Financial Panther

Every two years or so, I get a new phone – usually whatever is the newest iPhone available. In this most recent case, I noticed the battery on my iPhone 13 Mini was getting weak, so I decided it was time to upgrade to the latest iPhone. Getting a new phone isn’t something that comes as a surprise to me. I keep track of all the phones I’ve ever had in my life and I pretty much always get a new phone around the 2-year … Read post

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a card that goes back a long way for me. In fact, it was one of the first premium credit cards I ever got – i.e. one that I paid an annual fee to have. I first got this card way back in 2017 and the card has come in and out of my wallet over the years depending on my needs. However, how often I’m able to earn a signup bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred is another matter. Years ago … Read post

The other day, I finally got around to finalizing my taxes for 2023. If you’re wondering why I’m filing my taxes so late, it’s because I got a tax extension back in April. I always file for an extension since I never get a tax refund anymore (so there’s no urgency for me to file) and I like giving myself more time to organize my stuff. I’ve been writing about money and financial independence for 8 years now, and during that time … Read post

Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. It’s been my primary checking account for well over a decade and the main place I put my short-term and medium-term savings, meeting all the requirements I need for a good bank account. Over the years, whenever anyone has asked me what bank to use, I always say Ally. If Ally had any downsides, it’s that they never (or at least very rarely) gave signup bonuses to new customers. Recently though … Read post

A friend of mine recently made a move that I’ve been telling him to do for the past four years – he finally sold his car and is going car-free. To replace his car, he’s using a combination of ebikes, carshare, mass transit, and rental cars. oing car-free is not a move that will work for everyone, but I’m willing to bet that many people reading this could probably … Read post

One of the nice things about ebikes is that you can opt for larger tire sizes since you have the benefit of an electric motor to get you moving. That makes things like tire efficiency not really important. Instead, you can opt for additional comfort by going with a larger fat tire, helping smooth the road out and give you more traction while you’re riding … Read post