I would also add that credit freezes and thaws are free if they’re done through each bureau’s website. Though my wife and I have been fortunate to avoid having our identities stolen, we’ve kept our credit frozen for close to 10 years now. If we buy a new house, change insurance carriers, or have some other reason that…

Don’t forget Innovis!

I still wouldn’t consider the house an investment in that case. Having that free cash flow available after paying off the mortgage is just another piece to consider when deciding between renting and buying.

I don’t think it’s necessarily true that it’s a smart financial move for most people. But even after the housing crisis, most people still think it is, because, “well at least you own it.” But again, depending on different factors, it sometimes makes more financial sense to rent (that whole opportunity cost thing I…

Well put. Another reader mentioned that they think a home is a good investment because after you pay it off, you can invest the money you would’ve spent on housing. Although now that I think about it, that still doesn’t make the home an investment. I wonder what you think of that argument, though? Either way, that…

I don’t think anyone is arguing you shouldn’t buy a home.

Here’s the link to that calculator: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/bu…

even if you are canceling out inflation, you are coming out ahead verse the apartment

Thanks for pointing this out—we’re updating the article accordingly.

There are a few things wrong with the Investopedia article. Their use of a credit card balance as an example of where this could play out is facetious. A credit card’s minimum balance includes all outstanding interest and fees plus at least 1% of principal (per federal regulations) so you aren’t paying “interest on…

APR is not equivalent to the interest rate. APR is a the total cost of the loan annualized over the repayment period. In addition to interest, APR includes origination fees, appraisal fees, or any other expense required to borrow the money.

As a bank regulator, thank you for pointing this out. APY is not relevant for or used in lending calculations. Your payment amortization schedule is based on the stated rate (or simple interest rate, as you mention), ie. the rate that you are quoted on your promissory note or HUD-1/GFE form if it is a residential…

APY is not used in lending calculations - it’s a calculation set up by federal regulation to help consumers compare Certificate of Deposit and savings return rates at different financial institutions.

Dont even need to test.

There’s also a USB port you can use for external drives, which allows you to rewind or pause shows as you watch (as well as play other video files).

Like was I the London Whale? No.

Can you clarify in the article how the rollover requires a minimum distribution only if you’ve reached the minimum distribution age? I know it partially mentions it in the piece you quoted, but your lead-in is a little vague about the requirements. If someone under age 70.5 rolls over an IRA from one company into…

They can do it because they’re giving you tax breaks to use IRAs. You’re more than able to put your after-tax income into brokerage accounts in whatever amounts you’d like, subject only to your whims.

They are stenographers. I am a stenographer, but I don't do closed captioning, I do court reporting in the courts. The reason you see an error like this is because they are stroking multiple keys at once at anywhere between 225-350 words per minute, and sports captioning is incredibly difficult because of the…

Avoidance of difficult but potentially rewarding aspects of life doesn't seem like a good strategy. I suppose this goes into the school of philosophies like, "never start your own business", "never buy a boat", and "never go to college". Some people certainly seem to enjoy defining who they are by limiting their…