reading this post, don’t forget to tweet it, like it, or upvote it on Reddit! I went to university in the greatest college town in the world: Boston. In a city that has over 50 colleges...
View ArticleStudent Loans Under $40,000, 3 Years to Go
As part of getting my USAA Cadet Loan under $10,000, my student loan balance is now under $40,000! You can see the screen shot on the left from Mint.com. I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made since...
View ArticleHow Do Credit Cards Work?
Photo credit: Images_of_Money I see so many misconceptions and fears about credit cards every day (especially on reddit.com/r/personalfinance) that I feel like I have to set the record straight. This...
View ArticleThe Answer to 80% of Personal Finance Questions
Make a budget. Have an emergency fund. Pay off your debts. Save some of your money for later.
View Article2013 Chase Freedom 5% Categories
I’m a big fan of the Chase Freedom card, with its simple 1% cash back on everything and 5% on rotating categories. The sign up bonus is also excellent: $100 cash back with only $500 in purchases in the...
View ArticleDo I Have to Pay Taxes on my Lending Club Earnings?
Check out my review of Lending Club if you’re not familiar with it! I AM NOT A TAX OR FINANCIAL ADVISOR. THIS IS NOT TAX ADVICE. THIS IS BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF US TAX LAW (WHICH IS...
View ArticleAnalysis of Charged Off (Defaulted) Lending Club Notes
Since joining Lending Club in February 2011, I’ve had five loans get charged off. You can see them below. As you can see, they all started as $25 investments, cover 5 out of the 7 investment grades,...
View ArticleWhat is a landlord looking for when they run a credit check?
This question was recently posed on reddit.com, in the Personal Finance section. The questioner asked what credit score landlords are looking for and how he might improve that score. Unfortunately, he...
View ArticleGuest Post Going up on The Military Guide Wednesday!
Doug Nordman over at The Military Guide has been an awesome mentor to me, answering lots of my questions about writing online, writing for a military audience, and many other military personal finance...
View Article2013: Free 2012 Tax Filing Software for Military from Military OneSource
UPDATE: “The Military OneSource H&R Block free online tax filing service will launch on January 8, 2013.” According to myPay, all 2012 tax statements for US military personnel (active, Reserve,...
View ArticleHow to Lower your Time Warner Cable Bill
I love Reddit.com because it shows the power of the “wisdom of the crowd.” Anyone can post anything they want and the users of the site vote content up and down, based on whether they like it or not....
View Article2012 State of the Website
click for a larger graph I started the Military Money Manual in April 2012. In the 9 months since it started, I’ve seen it grow from 220 visitors per month to nearly 2000 in December. It’s pretty...
View Article2013: Free 2012 Tax Filing Options for Military Sevicemembers
Tax time is here! If you’ve properly configured your tax withholding, you shouldn’t be receiving that large of a tax return. However, we know how crazy the military tax situation can be, with many of...
View ArticleReleasing a Cosigner from a Sallie Mae Student Loan
Many times to be eligible for student loans (especially private loans) a cosigner with a longer and more established credit history is required. Sallie Mae is one of the largest providers of horrible...
View Article7 Outstanding Military Personal Finance Blogs
Here are 7 of the best personal finance blogs for a military audience. If you think I missed any, let me know in the comments! The Military Wallet Ryan Guina, who also founded Cash Money Life, served...
View ArticleMy 1 Year Plan – Where I Want to Be Financially on Dec 31, 2013
Planning for the future is probably the greatest personal finance tool you have. When you think about where you want to be in a month, in a year, in 5 years, in 40 years, time and compounding interest...
View ArticleWhy I’m Funding My Roth IRA and Not My Wife’s (For Now!)
Kate Horrell asked a great question on my 1 year financial plan post: Spencer, I’d love to hear your logic about funding your IRA over your wife’s IRA. You have so many more earning and saving options,...
View ArticleBedinaBox.com Review – PacDown PacBed Memory Foam Mattress
I read a great maxim the other day: Never skimp on things that separate you from the ground. Now that’s some great advice. I don’t believe that just because you pay more for something you’re going to...
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