Radical Finances

Why not debt consolidation?

Posted by on | Featured

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 More … Read More

Tags: , , ,
Mountain wall

The debt doldrums: how to manage a single large debt

Posted by on | Featured

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 More … Read More

Tags: , ,
U.S. Capitol

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

Posted by on | Featured

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 More … Read More

Tags: , ,
Cluttered desk

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

Posted by on | Featured

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 More … Read More

Tags:
Roller coaster

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

Posted by on | Featured

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 More … Read More

Tags: , ,
ATM withdrawal

Another way to track cash expenses

Posted by on | Featured

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 More … Read More

Tags: , , ,
Street collapse

Pay less now, or pay more later, your choice

Posted by on | Featured

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 More … Read More

Tags: , , , ,
Waves crashing

Warren’s wisdom, or on being greedy and fearful

Posted by on | Featured

One of the more famous—and certainly eerily relevant—quotes about financial self-awareness is from Warren Buffett, the “Oracle of Omaha”. The quote generally is rendered as: “Be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy.” It’s a great … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , ,
Windfall apples

What to do with the extra tax money in your new paycheck

Posted by on | Featured

I really tried to avoid talking about the tax plan, and couldn’t help myself. But that was more of a “feelings” piece, and less practical. This article is coming from the other, more practical side. In the U.S., our new tax … Read More … Read More

Tags: ,
See saw

The HSA testing period might have less downside than I thought

Posted by on | Featured

If you have an HSA (Health Savings Account)—and if you’re eligible, it’s probably a good idea to have one—you still have time to make your contributions count toward last year. Since HSAs are a great financial deal (only offset by … Read More … Read More

Tags: