Radical Finances

Five reasons why you can’t afford to buy a home

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  It seems like lots of people I talk to these days are thinking about buying a home. Perhaps it’s the season, or the particular intersection of age and socio-economic background in the circles I travel in. Perhaps it’s coincidence. … Read More … Read More

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The complicated ethics of peer-to-peer lending

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  “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest.” – Exodus 22:25 “Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both … Read More … Read More

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Don’t plan for a 12% return (but earn it anyway)

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  WARNING: This post contains math. How much return do you expect to make on your stock market investments? (Don’t say zero.) There are those who will say that you can expect to earn a 12% return on your investments … Read More … Read More

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Your bank statement is not a budget

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  I get pushback from people about budgeting all the time. This is because people mistakenly believe that a budget is something that prevents you from doing things. In actuality, the exact opposite is true: you create it, so determine … Read More … Read More

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Is the Starbucks Rewards program a good deal?

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  Starbucks is one of those chains that people love to hate. Some may scoff entirely, preferring (arguably better) local coffee shops, while others go there five times a week minimum. Sometimes people complain about Starbucks while in line for … Read More … Read More

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An introduction to negative money

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  WARNING: This post contains a discussion of math. In these enlightened times, negative numbers aren’t a big deal. Whether it’s your favorite golfer winning the tournament with a score of -12, or even the solution to “x = 3 … Read More … Read More

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Separate your savings

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  I once went to an ATM in a tourist area (Pearl Harbor to be specific). Finding an old receipt in the receipt slot, I removed it, buy being the nosy person that I am, I looked at it before … Read More … Read More

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Adventures in accessing credit reports

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  I recently decided to find out what was on my credit report. I figure, if my permanent record is going to follow me around, I might as well know what it says about me. And perhaps a nefarious Mike with a … Read More … Read More

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Get your credit report

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  Remember when we were in school and our teachers told us that if we misbehaved it would go on our “permanent record?” Remember how relieved we were when we learned that there was no such thing? That was a … Read More … Read More

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Is it possible to be an ethical investor?

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  “Vote with your wallet.” “Put your money where your mouth is.” Where we spend our money matters. I’m assuming that there are certain companies that do not align with your personal ethical code, so you would not want to … Read More … Read More

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