Comments on: If You Have an Unexpected Windfall, Put It in a CD (61/365)

By: Laundry Lady

Laundry Lady — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:42:29 +0000

@ #30 I’ve got to agree with you about using windfalls for debt elimination. You “earn” better interest paying off a chunk of 6.8% student loan or high interest credit card debt than putting it in a CD earning 2%. If you are disciplined to hold onto it to save for something else, such as a replacement car or major home renovation then fine. While it can be hard to part with a windfall that makes you feel more emotionally flush with cash for a while, I personally want it out the door to pay off debt as soon as possible before I can justify spending it on something else. Or decide in advance to spend a small amount on something you’ve really been wanting and put the rest toward something useful. (Now obviously, if you are debt free, then you have more potential leeway in spending your money)

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:28:20 +0000

It is rather ironic (I think; David, help me out here!) that this article followed the “Rules vs. Facts” article, because there are a lot of cases where a one-time windfall would be much better spent on debt elimination or diversifying investments with a higher potential for ROI. CDs really aren’t earning much more than online savings accounts, and you can still get your “cooldown” period with the online savings, since it usually takes 72 hours to transfer money between banks.
Put money in a non-descript CD is bad advice for a lot of people, and poor advice in general, unless you fall into the category of no financial willpower.

By: Kai

Kai — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:29:54 +0000

Highway accidents are not typically anywhere near as hilarious though. It’s rubbernecking to be sure, but it’s just so *funny* in addition to crashtastic. And the photos have just added to it for this set.

By: Kai

Kai — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:07:44 +0000

At first there were piles of commentary about how the photos were too obvious. Here she tries a bit of wordplay, and she gets commentary on being too out of it. It might not be the same commenters, but it’s a bit of a no-win situation.

I have little use for the poor photography, but I’ll give her the point for trying something different.
It’s definitely better than yet another photo of some bills, or another photo of a brochure from her bank.

By: Evita

Evita — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:58:12 +0000

What, no suggestion about using a windfall to clear out credit car/loan debt or making a dent in the mortgage, but instead to put it in a 2% CD !
Great advice as usual, Trent!

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:10:38 +0000

The CD thing would have been clever if the other photos weren’t so boring/bad.
I agree they’ve already all been taken.

By: A Sumner

A Sumner — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:03:16 +0000

I thought the stack of CD-Rs was funny.

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 16:56:40 +0000

To add to #s 19, 20, 21 – I first got hooked into regular reading/commenting because Trent was making actual errors in his advice & I hoped to steer readers toward reality. Now, it’s more rubbernecking & I keep vowing to just stop reading, particularly since there are so many others here more than happy to point out all of Trent’s errors. And, I, too, suspect sometimes that Trent is just laughing his way to the bank.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:31:16 +0000

I keep reading because Trent makes me sad and I see my own flaws in his mistakes, especially his preference for mediocrity. I keep hoping he’ll become less fragile but it hasn’t happened after a few years of running the site. Hopefully his next project matures him a little more.

By: Janis

Janis — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 12:21:41 +0000

Although I haven’t bothered to unsubscribe from the emails, I’m no longer a regular visitor to this site. The only reason I clicked through to this article was to check out the comments in response to that misfired joke of a photo. You folks did not disappoint!

If I could “+1″ deRuiter’s comments (#s 20 and 21), I would.

By: deRuiter

deRuiter — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:50:24 +0000

I’m reading this blog (Now) for the same reason people slow down on the highway when there’s a dreadful accident on the other side, you don’t want to look, you tell yourself not to look because it’s depressing, but you sneak a look to find out how bad the carnage is. Eventually you’ve seen enough destruction and you can pass future accidents without looking. The often informative and amusing comment section sometimes makes this worth a read, the bumbling, dottering rehashed articles, the ten things taken from the work of others, awkward / incorrect grammar, and the odd ball photos, “simply put”, don’t carry the column.

By: deRuiter

deRuiter — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:43:32 +0000

Liz #13, More comments from you in the future please, you’ve described the situation so neatly. And who would hire a photographer not even capable of ascertaining what kind of CD to picture? The author aparently isn’t even interested enough to look at the photo before it’s inserted in the article. Good luck with that fantasy novel which is absorbing all your “passion” for writing!
#19 Mister E is also on point, “Well I USED to come here for reasonably intelligent discussion about daily money issues that we all face.

But since that no longer exists here (excepting the comments)…” The new owners of this blog ought to be paying some of those who comment as they put more thought into their work than the author who allowed a photo of audio CDs to accompany an article about certificates of deposit. Evidently the new owners don’t bother to read the blog either.
The poor quality of this blog is becoming boring. It’s only an easy cash cow for the author (so called author, is it plagerizing if you rehash your own old work over and over ad nauseum?) and the buyers who stuff it with ads no one reads anyway.

By: Mister E

Mister E — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 03:51:28 +0000

Well I USED to come here for reasonably intelligent discussion about daily money issues that we all face.

But since that no longer exists here (excepting the comments), I now come for the yellow Neon, but stay for the stone faced bearded men who look like they aren’t ENTIRELY sure that the picture box isn’t going to steal their souls.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 03:04:28 +0000

wow, I haven’t read this blog in awhile but the commenters are really negative. Find something positive to use from it or why do you keep reading?

By: BD

BD — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 03:00:51 +0000

@David: I admit it, you made me laugh with your DVD comment. Great one-liner! :D

By: Emma

Emma — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 02:40:13 +0000

“We all have windfalls” I am still waiting for mine.

By: Alice

Alice — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 01:12:41 +0000

I have to give the intern credit for a truly thought-provoking photo. But the types of thoughts it’s provoking are not very positive.

I feel like this blog has become a joke and that Trent is laughing at his followers with his crappy posts and bizarre photos. I’m wondering how much damage Trent and the intern are doing to their future selves with this poor quality work.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 00:43:55 +0000

I feel like your intern ran out and took all of these photos in a weekend.

Is this supposed to raise her boat?

By: Liz

Liz — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 00:25:51 +0000

This blog is sort of like getting advice from your well-intentioned, but slightly dotty grand-uncle.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 00:18:22 +0000

Not even a CD player in a Neon.

I’d also pay down my mortgage (depending on how big said windfall was).