Radical Finances

Why you shouldn’t panic when mortgage rates rise

Posted by on | Featured

Mortgage interest rates are rising, but rushing to buy a home before prices rise further will lead only to worse financial challenges. I’ve always thought of homeownership as a kind of train. As renters, you’re running behind it, trying to … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,

Why you can’t invest in crypto

Posted by on | Featured

Many people think that they are investing in cryptocurrencies, but they are wrong, because the very nature of crypto makes this impossible. When it comes to crypto, most people fall into a few categories: “I keep hearing about it, but … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , , , ,

Why you should get a refund and not store credit

Posted by on | Featured

When you make a return, many retailers want to refund your money to store credit or a gift card, but here’s why you don’t want to do that. I had to return an item the other day on Amazon. It … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,

What are your big money moves?

Posted by on | Featured

I discuss the high-level “money moves”, the important decisions you can make that will be the most impactful in your financial life. I hope by this point you’re not under the belief that just by cutting out coffee or by … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , , , ,

The Target problem: Managing (over)spending at the Everything Store

Posted by on | Featured

Target and other big retailers that sell a wide range of products present a challenge to those who wish to track their spending. Target has been around for decades, but it only hit my radar in college, when the first … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , ,

Debunking Ben & Arthur: How to win at investing even if you start later

Posted by on | Featured

The parable from the Dave Ramsey team about Ben and Arthur is fatally flawed, which is good news for pretty much everyone. Everyone knows that you should start saving for retirement early. And that makes sense. The sooner you start, … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,

Why inflation might worry you (but probably shouldn’t)

Posted by on | Featured

I wade into popular economics to interpret recent higher inflation rates, to see if there is any merit in being concerned. I remember my first savings account that my parents opened for me when I was a kid. It was … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,

Why Ally’s Surprise Savings is terrifying

Posted by on | Featured

I explore the Surprise Savings product from Ally and suggest a different way to achieve the exact same results. Last night, I was logging on to Ally to adjust some of my automatic transfers between my checking account and my … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , ,

Why I don’t talk about FIRE

Posted by on | Featured

I discuss the FIRE (Financial Independence / Retire Early) movement, and how it falls short for so many of us, despite all of the hype. FIRE (Financial Independence / Retire Early) is a financial strategy or philosophy that encourages minimalist … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , ,

What to do with company stock

Posted by on | Featured

Some employees receive company stock as part of their total compensation package. Here’s what you want to do with it (and why). Note: This is not financial advice. Please see my disclosure policy for details. If you’re fortunate enough to … Read More … Read More

Tags: ,