In January 2022, Microsoft (MSFT) announced an agreement to acquire Activision Blizzard (ATVI) for $95 per share, in an all-cash $68.7 billion transaction. However, the market placed some uncertainty about this event actually happening, which meant … [Read the rest]
Microsoft / Activision Blizzard Merger Arbitrage $10,000 Experiment – Final Results
Best Interest Rates on Cash – October 2023
Here's my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash as of October 2023, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. There are often lesser-known opportunities available to individual investors. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser … [Read the rest]
MMB Portfolio Dividend & Interest Income Update – October 2023
Here’s my quarterly income update as of October 2023 for my MMB Portfolio. I prefer to track the income produced as an alternative metric to performance. The total income goes up much more gradually and consistently than the number shown on … [Read the rest]
Criminals Are Cashing in Fake Savings I Bonds With Authentic Serial Numbers
Many of us have bought Series I Savings Bonds in the past, and it appears criminals have also been taking notice. From the CNBC article California woman pleads guilty in $1.6 million counterfeit Series I savings bond scheme: A California woman … [Read the rest]
American Express Centurion “Black” Card Lawsuit: Charged $1 Million and Walked Away
Forget trying to grab a few credit card bonuses and maximizing your cash back, an Florida ophthalmologist allegedly decided to go much bigger. According to BocaNewsNow.com, American Express is suing Ronald Glatzer for an unpaid $934,455.92 balance … [Read the rest]
Costco Now Sells 1 oz. Gold Bars (But Usually Out of Stock)
Time to clear out some of these browser tabs with interesting/funny stories that have come up this week. First up, Costco has been selling 1 ounce gold bars on its website (only pops up for a second for me), but inventory is sporadic and they sell … [Read the rest]
Verizon Wireless Loyalty Discount $10/mo for 12 Months (Targeted)
If you are a Verizon Wireless customer, you may be interested in this Slickdeals forum post by member gcornett that may save you $120 per line on your cellular bill ($10 a month for 12 months). Here are the simple instructions, which should just … [Read the rest]
Tastyworks/Tastytrade ACAT Transfer Bonus: $500 for $25k, $2,000 for $100k, $5,000 for $1M
Update: New tiers added with higher bonus values, offer extended. Tastyworks is a discount brokerage targeted at active options traders, as they are cheaper than the big brokers for options trading while also having the full fancy options … [Read the rest]
MMB Portfolio Asset Allocation & Performance Update – October 2023
Here's my quarterly update on my current investment holdings as of October 2023, including all of our combined 401k/403b/IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts but excluding our primary residence and side portfolio of self-directed investments. … [Read the rest]
Treasury vs. TIPS vs. Breakeven Inflation Interest Rate Update (September 2023)
Just as I track the interest rates on savings accounts and CDs, I also follow the real rates of Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). Right now, the real (inflation-adjusted) yield on TIPS are reaching 10+ year highs and worth a closer … [Read the rest]
Parallels Between Running and Personal Finance Advice: Listen, Experiment, Self-Assess, Adapt
I've recently taken up the hobby of running (very slowly) and have been making my way through the available Libby eBooks for both tips and inspiration. Running advice feels similar to personal finance advice in many ways. There are some broad … [Read the rest]
Project Gutenberg + AI = Free High-Quality Audiobook Classics
Project Gutenberg is well-known as a volunteer-driven, non-profit project that digitizes free public-domain books, mostly those whose copyright has expired. However, their eBooks were often uncomfortable to read as plain text. Standard eBooks … [Read the rest]