Guzzo the Contrarian

My Vanguard 529-Plan

Mike — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:23:56 +0000

I just added another personal contribution into my Vanguard 529-Plan. But, it wasn’t because I really wanted to contribute. Let me explain. I originally started my 529-Plan about 5-6 years ago with an initial minimum $250.00 contribution in the Nevada Upromise College Fund 529-Plan, in order to take advantage of the Upromise rewards program. Over [...]

Is It Different Now?

Mike — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:38:20 +0000

If you’ve been a long time reader of my blog and haven’t figured it out just yet, there’s one thing that really jerks my gherkin. It’s the oft-used phrase “it’s different now”. Let me explain why this bothers me. During the Thrift Savings crisis of the 1980’s new rules were instituted to prevent banking corruption from [...]

Thrift Revisited

Mike — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:39:17 +0000

As shown throughout history, whenever a crisis occurs, such as a recession, there’s always someone willing to tell you that “things are different this time”. However, if you’ve been around long enough, you’ll come to realize that the more things change, the more they remain the same. One simple principle that’s never changed over the years [...]

VantageSouth Bank

Mike — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:57:54 +0000

I own shares in a private de novo bank named VantageSouth Bank, a small community bank headquartered in Burlington (Alamance County), NC. I bought 100 shares of their stock in 2006 at $11.00/share during their initial public offering, being well-aware that investing in a de novo startup is a risky venture and I could easily [...]

Money Makeover Contest

Mike — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:21:19 +0000

Are you 50 years of age or older? Has the rocky economy dealt a blow to your finances? Are you suddenly having trouble saving for retirement, providing for a parent or a child, paying medical expenses, or simply making ends meet? Whatever your financial challenge, AARP would like to give you a hand—and you may [...]