Awareness

DTLA

What would make you feel financially secure?

There are people for whom money is not a concern. (That’s great, except for the subset of people for whom money isn’t a concern but probably should be. I want you to feel financially secure, but only if you are financially secure.) … Read MoreRead More

Ship mast

There is a race to the bottom in mutual fund fees, and we all win

I’ve always believed that in business you can compete on price or you can compete on quality, but never both. Which is why we have basic economy on airplanes (which are as cheap as possible and as a consequence are … Read MoreRead More

IQ tester

The benefits (and limitations) of Chris Hogan’s R:IQ assessment test

I discuss the online R:IQ assessment test by Chris Hogan, which seeks to determine how much money you need to save up for your retirement. As mentioned in my review of Chris Hogan’s Retire Inspired book, a tool called the … Read MoreRead More

Little robot

Chris Hogan’s Retire Inspired: Another bionic book?

Years from now, when the internet is as obscure and unknowable as Linear A, archaeologists are going to unearth books, still well-preserved, that say things like: “If you haven’t taken the R:IQ assessment yet, do it now! Take it for … Read MoreRead More

Touch cactus

Did I ever tell you how lucky you are?

My favorite Dr. Seuss book, from the time I was a child to today, is Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? It’s always seemed a lesser known work of his, more McElligot’s Pool than Green Eggs and … Read MoreRead More

Ally now makes it easier to set up multiple savings accounts

Ally has changed the way that you can create multiple savings accounts. This can make your savings plans much easier to implement. Update (February 2020): Ally now allows actual buckets! Read my review here. I’m a big fan of Ally. … Read MoreRead More

Bond camera shot

Why not avoid bonds too?

Last time, I talked about my (thankfully?) fruitless attempt to buy tax liens as an alternative investment vehicle. I was initially attracted by the promise of high returns, but ultimately left feeling like what I was trying to do was—if … Read MoreRead More

Vote. Without fear (if you can).

I’m terribly sorry, but I need to interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post to remind you that you need to vote. (This post is centered on a U.S. audience because Election Day is the day after this post goes live. … Read MoreRead More

Sun rays

How do you know how much money you need?

Let’s face it: you probably have no idea how much you need to save in your life. This isn’t your fault. Like so much of financial security, we’re not taught anything in a comprehensive, start-to-finish sort of way. So we … Read MoreRead More

Stairs light

Would you even want to win the lottery?

I’ve spoken before about how it’s not worth it to play the lottery. As my college roommate once said to me (unimprovably, I thought), “you have about as much chance of winning the lottery if you play as if you … Read MoreRead More