Before we had kids, we would travel internationally a lot. Twenty years ago, online banks were just starting to become mainstream so most of our options were brick and mortar banks. I took some local currency with us but I also relied on the partnership between Bank of America (my bank) and Barclays. You could go to a Barclays ATM and withdraw cash without paying a huge fee – a nice little perk and there was even a Barclays ATM down the street from our friends' flat in Chiswick, London. If you've ever traveled internationally, you know that you really try to rely on credit cards as your first ..read more

We have two HVAC systems in our home that are likely within the last few years of their working lives. They’re both A/C only using coolant that’s been “outlawed” (R-22) and were installed in the 1980s. They work fine, with the occasional replacement of their coke can sized capacitors, but we’re getting close to needing to replace them. I know that there are some high efficiency units available today and spending the $15,000-$20,000 to replace each unit will pay off in efficiency gains over the next twenty years. I was excited to hear about the Inflation Reduction Act and the various tax credit ..read more

I have a Solo 401(k) at Vanguard for many years and it has served me well. The small business portal, when you manage the account from the employer side, looks a bit dated but functions just fine. I’m able to quickly make contributions once a month (I’d have loved a way to automate it but alas that was not to be) and it recorded each transaction so I could just “repeat” them. It turns out that Vanguard has sold the Individual 401(k), Multiple Participant SEP (Multi-SEP), and SIMPLE IRA Plans business to Ascensus, per their press release. On Monday, I received a letter notifying me of the chang ..read more

Personal finance fads come and go. For many years, the FIRE “movement” was extremely popular. It was a repudiation of the traditional “work 40 years and then retire” idea that had been made popular in the “good ole days.” Then the hot topic was “quiet quitting,” where you do the bare minimum at work to avoid getting fired. Every few years, the “hot” thing to do changes. And that’s totally normal and perfectly healthy. Personal finance advice is a lot like other fads and memes on the internet – some ideas get exceptionally popular, there’s a backlash (sometimes deservedly, sometimes not), and t ..read more

Drop servicing is a business that sells services to clients and hires external contractors, such as freelancers or agencies, to complete the work. If you’re a freelancer, switching to a drop-servicing business model has benefits. If you’re efficient, it can be less time-consuming than handling all client work on your own. Of course, managing other freelancers comes with its own share of challenges. This guide explains how drop servicing works and shows you how to start a drop servicing business. Table of Contents How Does Drop Servicing Work? Understanding the Drop Servicing Process Drop Se ..read more

When I opened my business, I did what most people do: I went to a bank and set up a business bank account. And back then, in 2005, my choices were limited to the banks that were in my neighborhood. But in the years since, there has been a slew of neobanks offering banking services for businesses. One of these online banks is Bluevine, which has now been around for over a decade. They offer two business checking accounts, financing options such as a credit card and line of credit, and accounts payable services. In this Bluevine Business Checking review, we’ll see how it stacks up against other ..read more

Tribes are fun. It's why sports are so popular. We identify with a team. It's your team vs. my team. Or it's our team vs. the world. We call them our teams but we don't play on the team or have ownership. We just watch the games. Why they're our team is rooted in something, usually emotional, but it's not by ownership. I'm a long suffering New York Jets fan because I grew up on Long Island. It's the part of New York that loves underdog teams and stepping on rakes. In sports, we're the Charlie Brown when Lucy is holding onto the football. All my friends were Jets fans, misery loves company afte ..read more

MoneyLion is one of the most popular finance apps for securing cash advances. You can access extra funds on short notice, which can then be repaid by the time your next paycheck arrives. MoneyLion has also expanded its product menu beyond just being a cash advance app, and now offers services such as credit cards, personal loans, managed investing, cryptocurrency, and credit-building. But it's not the only cash advance app out there. And some of its competitors offer similar additional services. Here are some other apps like MoneyLion that may better suit your financial needs. Best for Adv ..read more

Tello is a discount cellular phone service provider offering customizable phone plans with no contracts or additional fees. You can select affordable plans that fit your individual data, talk, and text needs. You can also add family members to your plan at any time. This Tello review covers the key features, pricing, pros and cons, and a few Tello alternatives. At a Glance  Customized, affordable plans Individual and family plans Free tethering Change your plan at any time International calling to 60+ countries Who Should Use Tello? Tello is suitable for those looking for customizable c ..read more

I was poking around the Bogleheads forum when I discovered this thread about an interval fund. I’ve heard of all kinds of funds, but this is the first time I’ve heard about interval funds. Regarding funds, I’m pretty much an index mutual fund or index exchange-traded fund (ETF). They’re all at Vanguard, though I think Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and all the other low-cost providers are great, too. Interval funds are a completely different animal, and, in this case, the original poster invested in a Variant Alternative Income Fund (NICHX): Thank you in advance for your time. Two years ago I was ..read more