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Should You Really Be Buying 1-Year CDs Right Now?
I was at the gym yesterday and a friend who manages money for wealthy New Yorkers asked me if his clients (a married couple) should be putting $500,000 into a 1-year CD here and now at 2.00%. He believes that with the stock market at an... Read →
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United Airlines Still Has An Excellent Loyalty Program for International Travel
United was once the best airline in the sky. Whether it is your favorite airline today or not, it still has an outstanding loyalty program, and if your focus is international travel, it may be the program where you want to build your... Read →
Image David Faber Image, Courtesy CNBC
Putin, North Korea, David Faber, Jim Stewart and Your Savings and Brokerage Accounts
There are very few things or people that get my attention on CNBC. I usually find myself switching over to Bloomberg when Joe Kernen or Jim Cramer start rambling. I guess neither were around on Christmas Eve morning because I ended up... Read →
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Financial Advice from a 50-Year Old Who Last Saw a Market Like This in 1999
As I turn 50, I feel it is appropriate to look back and give some advice to a 30-year old me who was encountering a crazy bullish stock market like the current one in 1999. Twenty years ago, I had just turned 30. I was a newly-minted... Read →
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Fed Leaves Fed Funds Target Rate Unchanged at 1.50% to 1.75%, Plans to Take 2020 Off
The Federal Reserve voted unanimously today to leave the Fed Funds rate unchanged at 1.50% to 1.75%. This move was widely expected after Chairman Jerome Powell and other Fed governors signaled that they were comfortable with where... Read →
Image Delicate Arch, Courtesy NPS.org
December 2019 Savings and CD Account Update – Cash Is Safe
I began BestCashCow’s November newsletter by saying that it was hard to get excited about cash. It is still hard to get excited about cash with the Fed Funds target remaining at a range of 1.50% to 1.75%. But, in the last month,... Read →
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Bask Bank, American Airlines AAdvantage Miles, Silliness?
Editor's Note: This article was originally written in December 2019 when Bask Bank had a soft launch of its new American AAdvantage product. In January 2020 after Bask Bank released the full details of the product, the author realized... Read →
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TD Ameritrade Acquisition By Charles Schwab Causes Concern for Active Customers
Sophisticated stock traders have gravitated towards TD Ameritrade over the years. For over a decade, TD Ameritrade has had the best trading platform in the online trading business, and with the Sink or Swim acquisition they also have a... Read →
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Be Careful With Savings Products from Credit Karma, Wealthfront, Betterment and SoFi
The last few months have seen the emergence of non-bank savings products that purport to be FDIC-insured often to amounts higher than the FDIC limits that online banks are able to offer ($250,000 for individuals, $500,000 for... Read →
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Mystery Solved – Trump’s Unplanned Walter Reed Visit Was Not Caused By a Medical Condition
The media and Twitter have been abuzz since Donald Trump made an unplanned visit to Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda yesterday morning. Respected media observers, including CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, have highlighted how unusual it... Read →
November 2019 Update – Getting Harder and Harder to Get Excited About Cash
The Federal Reserve lowered the Fed Funds target to 1.50% to 1.75% on October 31, marking its third rate cut this year and causing many of the most recognized online banks to lower their savings’ offers below 2%. The paradox is... Read →
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Trump International Hotel In Washington And Still More Bribery
In 2013, Donald Trump entered into a 60-year lease from the General Services Administration for the renovation of the old post office to become the Trump International Hotel in Washington. The property is leased for $180 million and in... Read →
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The Federal Reserve Lowers The Fed Funds Rate to A 1.50% to 1.75% Target
The Federal Reserve moved to lower the Fed Funds target rate today by 25 basis points to a range of 1.50% to 1.75%. This move marks the third rate cut this year. The Federal Reserve has now "reversed" three of its four hikes... Read →
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231 Year-Old Document Fails As Operating Manual, Leaving Trump in Power
I am as overwhelmed as anyone by the prescience and power of the American Constitution. It is worthy of accolades for its boldness, brilliance and vision and for its prescient guidance for a vibrant and caring society. But was ratified... Read →