Two interesting solar stories today. Treehugger: Skinny Sliver Cells Could Cuts Solar Costs by 60% and Boeing Spectrolab Achieves 40% Solar Cell Efficiency.
I am curious to see if Moore's Law is applicable to solar cells. if so then they will quickly become cheap and powerful enough to really start supplementing fossil fuel based electricity.
AnnualCreditReport is a real legitimate website. I thought it might be a scam at first. It is sponsored by the credit reporting companies...
What is the Purpose of This Site?
This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Kevin Kelly has a Twin Draft Stopper. We have a traditional one that we use to block the draft under the door from the unfinished basement. This looks much more effective.
Available from Improvements and other places for about ten bucks.
From ClarkHoward.com:
Identity theft has become huge, as we all know. But how and why does it occur? Many people think that identity theft occurs because of what we do online. But just slightly more than 10 percent happens online. Almost all of it occurs when someone steals your checkbook, your wallet or your mail. The Internet actually helps in reducing ID theft, according to the Better Business Bureau. Monitoring your checkbook and credit card status online is a huge deterrent to identity theft because people find things quickly and can report them right away. So, if you still have a checkbook and you refuse to part with it, keep it at home and know where it is at all times. This is especially important for businesses, which are expected to keep a higher standard of security when it comes to securing checks. Businesses have liability for checks written that are stolen. So, keep very good track of your checks if you own a business.
I had heard of this in the past from a CFA. I have contemplated it. This article has a nice synopsis of the pros and cons.
Saving for college? Try a Roth. | csmonitor.com
While many financial experts advise making retirement saving the first priority, most parents still want to be able to pay at least part of their children's college costs. Thus, they often establish separate accounts: 401(k) plans to fund their own retirement and state-sponsored 529 plans to save for college.
* Clean the lint screen after every load. Your clothes will dry quicker, your dryer will operate more efficiently AND you'll reduce the fire hazard.
* Softener sheets can cause a waxy build-up on the lint screen. Wash the lint screen in warm soapy water and dry it completely before replacing it in the dryer.
* Have the interior of the dryer, lint screen and exhaust duct cleaned by a qualified service technician every 18 months.
* Do not operate the dryer if the lint screen is clogged or missing.
* Do not block the flow of ventilating air. Keep the area around machine and the exhaust opening clutter free.
Environmental safety tips:
* The best time to do laundry is during the early morning or late evening. There is usually less demand on the energy resources making it less expensive to operate washers and dryers.
* To reduce drying times, use a wash cycle with a fast spin speed to remove water from heavy items.
* Choose the automatic drying cycle for accurate drying time to save energy and time.
* Do not exhaust the dryer into any vent connection, gas vent, chimney or crawl space. This could create a fire hazard from expelled lint.
Preventative Maintenance safety tips:
* Clean the lint trap after each load.
* Vacuum the area around the appliance weekly
* Inspect and clean the vent tube monthly.
* Keep the area around the dryer clear of combustible items.
* Inspect the gas line for corrosion or "kinks."
* Inspect the electrical supply cord for fraying, cracking or exposed wires.
* Do not leave damp items in a warm or hot dryer --- start the drying cycle immediately.
Don't Leave Wet Clothes Inside Your Dryer:
Leaving damp clothes inside the drum may have adverse effects. A chemical chain reaction may occur when and if the conditions are right. Spontaneous ignition has proved to be the source of numerous laundry fires. The damp cloth plus the hot dry environment creates the conditions that support unassisted combustion. Once a fire starts inside the clothes drum it has the opportunity to grow and consume everything that is combustible. Lint in the trap, around the outside of the drum, under and behind the machine is fuel that ignites easily. When the fire reaches the outside of the machine, it is free and will search for more fuel. Any clothing piled up on the floor in front of the washer and dryer becomes that fuel. Unchecked fire will double its' size every minute, and will quickly reach ceiling temperatures of 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit.
I have gotten myself in trouble with credit cards in the past. It started in college and built up until I turned 26. I then woke up and paid them off (painfully). I am just glad that I haven't been on the debt treadmill since then. The crazy and misleading offers are painful to hear. Shuffling debt from card to card must be very stressful.
I watched a Frontline episode on the credit card industry the other day. It was scary how predatory their practices are. they list on the web site eight things every credit card user should know. This is a handy read. One big thing to watch is late payments. Even one of these can jack your interest rate up astronomically. Also, the card companies make a large chunk of their profits on late fees. One company to watch out for appears to be Capital One. They appear to be on the receiving end of some litigation for their business practices.
From Boing Boing:
1-700-555-4141 is a toll-free number you can dial to find out who your long distance carrier is.
Are these people really the worlds cheapest?
The New York Times has a great article from DANIEL AKST. The gist of it is that neither party is being honest about energy policy. It is going to take sacrifice and real work to wean ourselves from non-renewable energy. It is nice to hear someone come out and challenge the "generally accepted views".
Q: Since 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as regular income, is it better to only contribute enough to get the company match instead of maxing out contributions? You could invest the money after taxes in stocks, where dividends and capital gains are taxed at a lower rate.
- G.R., via e-mail
A: Roger Gorham, a certified financial planner in Hillsborough, N.J., says that it's generally a good idea to maximize 401(k) contributions.
Because a 401(k) contribution is not subject to ordinary income taxes immediately, you have more money to invest, he says. For example, Mr. Gorham says if a $1,000 contribution generates a $100 gain (assuming a 10 percent return), the 401(k) would hold $1,100 after one year. Assuming you retire next year in the 28 percent tax bracket and withdraw the money, you would pay $308 in income taxes, leaving you with $792.
If that $1,000 was not put into a 401(k) and immediately taxed at 28 percent, the initial investment would only be $720. A 10 percent capital gain over one year yields $72, and subjects you to $11 in capital gains taxes (at 15 percent), leaving you with $781, or $11 less than if that money was put in the 401(k).
Gorham says you might not maximize your contribution if you expect your ordinary tax rate to be higher at retirement than it is now.
From Clark Howard
ATM scams you need to know about
Criminals are skimming money from you in several ways when you use ATMS these days. First of all, independent ATMS that you see in convenience stores are very dangerous because the banking industry has no pre-cautions set in place on these machines. Criminals install these machines and, over several months, they capture information of the people who get money out of the machines. They also install these card skimmers in regular ATM machines. They capture the information using fake card readers and then with the information they steal all of your money. The third way they steal your money is to install cameras in the racks next to the ATM machine. The cameras capture your hand motions and then the criminals can read your secret code and empty your checking account. Even worse, when this happens banks shrug their shoulders and say there is nothing they can do. Thats why its so important to keep track of your checking account. Read your statements each month, and if something looks unusual you must bring it up with your bank immediately. Banks have a 10-day window to conduct an investigation and at least give you a temporary credit for your money.
James Patrick Kelly is offering free Audio books on his internet site.