Let me tell you a little secret about myself… I’m not good at math! Luckily for me, higher level math is not required for success in personal finance. Oh, I have a firm handle on the basics – addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions & exponents. However, the higher level stuff like algebra, calculus, and trigonometry […]
I’ve long held the belief that choosing to donate to worthy causes is a deeply personal thing. Some people donate their time. Others donate their money. Whichever you choose is the right answer for you. At the end of the day, I sincerely believe that donating to charitable causes is a very good use of […]
Per Diem… it’s a phrase that means “an amount of money paid per day.” In the world of personal finance, it’s a phrase that is not used nearly enough. I want you to commit to a per diem. That’s right. I want you to pay yourself some amount of money every single day. I’ve written […]
As hard as it may be to believe, the holidays are only a few weeks away. Thanksgiving will be here in another couple of weeks. (Or in November if you’re in the USA.) Then it’s another few short weeks until we celebrate Christmas, or Hannukkah, or Kwaanza, or Festivus. While the holidays will be different […]
The management expense ratio (MER) is the percentage of your portfolio that you pay to the company that sells you the index fund, exchange traded fund (ETF) or mutual fund that you hold in your portfolio. The fees for these products must be disclosed to potential buyers. Thanks to the wonder that is the internet, […]
The silver linings are there if you look for them, even in a pandemic. We all know that COVID-19 has changed things in a fundamental way at a societal level. However, as with most things in life, its impact on individual lives is different depending on one’s access to money and resources. Over the past […]
As you know, I hate paying bank fees. Thankfully, there are many great options available so I never have to. (And if you’re still paying bank fees, please tell me why? You don’t have to pay them either if you’re willing to spend roughly 20 minutes setting up a free online bank account.) However, I […]
Yes… it’s true. I’m a Single Person who loves to watch YouTube videos about people – almost always women – who do huge grocery shops and create videos about it. Since the Pandemic, and before I found these videos, I thought I was buying lots of food when I went to Costco. I’d buy two […]
It’s taken me a few years but I finally understand how to create money from real estate re-financing. It’s another aspect the money-making magic of properly investing your money. Right off the top, I want to tell you that I have never done this. In other words, my understanding of the process is only theoretical […]
The question often arises about whether it’s better to invest your money or to pay down debt. My position is that you should do both. The reality is that the younger you are, the more time your money has to compound if invested. From the tiniest acorn did the mighty oak grow, and all that. […]