Blog

Blog

Musings on personal finance and more. Not written with AI since 2012.

Why not keep your debt and use the cash flow?

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There is a school of thought that you can use leverage to create cash flow without ever needing to pay off debt. But there’s a small problem. I was recently listening to a radio show hosted by a real estate … Read More … Read More

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The data is in: You can’t beat the market

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I look at S&P SPIVA scorecards for mutual funds, which confirm what we already knew about investing: that you can’t beat the market. Note: I’m not a financial advisor. I don’t offer financial (or legal) advice. My job is to … Read More … Read More

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How to stay motivated when paying off a mortgage

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Creating little milestones will help you stay motivated and give you a sense of accomplishment, even if your mortgage takes years to pay off. I logged into my mortgage account this month and saw something very exciting: Do you see … Read More … Read More

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How to prepare for the next surge in gas prices

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Gas prices won’t be lower for long. Here’s how to handle what happens the next time there’s a surge in gas prices. Gas prices are up. Then they’re down. Then they’re up. Then they’re down up down. At the very … Read More … Read More

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Desperation is not a financial strategy

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Crypto and other Hail-Mary financial plays show that many of us aren’t greedy, but desperate. But desperation will make the situation worse. By now you’ve all probably heard about the latest failure of a crypto exchange, FTX. Even if you … Read More … Read More

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How to write 750,000 words: 10 years of Empathic Finance

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I reflect on ten years of blogging, working to help people succeed with their finances and live a more authentic and radical life. On November 12, 2012, I was in a hostel on the big island in Hawaii. While on … Read More … Read More

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How to rollover your 401(k) to Fidelity

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I explore the process of doing a rollover of a 401(k) to an IRA at Fidelity Investments for the first time. UPDATE: Added in details on whether you are rolling over pre-tax funds or Roth funds. I’ve been taking a … Read More … Read More

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Why the 30 year mortgage is actually uncommon

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The U.S. is an outlier in offering a 30 year mortgage. Here’s why that is, and why you still want to be able to pay it off faster. It’s official: 30 year fixed-rate mortgages in the U.S. have reached 7%. … Read More … Read More

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Sign up for student loan debt relief right now

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Student loan debt relief is here, but Republicans are trying to stop it from happening. You should sign up now anyway. In August of this year, President Biden announced that millions of people would be getting some or all of … Read More … Read More

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Air cargo: The best way to ship your stuff

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My experience shipping packages via Alaska Air Cargo and becoming a TSA Known Shipper was amazing, and I’d recommend it for everyone. A few years ago, I had a need to ship a bunch of boxes from my mom’s house … Read More … Read More

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