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Five Cent Nickel

Written by a man who has been meticulously recording his finances since 1997 (stored in Quicken), Five Cent Nickel is one of the oldest and most respected blogs around. This blog often provides great commentary on—and summaries of—useful financial tips featured by other publications. If you’re too lazy to read every little money article out there, just stop by Five Cent Nickel and get the cream of the crop.

Latest Posts from Five Cent Nickel

The Best Values in Colleges – 2012 Edition

Published Thursday, February 9, 2012 - 14:00 by Five Cent Nickel

Do you have kids that are nearing college age? If so, you might be interested in this… It’s Princeton Review’s list of the best value colleges for 2012. Schools are ranked on quality of undergraduate academics, costs to attend (including room and board), and financial aid availability. […]

Five Myths About Renter’s Insurance

Published Thursday, February 9, 2012 - 07:00 by Five Cent Nickel

I recently learned that my co-worker’s house was broken into, and she did not have renter’s insurance to protect her family’s possessions. […]

Own Your Investments, Rent Your Fun

Published Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - 12:24 by Five Cent Nickel

I’m not sure where I first heard it, but whenever I get the urge to “invest” in a lake place, or do something similarly extravagant, I always fall back on this saying: “Own your investments and rent your fun.” I’ve mused in the past about buying a vacation home, but the harsh reality is that such endeavors are rarely as wonderful as you’d expect. Yes, it would be great to have a weekend getaway, b […]

Citibank to Issue Credit Cards in China

Published Tuesday, February 7, 2012 - 14:00 by Five Cent Nickel

Here’s an interesting development in the world of finance… Citibank has apparently gained approval to issue a credit card in China. This makes Citi the first non-Asian bank to enter the market. Citi has actually had a co-branded credit card in China since 2004, but those cardholders are technically customers of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. […]

Heartstrings and Pursestrings

Published Tuesday, February 7, 2012 - 10:52 by Five Cent Nickel

Consider Valentine’s Day. Is there any holiday known to man and woman that brings into greater conflict the heartstrings and purse strings? You want to express your inner most feelings for your sweetie in the gift you choose, but doing so may require you break the bank. And that could be counter-productive. […]

Saving Money at the Grocery Store: Store Brand Pricing on the Rise

Published Monday, February 6, 2012 - 11:23 by Five Cent Nickel

It’s been awhile since I published my list of 36 ways to save money on groceries, and it appears that the landscape has begun to change. According to the WSJ, stores have been increasing the prices on their private-label foods faster than the prices of the equivalent national brands. By the numbers, the prices on store brand non-perishables increased 5.3% last year vs. 1.9% for national brands. […]

Missing Tax Paperwork?

Published Friday, February 3, 2012 - 18:09 by Five Cent Nickel

Have you started thinking about doing your taxes yet? I haven’t. Rather, as I do every year, I’ve just been tossing all of our tax forms in a pile as they arrive, and I haven’t paid much attention to what’s here vs. […]

Is Your Investment Allocation Right?

Published Friday, February 3, 2012 - 07:00 by Five Cent Nickel

Here’s an interesting thought experiment from Carl Richards over on the NY Times “Bucks” blog… Imagine that your investment portfolio somehow got liquidated overnight, such that when you wake up your holding are 100% in cash. If you were give the opportunity to buy back into the market at no cost, would you re-create the same portfolio that you’re currently holding? If so, great. […]

Chase Freedom Experimenting With Quarterly Rewards Auto-Enrollment

Published Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 14:00 by Five Cent Nickel

While flipping through the mail, I recently ran across a missive detailing a test of a new cash back feature for the Chase Freedom card. As you’re likely aware, many credit cards (including this one) have adopted a rotating bonus category model, where you get 5% on purchases in certain categories for a limited time, and 1% on everything else. In the past, you’ve had to re-enroll each and every qua […]

Income-Based Repayment Plans for Student Loans

Published Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 10:25 by Five Cent Nickel

No one can argue that college costs have become exorbitant. Even during the recent recession, schools continued increasing tuition. Student loan repayments are thus taking even longer to pay off, as college graduates are having trouble finding a decent job, or any job at all. Amidst this gloom and doom, there is some positive news. […]