Prime has been lowered again!  The current prime rate is 6.0%. I can’t believe how much the rates have changed over the past four months. Hopefully this will help spur some economic growth!

I recently had someone ask me which high yield online savings account is the best. I did a little research, and this is what I’ve come up with: All rates are current as of January 29, 2008. Please let me know if I should add any. Countrywide = 5.0% APY on balances of $10,000 or more, $1,000 to open. Etrade= 4.40% APY, no minimum balance, no fees WTdirect= 4.30% APY on $10,000 or more ING Direct= 3.65% APY, no fees, no minimums WaMu= 4.25% APY, requires a free checking account with WaMu. Capital One= 3.5% APY, no fees, no minimums, free checks, free ATM card. Emigrant Direct= 4.30% APY, no fees, no minimum AmTrust Direct= 5.11% APY (promotional rate), no minimum, no fees. Eloan= 4.0% APY minimum $5,000. HSBC = 3.80% APY, no fees, no minimums. Personally I use ING Direct. I like their sign up bonuses, I like the security, and they’ve been really great. I’ve been with them for three years. Sure, I could get a better interest rate somewhere else, but I’ve got my direct deposit going [...]

One of the things I have been doing on the side for income is writing articles for Associated Content. I enjoy writing, and I get paid for it. What’s really cool is that I normally can take a post I’ve written here and post it there as well. It’s great because I get paid for it, and I get more exposure to this website! How it works: Write an article about something you are knowledgeable on. I typically write about a money issue that’s been on my mind lately, or something that I feel strongly about that I can share with people. Post that article on your blog, but also post it on Associated Content. Now you’ve not only shared information with your readers, but you’ve also got a pretty good chance at making some money. Associated Content is great because they not only pay you upfront if you submit it for upfront payments, but they also pay you per 1000 views of the article.   In essence, you can make unlimited amounts of money here!  Now, I personally wouldn’t [...]