Getting current with past due debts is one of the most urgent tasks for you to take care of, pretty much before you do anything else. I’ve talked about how to pay off debt. That’s that “debt snowball” thing you … Read More … Read More
Blog
Blog
Musings on personal finance and more. Not written with AI since 2012.
What to do when you’re paid biweekly
2022 in review: Best posts of the year
I recap the best posts of 2022, including the ones my readers liked and the ones I’m most proud of. Happy end of the year! It’s been a good year for me. After more than two years of work, I … Read More … Read More
Why not keep your debt and use the cash flow?
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
The data is in: You can’t beat the market
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
How to stay motivated when paying off a mortgage
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
How to prepare for the next surge in gas prices
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
Desperation is not a financial strategy
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
How to write 750,000 words: 10 years of Empathic Finance
How to rollover your 401(k) to Fidelity
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