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Blog

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

Inspectors

A Vanguard benefit for those without “elite” status

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So Vanguard has “elite” status tiers with extra benefits for those who qualify. The tiers start at $50,000. But $50,000 is a lot of money to many of you. Me too. And while it’s nothing approaching the roughly $1,000,000 that … Read More … Read More

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Magic carpet ride

You can get “elite” status…with Vanguard

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I’m an unsophisticated investor, but I consider that a good thing. I’d rather do something simple that has a proven track record, rather than go for big bets that are unproven and even more risky. After all, this is my … Read More … Read More

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Mattress pattern

How financial products are like mattresses

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I wanted to come up with a good analogy of why a fiduciary duty is such an important regulation to have in place in our society. And it made me think of mattresses. … Read More

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Stack of papers

The meaning of “fiduciary”, or why others looking out for you is controversial

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A “fiduciary” is a person or organization that is required to act in the best interest of another. I believe that everyone should be required to act in this way. If I’m going to work with anyone or anything in the … Read More … Read More

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Barbed wire

Why there is almost nothing redeeming about Uber

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So okay, maybe I don’t hate taxis so much anymore. I get their place in our society. When your time is worth more than your money, a taxi can make sense. But while I’ve softened my stance on taxis (even … Read More … Read More

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In (surprising) defense of taxis

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I’m writing this the night before I take off on a short trip, my first of the new year. The flight leaves at 7AM. I have Pre-Check (because of NEXUS) so I don’t need to get there all that much … Read More … Read More

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Sarasota dawn

Calculate the opportunity cost

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Opportunity cost can be defined as “the value of the choice of a best alternative lost while making a decision.“ Or, more colloquially, it’s “what you could have done if you had chosen differently.“ I’ve talked before that one should consider … Read More … Read More

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Junk car

How my 1990 Geo Prizm helped me buy a home

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I kept my first car, a 1990 Geo Prizm, for years longer than anyone said I should. But that decision later enabled me to buy my first home. … Read More

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Diving board

How to calculate your true account balance at the end of the month

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WARNING: This post contains math. How much float do you need? Well, optimally you’d have enough float such that you could cover your entire month’s expenses on day 1, just to be safe. But in general you want to have … Read More … Read More

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Floating ball

How float can help you track your expenses more effectively

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Let’s talk about float. As I’ve defined it before, float is the money in your checking account that is above and beyond your paychecks. It is a cushion for your day-to-day balance changes. Having adequate float in your account is … Read More … Read More

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