Minimalism is a big thing. From tiny houses to 100 things challenges, it seems that there is a building pushback against the McMansion-loving, stuff-buying, American-dream excess of our modern age, where what you buy determines who you are. From the … Read More … Read More
Blog
Blog
Musings on personal finance and more. Not written with AI since 2012.
An alternative to CD lock-in: a “ladder”
I don’t think CDs (certificates of deposit) are worth the bargain. You often (but not always) get a slightly higher interest rate than an equivalent savings account, but at the price of liquidity, in that you have to leave the … Read More … Read More
Is a CD worth it?
I’ve talked about savings accounts and checking accounts and when you want to put money in one versus the other. I’ve also talked about how you can benefit from using an online savings account to get a better interest rate … Read More … Read More
It is possible to have too much float
It’s important to have enough money in your account to not have to worry when your bills are paid, but too much float brings problems too. … Read More
Surprises, or Why you need more float in your account
In my last post I talked about very nearly overdrafting my account. It would have been more embarrassing than anything else had it happened—I haven’t overdrafted an account in over two decades—but it wouldn’t have caused any big problems. I … Read More … Read More
That time I almost overdrafted my account
The idea that once you become intentional about your finances you’ll never make any mistakes is, frankly, ludicrous. When I was training for the Seattle to Portland bike ride a few years ago, amidst all the rushing around and buying … Read More … Read More
The internet really doesn’t want you to be untraceable
How to find out if you (or anyone really) are owed money by the state
For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself
I definitely found myself struggling around writing the following phrase in my previous post on signing up for an advanced personal finance course: And, I’ll be honest, I don’t know a lot of people who are in my situation. Which … Read More … Read More
Why I’m signing up for a personal finance course
UPDATE (January 27, 2020): Finally published a review of this course. Michael Hyatt, the author and publisher, likes to say that “not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers“. By this, I’ve always interpreted it to mean that … Read More … Read More