Radical Finances

Free cash sign

Four ill-advised reasons to refinance your mortgage

So there are definitely some reasons where refinancing a mortgage could be a good move. Rates too high? Terms no good? Not going to be moving for a while? It could make a lot of sense, and save you money. … Read MoreRead More

White elephant statue

Is it time for me to refinance? My mortgage origination company thinks so

I closed on my home almost two years ago. And while I made the terms a little longer than I needed to, my plan currently is to pay it off as if it were a 15 year mortgage. As I’ve … Read MoreRead More

Labyrinth game

What’s a mortgage refinance?

You might think that the life cycle of owning a home is that you buy something, get a mortgage, pay off mortgage, and then live happily ever after. But this omits the fun world of mortgage refinance. Because it was … Read MoreRead More

Bitcoin

What about Bitcoin?

A few years ago, the online dating site OkCupid added a new payment option. It said: “Civilization Collapsed? Pay with Bitcoin” This was the first time that I saw Bitcoin being taken (somewhat) seriously as a payment method. Bitcoin is a … Read MoreRead More

Gold bricks

What about gold?

I love talking about investing. A slow and steady plan that can enable almost anyone to ensure a comfortable future for themselves and their loved ones? Yes please, sign me up. When I talk about investing, I speak exclusively of mutual … Read MoreRead More

Galaxy NGC 2623

Why is the budget monthly?

Our system of budgeting is pretty arbitrary. I recommend that everyone make a spending plan based on the calendar month. Twelve months a year: twelve plans a year. Could we do things another way? And are any of them better? … Read More

Calendar

The arbitrary nature of a month, or does it really matter when you spend?

Last month was a little challenging for me, money-wise. While every month I separate my allotted spending money into categories ($300 for Groceries, $60 for Transportation, etc.), it’s really just a best guess. The month had a number of expenses … Read MoreRead More

Glass Globes

Past performance is no guarantee of future results, or is it?

Any time you read any financial prospectus or ad, or watch a commercial about any investment opportunity, or really, ingest any financial media at all, one phrase will always show up in one form or another: “Past performance is no … Read MoreRead More

Pocket ledger

Keep a list of bill payment methods

So just like with expenses, there are a number of methods which can be used to pay bills. And there are pros and cons to each method. One of the issues that comes up with bill paying is that you … Read MoreRead More

Old bank statement

What payment method(s) to use for bills

Choosing your method of payment for things isn’t as straightforward as you might think. That’s why I created a short guide called “How to spend money“. But I was really just talking about expenses in that post. What about bills? … Read More