Month: May 2010

Vonage Mobile–Essential for Frequent Travelers

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If you are an international traveler mammoth mobile bills are a common pain. Vonage Mobile has an irresistible worldwide calling plan which promises to cut down your bills drastically. All you need is a Wi-Fi signal to turn your iPod Touch into a phone.

Blackberry or iPhone models can also take advantage of this. The special US – Canada rates of 1 cent a minute is unbeatable.

Vonage Mobile is a free application from Apple. All you need is a headphone set and a wireless connection to make your iPod a phone. You may also download it from Vonage Mobile websites when using phones.

For the frequent traveler, Vonage’s world mobile plan offers unlimited calling to 60 countries for a nominal monthly charge of $24.99. You may have to pay per minute rates ranging from 2 cents to $13.92 depending on the country you want to call. The call quality is generally good, depending on the wireless signal and microphone used.

Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps

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I like to go back and take a look at Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps from time to time.  I think they are very helpful and a great plan to follow.

The Seven Baby Steps

Baby Step 1

$1,000 to start an Emergency Fund

An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of if these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of when they will happen. Learn more

Baby Step 2

Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball

List your debts, excluding the house, in order. The smallest balance should be your number one priority. Don’t worry about interest rates unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that’s the case, then list the higher interest rate debt first. Learn more

Baby Step 3

3 to 6 months of expenses in savings

Once you complete the first two baby steps, you will have built serious momentum. But don’t start throwing all your “extra” money into investments quite yet. It’s time to build your full emergency fund. Learn more

Baby Step 4

Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement

When you reach this step, you’ll have no payments—except the house—and a fully funded emergency fund. Now it’s time to get serious about building wealth. Learn more

Baby Step 5

College funding for children

By this point, you should have already started Baby Step 4—investing 15% of your income—before saving for college. Whether you are saving for you or your child to go to college, you need to start now. Learn more

Baby Step 6

Pay off home early

Now it’s time to begin chunking all of your extra money toward the mortgage. You are getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with no house payments. Learn more

Baby Step 7

Build wealth and give!

It’s time to build wealth and give like never before. Leave an inheritance for future generations, and bless others now with your excess. It’s really the only way to live! Learn more

What is Four Square?

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Four Square is a really cool new app for Blackberry or Iphone that I have been playing with.  Check them out at http://foursquare.com/.  The application maps out places in a city and users can then provide each other with tips i.e., try the caramel machiato at XYZ coffee shop.  So it allows people to see where you are and at the same time provides inter-activity of the user experience at the location.  It if a fun app!!

What is foursquare?

foursquare is a cross between a friend-finder, a social city-guide and a game that rewards you for doing interesting things. We aim to build things to not only help you keep up with the places your friends go, but that encourage you to discover new places and challenge you to explore your neighborhood in new ways.

How do I get it on my phone?

We have apps available for the iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Palm Pre. If you don’t have one of these phones, you can always use our mobile website or if you prefer to checkin via SMS you can send a text to 50500 (like this: @ Ace Bar ! Playing skeeball). For now SMS checkins are only available in the US.

Where is foursquare available?

You can use foursquare anywhere in the world! Check-in at the Statue of Liberty in NYC, the Golden Gate bridge in SF, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpu or the Arch de Triumph in Paris! Back in the day, we were limited to select cities, but now you can check-in anywhere you please!

What is a check-in?

When you tell foursquare where you are, that’s called “checking-in”. You can check-in from parks, bars, museums, restaurants… really anywhere. When you check-in we’ll let your friends know where they can find you and award you points and badges based on your adventurousness. Please only check in once to where you are at the time. Foursquare is meant to be a social utility that helps you connect with friends and experience your city in a new way, with a bit of fun thrown in. Please play fair!

How does foursquare know where I am?

The foursquare apps for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Palm use GPS to show a list of nearby places. To check-in, just choose the name of the place you’re at from this list of nearby places. If we don’t have the place you’re looking for you can always add it to our listings. Don’t worry, foursquare doesn’t know where you are unless you check-in to tell us your location.

What is “The Mayor” all about?

If you’ve been to a place more than anyone else we’ll crown you the “The Mayor” of that place. We see lots of bars and cafes now offering “Mayor Specials” – a free coffee or appetizer or maybe a special discount to the mayors of their venues. Watch out though – if someone else comes along who has checked in more days than you, they will steal the “Mayor” title back from you.

What are badges?

Badges are little rewards you earn for doing checking-into interesting places. For example, staying out late on a school night or frequenting too many karaoke bars. We’re constantly adding new badges and would love to hear your suggestions.

A lot of our badges are tied to venue “tags”. People use tags to describe the places on foursquare (e.g. jukebox, pool table, fireplace, pizza, etc) Without giving away too much, here’s a few suggested tags you can add to your favorite places to help unlock badges : airport, college, douchebag, food truck, frat, gallery, gym, karaoke, movie theater, photobooth, pizza, playground, socialite, sorority, tourist, etc.

How do I earn points?

Most foursquare checkins will earn you points. You can earn points for your first checkin at a certain place or by adding a new place to our listings. We display a list of the users who have racked up the most points on the “leaderboard”. The idea is that the more you experience, the more places you visit, etc. the higher your score for that week. The leaderboard resets every Sunday at midnight.

Here’s how points are currently awarded: (and yes, we’ve been known to tweak this from time to time)

  • +5 points for your first time checking-in at a venue
  • +5 points for adding a new venue
  • +1 point for per checkin, increasing by +1 with each checkin (e.g. your 1st checkin of the day is +1, 2nd checkin of the day +2 points, etc)

Is Refinancing Always a Good Idea?

/ bacigirl / 1 Comment

I am constantly bombarded by offers to refinance my mortgage.  Recently I was contacted by my mortgage company to refinance my current mortgage which is a 15 year fixed @ 4.75% interest to a 15 year at 4.25% interest.  Ones initial reaction might be to go for it.  However, upon further reflection and after consulting my credit union I decided it is not a good idea for me to refinance.  Personally I think if you have a mortgage under 5% it is pretty good.  Can you get a lower rate–possibly?  Is it worth refinancing? This will depend on the length of the mortgage.  If you have a 30 year mortgage is is most likely a good idea.  Please see the email exchanges below explaining why refinancing was not a good idea in my case.

My Email to the Credit Union

I currently have a 15 year fixed mortgage at 4.75%.  I have about 11 years left on the mortgage. I have a 26 payment plan and paying an additional $1,000 a month. Is it a good idea to try to refinance to a 4.25 to 4.35 % rate keeping a 15 year mortgage?

The Credit Union Response

Based on the current terms on your mortgage, I would not recommend a refinance, even if you could meet the qualifications to do so.

Your current rate is only 0.5% higher than our currently offered rate.   However, you would most likely pay at least 2-3% of the loan amount as closing costs.  This might be worthwhile if you had 30 years to amortize those closing costs.  However, you will be paying off any mortgage in 10-15 years, so you would not recover the up-front costs.

To summarize, I don’t see any advantage in refinancing.  You have a good loan, and your current practice of prepaying $1000 per months is very beneficial in terms of interest savings.  Again, even assuming that you could qualify for a refinance, my recommendation would be to stay with the program you have.

I hope this is helpful, and I would be happy to answer any further questions.

Nice Article from Div Growth Investor

/ bacigirl / 4 Comments

6 Great Dividend Stocks to Consider

Johnson & Johnson engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices and Diagnostics. Johnson & Johnson has consistently increased dividends for 46 years in a row. The stock yields 3.40%. The yield on cost on stock purchased at the end of 1989 is 29.10%. (analysis)

The Procter & Gamble Company (PG) engages in the manufacture and sale of consumer goods worldwide. The company operates in three global business units (GBUs): Beauty, Health and Well-Being, and Household Care. The company has rewarded stockholders with dividend increases for 53 consecutive years. Check my analysis of the stock.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) operates retail stores in various formats worldwide. The world’s largest retailer has a 35 year record of annual dividend raises. I would be a buyer of WMT on dips. Check my analysis of the stock.

McDonald’s Corporation (MCD), together with its subsidiaries, franchises and operates McDonald’s restaurants in the food service industry worldwide. The company’s share of the US fast food market is several times larger than its closest competitors, Burger King (BKC) and Wendy’s (WEN). McDonald’s is a major component of the S&P 500 and Dow Industrials indexes. The company is also a dividend aristocrat, which has been consistently increasing its dividends for 33 consecutive years. (analysis)

Consolidated Edison provides electric, gas, and steam utility services in the United States. This dividend aristocrat has raised annual distributions for 36 years in a row. The stock spots a yield of 5.3%, which a good compensation if you seek current income for the next 5 – 10 years. Check my analysis of Consolidated Edison.

Kinder Morgan (KMP) owns and manages energy transportation and storage assets in North America. This dividend achiever has raised annual distributions for the past 14 years. The stock currently yields 6.50%. Check my analysis of Kinder Morgan.

International Travel with a Dog on Lufthansa

/ bacigirl / 1 Comment

Traveling with your Pet can be fun once you reach your destination but getting our dog from A to B can be very nerve racking. The whole process of getting health certificates, the proper cage, padding for the crate, an ice dish and food for travel is critical.  We usually only take our dog with us if we are traveling for more than 2 weeks.

Here are the steps to follow if you are going in our out of the USA:

1) Health Certificate: you will not be able to get your pet on the plane without a health certificate.  Not every Veterinarian can issue the certificate in the US.  They need to have a special designation that allows them to issue an international health certificate.  Our dog also has a micro-chip implanted.  It is required in many countries in Europe and super helpful if she ever gets lost.

2) Cage: We have an 82 lb Labrador so we purchased an X-Large Crate.  All good Pet Centers have crates.  The crate should be well ventilated and have enough room to turn around and stand-up.  We have had crates with wheels and without.  The only problem with wheels on the crate is that there is a potential for the wheel to break off which is what happened to us.

3) Crate Accessories: The Crate should have a water dish (required by the airlines) and food dish for some Kibble.  The water dish should be filled with Ice.  We just fill it up and stick it in the freezer the night before.  We also place a thick soft mat on the bottom of the crate and some towels so that it is more comfortable. We also tape a letter of instruction for the airline which includes our dog’s name, habits, weight, our names, flight information, phone numbers and address for each location.

LUFTHANSA-We only travel with our dog on Lufthansa.  They are fantastic.  We have made 7 international trips with our dog and have never had any problems.  Usually the flight crew will let us know that our pet is on-board and ok. In Frankfurt they have a brand new Pet Facility where they take the pet out of the cage to  feed and provide water for the dog.  They also let the dog out to relieve herself.  We have never had a problem of any kind and I highly recommend them.

4) At the Airport: Once you arrive at the airport we usually walk her and after 7 international trips she knows this is the time to go Number 1 and 2.  Most airports have a “Pet Relief” area for this purpose. Usually the airport check-in person will ask you have the paper work but will not check it.  Once your tickets are issued they will ask you to pay a fee for transporting the dog.  It ranges from $300 to $500. Most airports like you to wait as long as possible before putting the dog into the crate.  Once you are ready to check-in someone from the airline will take you to a Security Check Point where they inspect the inside of the cage.  Once they are satisfied everything is ok you can put your dog into the crate.  At this point the best thing to do is walk away from the dog and allow the airline personnel to take the dog to the plane. This is the hardest part but your dog has to know you are not nervous or he/she will become nervous.

5) In Transit in Frankfurt-we usually ask about our dogs status in the Lounges or at the Information Desk.

6) Upon Arrival-Once you get out of passport control go to the part of the baggage area where they bring the dogs out.  I think it is important that you get there before your dog gets out to calm her down. Also according to Customs you cannot claim that your pet is a member of your family like I have done.  Customs will ask you if there is any animal food in the crate–TSA does not allow you to enter with any food in the crate.

I usually ask a family member (if they pick us up) or we purchase water.  I think our dog being on the skittish side does not drink or eat anything on route.  Last time our dog drank 3 small water bottles of water on arrival.  Our dog is usually very anxious to get out of the cage and relieve herself.

The experience of traveling with a Pet can be nerve racking but being without our dog is really hard for us. She is part of the family!!

Hope these tips help!!!