Radical Finances

Is the 15% rule for investing before tax or after tax?

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Once you’re out of debt, you’re ready to start saving for retirement. (Before you’re out of debt, you’re probably better off just focusing on that, though I think an exception is fair for extremely large debts like mortgages). A good … Read More … Read More

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How to plan when you have irregular income

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Respect to all the freelancers, DIYers, and people out there without a steady paycheck. Also, your life is, shall we say, more complicated. With irregular income comes anxiety. How much will you make this month? Will it be more or … Read More … Read More

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The Roth IRA danger zone (part 2): What to do if you contributed too much

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So we talked last time about the problems with being on the threshold of the Roth IRA income limits. If you make way too much or way too little, then you know where you stand in terms of being able … Read More … Read More

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The Roth IRA danger zone (part 1): What to do when you almost make too much to contribute

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A Roth IRA is awesome. There are lots of reasons, but the main one is that your money can grow and be withdrawn tax-free. So whatever you have in your account, that’s yours. Got a hundred grand? You’ve got a … Read More … Read More

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Inviting the repo man in: Using a home equity loan to pay off credit card debt

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Some people cut up their credit cards. Some people have them but keep them in a drawer. Some people may use them, but pay them off at the end of the month. I can see arguments for all of these, … Read More … Read More

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The bridge: What you need when you retire early

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One of my life’s goals is to become financially independent. This means that I won’t need to rely on work to earn an income. (Yeah, it would be nice if we as a society could move to something approximating universal … Read More … Read More

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Book review: Everyday Millionaires

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I review the book “Everyday Millionaires” by Chris Hogan and its fundamental question: can anyone truly become a millionaire? The word “millionaire” has a lot of emotional meaning. It carries the weight of financial success, even if it doesn’t necessarily … Read More

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When to create a savings bucket

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A bucket is my term for a savings account, used for either one-time or ongoing purchases. It’s certainly not a standard financial term. I don’t see it used much on personal finance sites. But the analogy should be clear enough. … Read More … Read More

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How to find the sweet spot for paying extra on a debt

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If you have debt, some of the mandates are clear to you: Pay it off, obviously. Pay down a single debt at a time. Pay either the highest interest rate debt first (which makes sense on paper) or the lowest-sized … Read More … Read More

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When you’re asked to buy a protection plan, do this instead

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I have a pretty nice laptop. It was bought for me as part of my previous job, and when I left, I negotiated to be able to take it with me. Along with ownership of the laptop came the warranty, … Read More … Read More

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