Radical Finances

Superman

Enter the retirement mutant hybrid: the Roth 401(k)

When people think of employer-based retirement accounts like 401(k) plans, people often think that that implies pre-tax contributions. It’s only your own self-directed retirement accounts (IRAs) that have the post-tax (Roth) option. I used to be one of those people. But … Read MoreRead More

Match heads

Seriously, take the employer match

What if I told I could get you an immediate 100% return on an investment? Would you believe me? According to the American Benefits Council, 80 percent of full-time workers have access to a defined contribution plan such as a 401(k) … Read MoreRead More

Homemade Enigma machine

Financial cage match: ETFs versus mutual funds

I want everyone to be an investing expert. Thankfully, I also believe that simplicity in investing is best. Create a Roth IRA, put money into low-cost index funds, and repeat this every month. When I say “low-cost index funds”, I’m … Read MoreRead More

Bullseye

A photo finish is a good thing when budgeting

If you’re like me, you may procrastinate, but you don’t like it. You don’t enjoy waiting until the last minute to get things done. And in general, it feels better to have some leeway, rather than cutting things close. However, … Read MoreRead More

Falling sand grains

Does savings count as a bill or an expense?

I talk a lot about making plans for spending money, because you want to spend your money intentionally and not just let it happen. Moreover, the objective is not to spend as little as possible, but just the right amount … Read MoreRead More

Lightning in the desert

Would I have done college differently if I had wanted to avoid debt?

I’m annoyed when I think about debt. It’s a thing that I want to get away from, like a snoring person in the room, or a screaming baby on the plane. I want it gone. When I was in high school, … Read MoreRead More

Spiral windows

Is it a good idea to get your student loans forgiven?

Like approximately everyone, I graduated college with student loans. If there was a way to get my loans “forgiven”, no one told me. At the time, all I knew was that I had to either pay what I owed, pay interest … Read MoreRead More

Top of the mesa

Is it a good idea to have an “Adventure” expenses category when traveling?

If you’ve read this site for any length of time, you know how about you can obtain best results with your money by tracking your expenses. Moreover, if you categorize your expenses, you can learn even more about how you … Read MoreRead More

The Exchange

A quick primer on obtaining and using foreign currencies when traveling

As I mentioned about tracking expenses when traveling abroad, other countries don’t use US dollars. (I’m joking about this being notable, of course.) But switching between currencies presents some extra challenges and requires extra awareness to prevent getting burned with … Read MoreRead More

Adventure silhouette

How to keep track of your expenses while traveling

Another question that was asked after a recent meeting of the Portland Integrative Finance Community was regarding expense tracking and traveling, namely: “How do you overcome the challenges of tracking expenses while traveling?” Ooh, another great question! Gosh, if the … Read MoreRead More