I came across two stories regarding unique items being sold this week.

The first story was about the Tuttle Family Farm sale.

John Tuttle came to the good ol’ U.S. of A. in 1632 on a land-grant from King Charles I.

He used that grant to purchase land near the Maine/New Hampshire border.

The farm has been passed down from generation to generation making it one of the oldest continuously family-operated farms in America!

But, the 11th Tuttle generation just can’t hack it any longer – and they’ve discouraged their children from taking it over because they’d be “saddled with debt”, according to Lucy Tuttle, 65, who runs the farm with her brother Will.

Looks like this original 20-acre-parcel-turned-134-acre-tract has seen its last days of sweet corn, cucumbers and squash. 

Unless of course, the new buyer would like to keep on farming.  But that doesn’t seem likely.

Farm sales are common in the United States and are gaining in popularity, but this one is unique because of its history.

The other story was about an Alaskan comic book buff who is putting his prized possession on the market. 

Batman No. 1!

This rare comic from 1940 was the first solo spin-off for Batman who originally made his debut in 1939.

Mike Wheat, the owner of this vintage comic said the time was right for someone else to take it over. 

There have been a few Batman No. 1′s that have gone to auction, but this one is unique because it’s in excellent condition. 

I’m no comic book afficionado, but my guess is that a 70-year-old rare comic book can look pretty rough!

I don’t care how well you take care of it, a vintage newsprint comic cannot hold up that well.

Except for this one – apparently the cool temps and low humidity in Alaska make this a perfect area to “raise” comics! 

The condition of this particular Batman No. 1 is “white” and “crisp”. 

I think that’s comic-speak for “Wicked Awesome!”

So, which will fetch more? 

A vintage Batman comic book…..or, a nearly 400 year old family farm?

The comic already has bids pushing it up to $35k and it’s expected to get more than $40,000!

Meanwhile, Lucy and Will have set an asking price on the 134-acre family farm at a cool $3.35 million!

I know one thing is for sure – holding on to farmland for 378 years and a comic book for 70 is definitely not a “Get Rich Quick” Scheme!

What do you think…are either one really worth the money?

When it comes to earning interest from cash products, Certificate of Deposits or CDs, are often considered a good choice. However, most CD interest rates are not offering terribly high yields right now.

It’s just the nature of any cash product.

You exchange safety for the potential for higher yields. It is possible, though, to boost your CD interest rates.

There are some high yield CD options that can help you get a little more bang for your buck, let’s take a look at a few of them:

High Yield CDs

These are your basic CDs, but with higher yields.

These CDs are most often found at online banks, so you can head to the Internet to look for them. You can also try a local bank or credit union, since these institutions may be running special deals.

It is also possible to enjoy higher yields on CDs that you get for longer periods of time, or for higher amounts. A 5-year CD with $15,000 will earn a higher yield than a 3-year CD with $4,000. High yield CDs provide a little more in terms of return than you might find otherwise.

Callable CDs

These are interesting CDs that might offer you a higher CD interest rate, but at the cost of the bank being able to call the CD back within a certain period of time.

You are offered a higher rate, but the bank will have the option to take back the CD after a certain term.

Some banks will offer a very high rate on a 5-year CD, and guarantee it for six months, or even a year. But, after that initial call protection period is up, the institution can recall the CD.

You get your principal back, and any interest you have earned to that point, but your high yield goes away. Banks use callable CDs as a way to get you interested, and then take advantage of the market if interest rates drop.

They call in the CD, and then you have to get a new CD — one with a lower interest rate.

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Brokerage CDs

Brokers also sell CDs. They get large issue CDs from financial institutions, and then break them down into smaller pieces that can be sold to investors.

Financial planners and brokers can also help you shop around for higher CD interest rates. Brokerage CDs often come with higher yields than more traditional CDs.

However, you do have to be careful. In some cases, you might have to pay a fee as part of the transaction, or fees charged on assets under management may cut into your returns. You also have to check to make sure your CD is FDIC insured, since not all brokerage CDs are.

Another option related to brokerage CDs is the secondary market. It is possible to buy and sell CDs much as you would fixed income investments. However, you run the risk of losing money in these cases, and your CD is probably not insured.

Bump Up CDs

These interesting CDs offer the option of taking advantage of a higher interest rates later on. You have a fixed term for your CD rate, and if interest rates rise, you have the option of “bumping up” your CD rate to that higher rate when the current term ends.

Basically, you have the option of enjoying a higher CD rates on a new issue if you have a bump up. Since the bump up doesn’t take place until after the original CD’s term ends, you will need to choose quite carefully.

Bottom Line

There are CD products out there that offer higher interest rates. They still may not be the types of returns you can potentially get from stocks (or even bonds), but high yield CD options can help you get a little more for your cash.

Plus, with the right CD products, you can more effectively preserve your capital, and maybe even protect — at least a little bit — against inflation.

This has been a guest post by Nathan Richardson, Managing Editor and Founder of ComplexSearch, Nathan enjoys blogging and helping consumers save money.

What are the two words that people love most?  Oftentimes it’s  free and money!

Who doesn’t want to get free money? 

What’s amazing is the number of people who I run into on a regular basis who continue to leave money  on the table!

If you woke up this morning, got your cup of coffee and went to the front porch to get your paper and instead found a nice, crisp $100 bill – would you pick it up?

Of course you would!  You wouldn’t pick up your paper and say, “Oh a $100 bill” and turn and walk into your house, and yet thousands of people are doing just that.

One of the best feelings in the world is putting on a pair of pants or a jacket and reaching in the pocket only to pull out a crumpled $10 bill that you forgot about!  I love that! 

So, let’s find some free money: 

Company Match

The number of companies that are matching employees 401k contributions has gone down since the start of the Great Recession, but there are still plenty of employers that are matching.

It amazes me the sheer number of people I run into who are unsure of what their company matches or even if they are contributing enough to maximize the full matching potential of the employer.

If the company says, “we’ll match dollar for dollar up to five percent” and you’re only putting in three percent, that is just plain silly!

Review your company’s plan to determine if there are some matching opportunities that you’ve left on the table.

Rebates

How many of you bought a product with a nice little rebate only to forget to send in the form along with proof of purchase and receipt!? 

According to the National Consumers League, “only 2-3% of all those who buy a product with a rebate ever end up receiving the funds.”

Rebates are easy to forget, but worth remembering.  Every little bit counts towards getting free money!

Missing Money

So technically this doesn’t have to do with finding free money, but it does have to do with finding your own missing goods.

MissingMoney.com is a national database established by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA).

MissingMoney.com enables owners to perform comprehensive searches for lost assets required by law to be turned over to the states. 

Just go to the site, type in your name and state and see if there is any unclaimed property waiting to be returned to its rightful owner. 

My coworker actually told me about this site after he found some goods on here that he was missing.

Not Joing a Rewards Program

I know there is hot debate over credit cards rewards programs.  I won’t get into that here. 

But, what I do know is that there are plenty of grocery stores, gas stations and the like that offer free ”rewards programs” or loyalty discounts if you sign up.

One example is the Speedy Rewards from Speedway Gas Stations.  This is not a credit card.  It is simply a loyalty rewards program where you can accrue points to spend on free items.

We have a lot of Speedway’s near us and yet my wife and I still haven’t signed up for their rewards program!  We have friends who tell us how great this program is, so we need to get signed up and start swiping at the pump!

Leaving Money in a Checking Account

This is basic, yet it’s amazing to me how many people leave large chunks of money in their checking accounts earning ZERO!

Even if you moved some of the money to a savings account that only earned 1/2% you’d be better off!  Every thousand dollars earning a half percent gets you $5!  No, it’s not great, but who wouldn’t take $5?

There are plenty of High Yield Savings accounts out there that can help earn an extra 1 or 2% as well.  You’re leaving free money on the table

Not Deducting Charitable Contributions

Maybe this is more common for Christians who think they shouldn’t deduct their charitable contributions because they are seeking a “heavenly reward” rather than an “earthly one”.

I think this is a silly argument.  Remember the parable of the talents?  The master was not pleased with the servant who just buried his talent and earned nothing.  He said, “you should’ve at least put it in the bank and earned some interest”.

Now, I’m not saying the context applies here, but the principle does.  Take advantage of opportunities to grow the money or receive free money that the IRS allows!

Why not get that money back on your taxes and give THAT away too!?

Other Ways to Find Free Money

What are some of the ways you’ve found free money?

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When you get right down to it, there are only two ways to get ahead financially – reduce expenses so you spend less than you make; or increase your income so you make more than you spend.  This post will look at the latter, specifically turning your hobby into a business. 

According to dictionary.com, a hobby is “an activity or interest pursued for pleasure and relaxation and not as a main occupation.”  Basically, a hobby is what you like to do in your spare time.  Some would describe a hobby as something you love to do and not necessarily have to do.  Many people don’t realize there are opportunities to turn what you love into a little extra side money. 

What Do You Like to Do?

The first place to start is knowing what you like to do.  Perhaps you like stamp collecting or scrapbooking or maybe you are into photography or writing.  It doesn’t matter if you like playing guitar or playing tennis, take a minute to think about what you enjoy doing.  Now, you’ll need to figure out if you can make some money at this.

Sell Your Expertise

Is there demand for your hobby?  If so, why not start selling your services?  My wife loves photography.  She has enjoyed taking pictures and creating scrapbooks ever since I’ve known her.  She especially loves capturing candid shots of children and infants.   A couple of years ago, we decided to buy her a nice camera, a good lens, some lights and a couple backdrops and let her start taking pictures out of our home.  Parents and grandparents are always wanting to capture little Johnny’s adorable smile on camera so the demand is there.  My wife has a very creative eye when it comes to photos and thankfully people have been willing to pay for her services. 

My wife no longer has time to spend creating the scrapbooks that she likes.  Although she still enjoys it, with two kids there just isn’t enough time.  What she decided to do was hire someone who turned their hobby of scrapbooking into a business.  Basically, Jen provides the pictures to her and she turns them into a beautiful scrapbook.  Both of these stories are examples of taking something you love to do and selling your expertise.

Teach What You Love

Most hobbyists know just about everything there is to know about that particular subject.  Even if you don’t know everything, but have a desire to see others learn, start teaching.  Turn that love for playing guitar or something else into lessons for others.  I have a couple nieces and nephews who did that very thing with their musical talents and it provided some nice extra spending money during high school.

Downside of Turning Your Hobby into a Business

The disadvantage of turning your hobby into a business is running the risk of burn out.  If your business starts growing and you must meet deadlines and answer to customers you may lose your love for that particular hobby.  Be willing to say “no” if you find yourself getting more stressed out in the process of trying to make a little cash.   

Tax Consequences

Of course, Uncle Sam has something to say about your hobby.  You cannot continually show and take a loss for your business year after year.  At some point, the IRS wants to see that you made a little money or you need to stop counting your hobby as a business loss.   In fact, the IRS says you must show a profit in three out of the last five years in order for your hobby to be considered a “for profit” business.

Final Thoughts

This list is by no means exhaustive; it’s purely meant to get you thinking outside the norm to consider the real possibility of using your hobby to earn a little extra cash to help pay off debt, be more generous and help achieve your financial goals.

What About You?

Have you started a business from your hobby or took something you loved and found a way to make a little extra money?  I’d love to hear your tips and stories!