Best Finance Stuff in 2011

Kiplinger lists their "best of everything" in personal finance for 2011. I went through all their slides (so you wouldn't have to) and found the following that I wanted to comment on:

• Best Value College-Savings Plan: State Plans. Specifically your state's 529 is your best option if you get a tax break. (FYI, residents of Arizona, Kansas, Maine, Missouri and Pennsylvania get a tax break for contributing to any state plan.) We have has Michigan 529's for years now and take advantage of the nice tax break every year. ;-)


• Best Retirement Planning Calculator: Quickplan Retirement Calculator. For those wanting a link, here is the calculator they recommend. As you know, I've set my retirement number, but I may need to give this calculator a try just to see what it comes up with. Update: based on Karen's comment below, here's a retirement calculator I like (it was noted in my roundup yesterday -- and FYI, it's from a friend, not a paid link.) ;-)


• Best Gift Card: Starbucks. I don't buy much coffee (maybe a couple a year from McDonald's to warm up after a few soccer games in the cold) and I certainly don't buy enough to get a gift card. But this gift card sounds cool. Here's what Kiplinger's says about it: "The most highly evolved gift card on the planet comes from Starbucks. It doubles as a rewards card—you earn rewards points toward free drinks and other stuff. View transaction history, protect your balance if the card is lost or stolen, reload it automatically, and even have friends reload it via a Facebook app." Anyone use one of these?


• Best Travel Booking Site: Kayak.com I haven't used Kayak. I think I may be missing something. I know some of you use it based on your comments here. Can you tell me what you like so much about it?

And FYI, Kiplinger's named the Chase Freedom credit card as the best overall card. It is listed #1 on my list of the best cash back credit cards and is a card I use myself. Good to know I'm on the same page with them. :-)

Comments

[Karen]

that reitrement calculator is worthless. it doesn't alllow you to put in pensions or anything - doesn't allow you to set the age you begin drawing social security - not really any options. too bad someone with a good retirement planner doesn't pay you for the link.

[Claire]

I do the Starbucks thing. I get a ton of Starbucks cards twice a year from parents of my students. I can put them all in the app and not have to carry around the cards.I can also pay at the store with my iPhone, and then my balance auto-updates. I'm a "gold level" member and so I get free refills, free soymilk, syrup and other stuff, plus a free drink every 15 purchases. I don't think I've paid for a Starbucks in about 5 years :)

[BarrellRyder]

The Starbucks cards are awesome. My wife and I drink Copious amount of coffee and although we brew at home 5 days a week, we hit Starbucks about 2-3 times a week between us. I almost always get a grande (160z) coffee (1.95). My wife varies her orders and often gets specialty espresso drinks which range from 2.50-3.00 a pop. I originally registered gift cards my wife and I rec'd as gifts, I earned enough points to become a gold card member and now it is the only card I carry. You can even transfer balances from other gift cards should you rec any as a gift. The fact that you can get another card sent to you to replace a lost or stolen card is cool too. They even have a QR app for smartphones is you prefer not to carry a card. I still use my plastic card though. I get any drink for free for every 15 purchases, free upgrades (soy, half and half, syrups etc) and get a free drink on my Bday. Also get free coffee whenever you buy beans or ground.

[Matt]

The retirement planner is nothing more than the rules of thumb type which are not that good.

If you are a poor gardener you are all thumbs.

Ditto with the retirement planner.

[[email protected]]

Before you get someone a Starbucks card be sure they actually like their coffee. I got one for my son only to find out he loves Dunkin Donuts coffee much, much better.

[buddy68]

Kayak is a great site.

Just remember to clean out your cache before you search it otherwise it may give you the same stuff it provided you the last time you searched (this may happen if you repeatedly check to see if a particular set of fares have come down).

Also, some airlines (like southwest) are not on kayak and need to be searched separately.

[Financialmentor]

Thanks for the mention on the retirement calculator. Much appreciated!

Hopefully Karen (above) finds it more to her liking. I had it custom programmed for the very reasons she stated.