One of the cruel ironies of money is as follows: the less you have the more you need it. Take two people – Joe & Morty. Both of them have monthly expenses of $2,750 – rent, food, utilities, car payment, gasoline, and various other stuff. Joe has $500 to pay his bills this month. (His […]
Ever since I started learning about personal finance, I’ve noted that those who are successful at it have 5 traits in common. These 5 traits appear regardless of the path taken. Some people invested in the stock market, either through stock picking, mutual funds, or exchange-traded funds. Others became real estate investors and built a […]
Welcome to 2021! A bright and shiny new year stretches out in front of us. Have you figured out what you want to do with it? Any resolutions in place yet? Or do you firmly believe every new dawn brings you the chance to change you life as you see fit? Whichever philosophy you adopt, […]
Hope you had a good Christmas, even if you may not have celebrated exactly as you would’ve pre-pandemic. And if you were able to celebrate in your normal fashion, then good on you. Another Christmas is in the history books. It is now the day after the extra calories, the all-day pjs, the gifts, the […]
A new year is right around the corner. In a few short days, we will usher in 2021 and 2020 will be in the history books! Can I get an “Amen”? I don’t know many who would argue that this year has not been trying for the vast majority of us, and on so many […]
A car fund is a tool that will help you stay out of debt. Avoiding car payments is a great way to keep your financial stress to minimum. Your car fund is the place where you save money for your next vehicle. It’s a sinking fund dedicated to the purchase of your next motorized chariot. […]
When I was growing up, my parents always encouraged to be a professional. I was told to aim for dentistry, medicine, and law. My parents wanted me to be a professional so that I could always create a job for myself. They knew, and wanted me to understand, that working for someone else meant that […]
Quick! What is your marginal tax rate? If you answered “I don’t know”, then welcome to the club! Pull up a chair and sit down for a spell. Most of us do not know what our marginal tax rate is… which is really too bad. It’s one of the more useful pieces of information to […]
When I was younger, I was convinced that student loans are an anchor. I believed that the best course of action was to eliminate them as soon as humanly possible. Full stop – no further discussion needed. Paying off student loans ASAP was a sign of being a mature adult. One did not carry debt […]
This summer, I was lucky enough to have a socially-distanced visit with some friends. As we enjoyed our cheesecake, the host mentioned that he was worried about what would happen when his boss retired. My friend explained that his boss’ child would likely take over the company. This likelihood was causing a good deal of […]