Thursday, July 14, 2011

Last Chance to Get a Free Dell Monitor

A little while back, I mentioned that OptionsHouse was offering a free Dell computer monitor to new customers who deposit $5,000 or more. (See: Whats the Best Gift Received from a Bank or Brokerage?) I had considered taking them up on the deal. So a few weeks ago, I applied for a new OptionsHouse account and deposited $5k. In less than two weeks, I received my new 24 inch Dell monitor.

The monitor itself is a widescreen flat panel display with a maximum resolution of 1920 X 1080. It is a nice replacement for the 17-inch Dell CRT that I've had for over 10 years. Although the screen is much larger than my CRT, it is weighs about one fourth as much and doesn't get quite as hot as the old monitor.

Anyway, if you are interested in taking advantage of the deal, this is really your last chance. The OptionsHouse offer will expire on July 31, 2011. The offer is available from this link to the OptionsHouse.com website. According to their website, you have to keep the account open for at least 180 days. I did some checking, and found that the 24 inch Dell monitor (ST2420L) they are giving away retails for about $220, so it is a pretty generous gift. For a deposit of $100k, they are offering a 27 inch Dell U2711 which is worth $1100. Lastly, if you have $250k to reach the highest tier, they will give you a 30 inch Dell U3011, which costs $1500.

These last two tiers are pretty steep, but I think most readers could afford to deposit $5k if they want a new monitor. Also note that you have to enter promo codes DELL24, DELL27, or DELL30 as appropriate when applying.

DC

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Don't Open a Short-Term CD at Ally Bank

It is not a good idea to open a CD with a term of 9 months or less at Ally Bank. The reason is based on simple math. Here are the latest CD yields from Ally Bank High Yield CD (as of 7/11/2011):

3 Month CD = 0.44%
6 Month CD = 0.94%
9 Month CD = 0.99%

Instead of opening one of these shorter term CDs, it is a better choice to open up an Ally Bank No Penalty 11 Month CD with an APY of 1.19% APY. Because it has no early withdrawal penalty, you can withdraw your money from the 11 Month No Penalty CD at any time. The yield beats out any of the shorter term CDs that Ally Bank offers, so there is no need for any of the shorter term CDs which will charge an early withdrawal penalty. Also, there is no minimum deposit requirement on Ally Bank CDs, and Ally is FDIC insured.

DC

Need quick cash? Secure cash advances online from CashAdvancer can help today!