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I wrote the majority of this post before markets went to hell on April 3–4. Since then, our portfolio dropped another $250k. We’ll see how this plays out, but I can’t say I’m terribly optimistic about the fallout from what the WSJ called the “dumbest trade war in history.” I wouldn’t be surprised if equities … Read more

Another lap around the sun.   First, a 40,000 ft overview of 2024: I lost my mom (64) after an excruciatingly long and difficult sickness spanning almost a decade. I rediscovered running after a 25-year hiatus. I dragged the family to Seattle/Whistler where we hiked, kayaked, and four of us competed in a triathlon (Me, … Read more

I’ve been a member of the BoA cult for the better part of a decade now, happily earning 5.25% on “category” purchases with the Customized Cash Rewards card and 2.625% on “non-category” purchases with my BoA Premium Rewards card. However, I recently jumped on the US Bank 4% Smartly card bandwagon for my “non-category” spend, … Read more

Today, I helped my 17-year-old daughter file her taxes. Since she doesn’t earn much income as a teenager, we opted to use TurboTax for its free federal and state e-filings. While I don’t love TurboTax, I’ll grudgingly use it when it’s truly free—which is the case for my teens. After submitting her return, we were … Read more

Our oldest kid came back from school with a terrible earache today. Given the time of day, it was too late to get into our primary care physician. My wife scheduled an appointment at our local CVS Minute Clinic for this evening, but I explored telehealth options first. A few Google queries were rather unsuccessful, … Read more

  Update 4/14/25: On 4/14/25, U.S. Bank essentially neutered this card for new applicants. The $100k balance must now be held in a checking account rather than a brokerage account (and thus incurring a ~$4k/year opportunity cost for new applicants). Further, there is a list of exempted categories (taxes, education, etc). That said, original applicants … Read more