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Blog

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

Cat in box

What does that 3×3 investing square mean?

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If you’ve played around with investment websites at all, and ever looked up mutual funds at all, you’ve no doubt noticed a little 3×3 square. For example, on the Vanguard page for its Total Stock Market Index Fund, you see … Read More … Read More

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Ouija board

The HSA “testing period”: The Sophie’s Choice of health care costs

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Last time, I talked about the maximum contribution you can make to a Health Savings Account (HSA) each year. Contribute any more, and you pay a steep penalty. We don’t want to do that, but we do want to contribute … Read More … Read More

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Crayons

How much can you contribute to an HSA?

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I have a pretty uninspiring health care plan. I guess you don’t appreciate what you have until you no longer have it. My previous job had excellent health care. Both medical and dental were top notch and cost next to nothing. I … Read More … Read More

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Turtle

5 things about money that are strange when you start to think about them

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I typically think about money in terms of what it can do for people, but sometimes, I think about money itself, in the abstract. Kind of like this guy: Watch this video on YouTube Okay, actually not at all like … Read More … Read More

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Tarot cards

How to know when it’s time to get conservative about investing for retirement

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The conventional wisdom when it comes to investing for retirement, is that you to start out with more risky/lucrative investments when you’re young and can afford to take more risks, and then over time move into more conservative prospects, towards … Read More … Read More

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Remember who you’re doing it for

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We talk so much about getting on track with your finances, making progress, breaking old behaviors and forming new patterns. We know why we’re doing it, usually. For me, I believe we’re doing all this so that we can feel … Read More … Read More

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Trophies

Getting rid of PMI (part 5): The moment of truth?

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Part of a series: Getting rid of PMI (part 1): The P stands for “parasite” Getting rid of PMI (part 2): The M stands for “misdirection” Getting rid of PMI (part 3): The I stands for “I already told you” … Read More … Read More

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White Cliffs of Dover

Getting rid of PMI (part 4): Hard work vs. a risky shortcut

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Part of a series: Getting rid of PMI (part 1): The P stands for “parasite” Getting rid of PMI (part 2): The M stands for “misdirection” Getting rid of PMI (part 3): The I stands for “I already told you” … Read More … Read More

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Getting rid of PMI (part 3): The I stands for “I already told you”

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Part of a series: Getting rid of PMI (part 1): The P stands for “parasite” Getting rid of PMI (part 2): The M stands for “misdirection” Getting rid of PMI (part 3): The I stands for “I already told you” … Read More … Read More

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Train track junctions

6 example ways to invest your 15%

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Save 15% for retirement. You’ve heard it all before. And now you know how you determine how to determine which investment vehicles comprise that 15%. But with so many different options and scenarios, it’s easy to get lost. So here … Read More … Read More

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