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Best Mosquito Repellent Study 2015: DEET vs. Non-DEET

The World Health Organization has declared Zika virus an international public health emergency. If you are concerned about exposure to mosquitos due to Zika, West Nile, Dengue, or other diseases, read this NPR article about a 2015 Journal of … [Read the rest]

SavingForCollege.com Top 529 Plan Rankings 2015

Savingforcollege.com is a popular privately-run site for researching and comparing 529 college savings plans. They released their updated ratings this month, which represents their "opinion of the overall usefulness of a state's 529 plan based on … [Read the rest]

Someone Is Doing The Thing That You Decided Couldn’t Be Done

We are currently planning a 4-week European trip with our young children (age 1 and 3). The most common reactions are "Cool. Wait, you're not bringing the kids, are you?" followed by "You're nuts." At first, we didn't think it could be done … [Read the rest]

Vanguard Managed Account Program (VMAP) Review – Cost vs. Benefits

Vanguard is the one of the biggest providers of defined contribution (DC) plans like 401(k) and 403(b) plans, with more than 3.9 million participants. An optional service they provide for these DC plans is managed account advice, where you pay them … [Read the rest]

TurboTax Desktop Software 2015 Deals, 40% Off at Amazon

Tax prep season is coming up soon, and Amazon has some deals going on for desktop versions of Intuit TurboTax for Tax Year 2015. Here are some reasons that you may choose the desktop software version (CD or download) over their more-popular … [Read the rest]

RadPad: Pay Rent With MasterCard Credit Card at 1.99% Fee

RadPad is a startup trying to be both a better apartment search engine and a better rent payment service. Of course, this translates to: Find apartment on your smartphone. Pay rent on your smartphone. Tap tap done. :) I haven't learned much … [Read the rest]

Exceeding $500,000 SIPC Insurance Limit at Vanguard (or any Brokerage)

This post is for the fortunate folks who may possibly exceed the often-quoted $500,000 limits for SIPC insurance ($250,000 for cash). The way this insurance works wasn't necessarily obvious to me, and although it is often compared to the FDIC … [Read the rest]

Teaching Kids About Money: Bi-Rite Market Owners, Father and Son

This Narratively "longread" about the history behind the hip Bi-Rite Market in San Francisco's Mission District was an intriguing father-son story. Part of it involved entrepreneurial parents trying to pass on important financial skills to their … [Read the rest]

Free SAT Test Prep from Khan Academy

While catching up on some reading, it was refreshing to see Bill Gates offer a more positive spin with his Top 6 Good-News Stories of 2015. One of them was that the College Board announced free, high-quality SAT practice at Khan Academy. This … [Read the rest]

Amazon Prime Discounts and Promotions

Update: This Amazon promotion has expired. To celebrate their Golden Globe awards, Amazon is offering a discount on Amazon Prime for new members. Here is the promotion landing page. Join Amazon Prime for $73 (normally $99) and save $26 on your … [Read the rest]

Sick in the Head by Judd Apatow: Comedians and Financial Freedom

I've never really identified with comedians. I'm not funny, and I always avoid large crowds. But after reading the fascinating notes at The Waiter's Pad, I had to read the new book Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy by Judd … [Read the rest]

How To Generate and Mail Your Own 1099-MISC Forms

Did you as a small business pay another person or unincorporated business more than $600 total in the last year? You may have to provide them a 1099-MISC form. Here are the specific rules as laid out in the official IRS Form 1099-MISC … [Read the rest]