Awareness

How a children’s TV show taught me about compound interest

I discuss a skit from Square One Television involving a doubling allowance to show how our brains can’t grasp how compound interest works. There are some random things that stick in a kid’s brain. I remember a movie called The … Read MoreRead More

More earnings than contributions: your next retirement tipping point

I finally achieve the point in my retirement savings where I have more earnings than I do contributions, and I talk about what this means. I started my first Roth IRA when I was two years out of college. At … Read MoreRead More

Entrepreneurs, are you also focusing on your personal finances?

Entrepreneurs, especially solopreneurs, can end up neglecting their personal finances, to the detriment of both their business and life. I can still remember the coaching session with a client who owned his own business. I asked him what his income … Read MoreRead More

America back to normal: Compassion fatigue and the end of unemployment benefits

As the pandemic rages and unemployment benefits are ending, I talk about how to view the situation and what you can do for yourself. In March 2020, in response to this new pandemic that was causing people to get uncontrollably … Read MoreRead More

Why avoiding dealing with money doesn’t work (and what to do instead)

Many think that they can escape money stress through avoidance, but this can actually exacerbate stress. Here’s what you can do instead. If there’s one thing I know about how people deal with money, it’s that they love to avoid … Read MoreRead More

What do you love to spend money on?

Frugality can go too far, and can lead to a scarcity mindset. Instead, I argue that it’s okay to spend money on things you love. My Twitter feed is a full of financial folks with names like*: I’m Crazy CheapThe … Read MoreRead More

What Duolingo taught me about maintaining good habits

Discussing the importance of building the habit of tracking finances every day, using the language learning software Duolingo as inspiration. A few months back, I had a conversation with my partner about what habits we can use to keep our … Read MoreRead More

The Saver’s Credit: Free money for retirement

I talk about The Saver’s Credit, and how some people who might have assumed it wasn’t relevant to them might qualify now. (Nothing in this post should be considered tax advice. Please see my Disclosure Policy.) The pandemic probably changed … Read MoreRead More

You can still save for retirement after you’ve retired

If your circumstances permit it, you can continue to save for your future for many years after your retirement. We tend to think of retirement as an event. One day you are working, and boom, the next day, you’re retired. … Read MoreRead More

Do you need a money reset?

I discuss what it means to have a money reset, and introduce my new mini-course on how to start over with money. It’s common in discussions of mental health to talk about a “reset”. One area for resets is in … Read MoreRead More