Blog

Blog

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

Why free markets don’t foster competition

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  My favorite class in high school was my 11th grade American Studies. Sadly no longer offered in a world of AP courses and teach-to-the-test education, this was a combination of American history and and American literature. I never had … Read More … Read More

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Why overdraft charges are okay (but unecessary)

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  Overdraft charges are the great irony of banking. You get charged a fee when you try to make a purchase and you don’t have sufficient money in your account. It would almost be a joke if it weren’t so … Read More … Read More

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Where to go from here

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  I always try to keep my posts focused on you, and how I can use the few things I’ve learned to help you out. I use my antics as a jumping off point, but let’s be honest, if this … Read More … Read More

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How to write 75,000 words

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  On the morning of November 12, 2012, I was standing perched on the ladder of a bunk bed in a hostel in Hawaii, with my laptop sitting on the upper bed. Before I set off to do some exploring, … Read More … Read More

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Why using sinking funds is a revolutionary act

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  A sinking fund, as I talked about before, is a way of saving up for large expenses in advance. It’s a kind of a quaint, old-timey way of doing things, which might be why it appeals to me. A … Read More … Read More

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Rise up with a sinking fund

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  I found out that my car needed some work recently. My mechanic quoted me a figure that initially made me stagger a bit. I don’t know why I was surprised, as anything having to do with a car that’s … Read More … Read More

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Why you must become an investing expert

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  Talking about investing tends to bring out some strong feelings in people, often negative. “I hate it!” is a common refrain. “I don’t want to have to deal with it” is another. Now, I’m sympathetic, as all my life I’ve … Read More … Read More

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Occam, your investing advisor

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  I was talking with a friend who had recently decided to go back to school. One can’t discuss school for very long without the subject of loans coming up, and my friend indicated that he would indeed be taking … Read More … Read More

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Why I pay tolls gladly

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  I’ll admit it, I used to avoid tolls. I remember on drives from Philadelphia to points south, there was a toll booth at the Delaware/Maryland border that could be avoided by getting off at the prior exit, paralleling the … Read More … Read More

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Is personal responsibility enough?

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  As should be pretty obvious by now if you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I’m a very big fan of taking responsibility for your own life, and specifically your finances. (And, if not, welcome!) I believe … Read More … Read More

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