Decisions

Subway train blur

It’s not worth it to be dishonest

I just finished reading The Big Short, about the U.S. mortgage bubble/crisis in the late 2000s. I don’t know how I never got around to reading it before now, but there’s always more books to read. It’s hard not to … Read MoreRead More

Direction sign

6 reasons why you could benefit from a financial coach

Financial coaching will benefit you, no matter where you are in your financial journey. Here’s why coaching is for everyone. Let’s be honest, you could use a little help. Given our current economy, there’s a good chance you’re working hard … Read More

Fancy cars

When is it time to buy a new car?

Never. Okay okay, I’ll resist the easy joke. Is there a case for buying a new car? Sure there is. There just isn’t much of one. And it probably doesn’t apply to you. … Read More

Tow truck

When is it time to buy your next car?

Everyone seems to drive a nicer car than you. They’re all newer than yours too. Cars are such an extension of our selves in this auto-obsessed country of ours, which is unfortunate, because cars often have an inverse effect on … Read MoreRead More

Queue ticket

How do you figure out how much money you need in retirement?

I had a little fun with our fictitious shopping trip on the luxury eBay. While I enjoy toys as much as anyone, I think the desire for ultra-rich luxuries seems less about desire for luxuries and more of a need … Read MoreRead More

Drumsticks

Amazon Prime just raised its prices by 20%. What’s 20% of $0?

The news was electric. Amazon, the great dark god of retail, was going to raise its prices on its popular Amazon Prime subscription service, from $99 a year to $119 a year. That wasn’t the electric part though. That was … Read MoreRead More

Carhenge

What would you do if your car died today?

“Mobility is empowerment” is a phrase I’ve long internalized. That goes for the micro level (being able to get from place to place) and the macro level (being able to move to another place). And if you are far away … Read MoreRead More

Gas prices sign

Adventures in pointless frugality: Shopping for a gas station

I’ve been fascinated in one way or another by gas prices ever since I worked at a gas station in college. At first it was just the geographic variation in prices, like how I could drive across the river from … Read MoreRead More

Handholding

What to do when an emergency isn’t unexpected

I’ve long said that you can gauge whether something is an emergency if the following three “U” words describe the situation: Unexpected Urgent Unavoidable I use this metric to be able to distinguish between actual emergencies and things that feel like … Read MoreRead More

Cameras

Online trust, or How to figure out your biggest threats online

Greetings from Seattle, Washington! Actually, hello from Charlotte, North Carolina! On second thought, salutations from somewhere in Azerbaijan! It’s fun to be anywhere at the click of a button. By this I mean, anywhere as far as my computer traffic … Read MoreRead More