YOU HAD ME AT ‘$10 IPHONE PLAN’: Congratulations are in order for Mr. Money Mustache, who seems to have figured out how to use an iPhone for $10 per month. Step 1 is to switch your phone’s plan from AT&T/Verizon to a reseller called AirVoice Wireless. Step 2 is to get something called the FreedomPop, a hotspot-creating device which costs $90 to buy but then gives you 500MB of free data every month, with more available if you want to pay. This is what it looks like:
MMM’s verdict:
So it works, it’s cost-effective, and it is disrupting the old model of pay-through-the-nose data access. If there is a downside other than limited coverage, it is the somewhat pushy and automatic-opt-in nature of the company’s website. They are definitely trying to get you to buy some additional data, and I’ll be happy to do so once the coverage extends to my hometown. But given the attractive nature of 500 free megabytes per month, I can find no reason to complain. They also have a $10.00 per month home service which is ideal for light internet users (10 GB/month of transfer with speed capped at 1.5 Mbits/sec).
Read his full post for more details, as well as his original post about the $10 plan.
CAR RENTAL INSURANCE: Do you ever feel slightly fearful when you decline the car rental company’s overpriced insurance, even though your credit card covers you? Then you should read this summary of credit card rental insurance over at The Points Guy. Conclusion:
The best coverage is clearly the optional American Express premium policy as it has the highest policy coverage limits, the fewest vehicle exclusions, and no deductible. The price is fixed per rental, so the longer the rental, the less you are paying per day. But many people who rent just for a day or two will find that repeated cost to be uneconomical. For those people, a card such as the Ink Bold with primary coverage is the best deal. In this way, the credit card’s insurance will not be going back and forth with your personal auto insurance company, and your rates will not be affected if you make a claim.
If you’re either a worrier or a frequent renter, the whole article’s worth a look.
HOW LUCRATIVE ARE WALL STREET JOBS?: Via Barry Ritholtz, here’s a nice chart from Miller Samuel showing Wall Street pay vs. other private sector jobs in New York City. In 2011, the average Wall Streeter made 7X what the average private sector worker made, versus 3X in the late 80s, which if you recall was known as the “decade of greed”. Interesting stuff.
Recent Comments