Blog

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

The Target problem: Managing (over)spending at the Everything Store

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Target and other big retailers that sell a wide range of products present a challenge to those who wish to track their spending. Target has been around for decades, but it only hit my radar in college, when the first … Read More … Read More

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Debunking Ben & Arthur: How to win at investing even if you start later

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The parable from the Dave Ramsey team about Ben and Arthur is fatally flawed, which is good news for pretty much everyone. Everyone knows that you should start saving for retirement early. And that makes sense. The sooner you start, … Read More … Read More

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Going for my AFC certification: How I got my 1,000 hours

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I detail how I met the 1,000 Experience Hours requirement to become an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC). Two years ago, I decided to get my Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) certification. While I believe that you don’t need official credentials to … Read More … Read More

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Why inflation might worry you (but probably shouldn’t)

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I wade into popular economics to interpret recent higher inflation rates, to see if there is any merit in being concerned. I remember my first savings account that my parents opened for me when I was a kid. It was … Read More … Read More

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Why Ally’s Surprise Savings is terrifying

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I explore the Surprise Savings product from Ally and suggest a different way to achieve the exact same results. Last night, I was logging on to Ally to adjust some of my automatic transfers between my checking account and my … Read More … Read More

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Why I don’t talk about FIRE

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I discuss the FIRE (Financial Independence / Retire Early) movement, and how it falls short for so many of us, despite all of the hype. FIRE (Financial Independence / Retire Early) is a financial strategy or philosophy that encourages minimalist … Read More … Read More

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Don’t let your husband manage all of your money

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In our culture, it’s not uncommon for a woman to let her husband take care of all of the household finances. Here’s why that’s a problem. Disclaimer: I’m going to leap into the mono- and heteronormative for this post, but … Read More … Read More

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What to do with company stock

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Some employees receive company stock as part of their total compensation package. Here’s what you want to do with it (and why). Note: This is not financial advice. Please see my disclosure policy for details. If you’re fortunate enough to … Read More … Read More

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What to do after an emergency has passed

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Dealing with an emergency is challenging, but there is also an important process for getting back to normal after an emergency has passed. Mostly everyone has some experience of what it’s like to deal with an emergency. The pandemic has … Read More … Read More

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Is it really better to wait to claim Social Security until you turn 70?

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I challenge the conventional wisdom that you should wait until age 70 to claim Social Security benefits in order to get the most out of it. According to US News, the average monthly Social Security benefit as of 2022 is … Read More … Read More

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