When I was applying to college, my parents went to the drugstore, bought a copy of US News & World Report magazine, and said that I could only apply to a school ranked in the Top 5 for my major (Engineering). That was the only out-of-state or private school that they would consider contributing any of their hard-earned money toward. That was their idea of “value” and “return on investment”. These days, I am much more skeptical of college rankings. I feel that they are often reverse-engineered. If someone comes up with an intelligent algorithm, runs it, and the names of Harvard, Yale, MIT, and Stanford are not at the very top, what do you think happens? US News & World Report … [Read More...]

"You violated, objectified and embarrassed me" [Read More...]

Authorities have charged two children with involuntary manslaughter after another child was hit by a car and killed, apparently following an argument.Police said they charged the suspects, an 11-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, after interviewing them at a police station in Charlotte, North Carolina. [Read More...]

(I apologize to e-mail subscribers who may end up seeing this one-day offer a day late. My RSS to e-mail service only publishes at a set time once per day. You may wish to subscribe to Twitter @mymoneyblog as it offers an option of immediate text and in-app updates.) Target is offering 10% off Target Gift Cards again on Sunday, December 8th, 2019. One-day only. Offer available both in-store and online. No coupon or code needed – the discount applies at checkout. Limit one transaction up to $300 in Target GiftCards on Target.com ($30 maximum discount) per household. Target GiftCards purchased during 10% off offer may be redeemed beginning Monday, December 9th at 10am Central. Selected additional fine print: Minimum … [Read More...]

A majority of registered voters buy Democrats’ central argument for impeachment, but Americans remain too polarized and uncertain about key details to back Trump’s removal from office in the kind of numbers that could create real momentum, a new poll shows. [Read More...]

Hunter’s announcement that he would step down came days after the leading California lawmaker, a former U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, entered his guilty plea in federal court in San Diego. “Shortly after the Holidays I will resign from Congress,” Hunter, 42, said in a written statement released by his communications director. [Read More...]

Update: I would check the link in case it comes back in stock, but it shows as expired now. Sorry, thought it would last longer! Amazon has a Netflix gift card promotion where if you buy a $100 in Netflix gift cards, you will receive $10 Amazon promo credit. Enter the promotional code NETFLIX at checkout. One offer per customer. While supplies last. You can also stack this with the 5% back at Amazon from Discover card this quarter (or the Amazon Prime credit card). Besides gifting, if you subscribe to Netflix anyway, you could apply these gift cards to your own account to almost get a free month of streaming for yourself. Treat yo’ self! “The editorial content here is not provided by any of the… [Read More...]

Fifteen Russian spies, including those accused of the Salisbury nerve agent attack, used the French Alps as a “base camp” to conduct covert operations around Europe over a five-year period, according to reports. The revelations came as Germany expelled two Russian diplomats after prosecutors said there was “sufficient factual evidence” linking Moscow to the killing of a former Chechen rebel commander in central Berlin. According to Le Monde, British, Swiss, French, and US intelligence have drawn up a list of 15 members of the 29155 unit of Russia's GRU military spy agency who all passed through France’s Haute-Savoie mountains close to the Swiss and Italian borders. They stayed between 2015 and late 2018, notably in the towns of Evian, Annemasse and Chamonix – the scene of a ski chase … [Read More...]

Updated for 2019. When choosing a 529 college savings plan, you can open a 529 plan from any state. However, each state can vary widely in what they offer in terms of tax deductions and/or matching grants. 16 states offer no tax break on contributions and 7 states give you the same tax benefit no matter which 529 plan you pick. The remaining 27 states do offer some sort of tax benefit, so you’ll have to weigh your in-state benefits against the superior investment options from an out-of-state plan. Morningstar has just published their 529 College-Savings Plan Landscape report for 2019, which included a state-by-state summary of the tax benefits: They also have a new article When It Comes to 529s, How Good Is Your State’s Tax … [Read More...]

One of the perks of Amazon Prime membership is that you get unlimited cloud storage of your photos in full resolution. Amazon Photos is currently offering targeted users a free $15 Amazon promo credit if you download the Amazon Photos app (iOS, Android, or desktop) and upload at least one photo for the first time. Offer expires at 11:59pm Pacific on December 31, 2019. “The editorial content here is not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. This email may contain links through which we are compensated when you click on or are approved for offers.” Amazon Prime Photos: Free $15 Amazon Credit for First-Time Users … [Read More...]

Biden also called the man a 'damn liar' after comments about his son [Read More...]

IKEA has a new $20 off $125 coupon that is valid for three days only: December 13-15, 2019. Valid on in-store purchases only. You must have an IKEA FAMILY number, which is their loyalty program and free to join. You can view the coupon when you scroll down on this page. Here is a screenshot of the coupon + fine print. Selected fine print: U.S. stores only. IKEA FAMILY number required. Further restrictions apply.* *Valid December 13-15, 2019. Not valid online. Coupon applied before tax, shipping & handling. This coupon and IKEA FAMILY member number must be presented to receive discount. Cannot be combined with other coupons or offers. Not valid for IKEA Kitchen Event offer, Click and Collect, Delivery, Assembly, Kitchen Planning or other services. Not valid… [Read More...]

President Trump on Wednesday offered a blunt response to Justin Trudeau after video surfaced of the Canadian prime minister apparently mocking him during a conversation with other world leaders at the NATO summit in London. [Read More...]