Blog

Blog

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

Tennis Shot

It’s okay, you were never taught

Posted by on | Featured

I run a discussion group in Portland called the Portland Integrative Finance Community. It’s been tremendously satisfying for me, but the feedback I’ve gotten from attendees so far has been remarkable. Many people have mentioned how positive it was to … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,
Net

What is your financial net worth?

Posted by on | Featured

I don’t necessarily think of one’s finances as a game (unlike, say, Tony Robbins), but more like a process, a challenge, a long task. Perhaps a kind of art. That said, I also think it’s useful and important to know … Read More … Read More

Tags: ,
Hands in the air

Tony Robbins’ finance app, or how the end of history is already happening

Posted by on | Featured

I talk about the problems with tying the contents of a book to an online service, using the example of the Tony Robbins Master The Game app. I got on a bit of a rant when I talked about the end … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,
VCR

How to prevent the end of history

Posted by on | Featured

Hidden among the latest catastrophes and tragedies was a little-heralded story about how the last VCR was finally being produced. “I didn’t even know that VCRs were still being made,” said mostly everyone. Indeed, it’s been a while since I’ve … Read More … Read More

Tags: ,
Blurry people

Even if I wanted a smartphone, how would I use it?

Posted by on | Featured

Smartphones aren’t evil, but for me, the cons far outweigh the pros. I don’t need a map to get around, I don’t need email everywhere I am, and apps don’t seem like they would qualitatively add to my life. For … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,
Ask graffiti

Have you lowered your bills recently?

Posted by on | Featured

This week, I managed to lower my phone bill by over 25%. It was easy, and didn’t even require a call into the (dreaded) customer service. But there’s nothing special about me and my situation, and you can do the … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,
Superman

Enter the retirement mutant hybrid: the Roth 401(k)

Posted by on | Featured

When people think of employer-based retirement accounts like 401(k) plans, people often think that that implies pre-tax contributions. It’s only your own self-directed retirement accounts (IRAs) that have the post-tax (Roth) option. I used to be one of those people. But … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , ,
Match heads

Seriously, take the employer match

Posted by on | Featured

What if I told I could get you an immediate 100% return on an investment? Would you believe me? According to the American Benefits Council, 80 percent of full-time workers have access to a defined contribution plan such as a 401(k) … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,
Homemade Enigma machine

Financial cage match: ETFs versus mutual funds

Posted by on | Featured

I want everyone to be an investing expert. Thankfully, I also believe that simplicity in investing is best. Create a Roth IRA, put money into low-cost index funds, and repeat this every month. When I say “low-cost index funds”, I’m … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , , ,
Newspapers

Is it time to turn off the news?

Posted by on | Featured

My mom assures me that this is a true story. Around the age of 5 or so, reflecting on the content on the local news show on TV, I asked my mom why they didn’t call the show “Bad News” … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , ,