Radical Finances

Safe door

Can your money ever really be safe?

I feel like there are a lot more radio programs of a financial nature than there used to be. This might be a confirmation bias, in that I’m seeking these things out. I could just as easily say that I … Read MoreRead More

Push pins

Is a credit card safer than a debit card?

I recently got some pushback about using debit cards. I always appreciate this. I want ideas to be battle-tested, and I welcome the opportunity to think critically about decisions I’ve made and suggestions I’ve given. I don’t need everyone to … Read MoreRead More

Bank Vault

Here are some better ways to spend $600 than on hard drive recovery

I spent roughly $600 to recover personal files from a dead hard drive. Now, $600 is a lot of money. It was half of the price of my first car when I bought it. It was more than what my … Read MoreRead More

Why not debt consolidation?

Paying off debt is hard. Chances are that you have debts in a number of different places (car, student loan, credit card, and even perhaps medical or personal debts as well), all of which have different payment dates, rates, and … Read MoreRead More

Mountain wall

The debt doldrums: how to manage a single large debt

Do you have a really big debt? I do. It’s called my mortgage. Last year, I was able to successfully pay down my mortgage such that my loan-to-value ratio (essentially, the percentage of how much I owed on my home) hit … Read MoreRead More

U.S. Capitol

What’s wrong with an interest-free loan to the government?

Every year, amid the discussion of taxes and rebates and the like, there is usually a talking point that goes like this: “Getting a rebate of any amount is a bad idea, because all you’re doing is giving the government … Read MoreRead More

Cluttered desk

Is it possible to pay in advance exactly the amount of tax you owe?

Welcome back to tax season! It’s an interesting time that can seem extremely fraught to some, and a little exciting to others. For some: so much work to do. For others: big rebates! I’m fortunate to be young enough that … Read MoreRead More

Roller coaster

That time I almost tried to time the market (but didn’t)

At the beginning of the year, the news reports started piling in: the stock markets were overvalued. P/E ratios were at highs not seen in years. Some people even used the curious phrase “melt-up” (which, correct me if I’m wrong, … Read MoreRead More

ATM withdrawal

Another way to track cash expenses

People have very widely varying attitudes toward cash. While some people feel money more when they spend cash, other people don’t feel it at all. In fact, the way some people have explained it to me, if the transaction doesn’t … Read MoreRead More

Street collapse

Pay less now, or pay more later, your choice

There are lots of ways to spend more money than you have to. One of the easiest ways to do that is to buy something before you have the money for it. And there are oodles of ways to do … Read MoreRead More