investing

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

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 MoreRead More

Do you really need that many mutual funds?

I look at “lazy portfolios” as an option for people who want the simplest and easiest way to invest in the market. (Note: This is not investment advice. Please see my Disclosure Policy for details.) Recently, I took a look … Read MoreRead More

More earnings than contributions: your next retirement tipping point

I finally achieve the point in my retirement savings where I have more earnings than I do contributions, and I talk about what this means. I started my first Roth IRA when I was two years out of college. At … Read MoreRead More

Is it worth it now to buy Bitcoin?

Despite the rise in price of Bitcoin, I urge caution against you trying to get rich quick, plus what you need to do before buying any crypto. Wow is Bitcoin trending in the news. First it was Bitcoin’s meteoric rise … Read MoreRead More

Bond camera shot

Why not avoid bonds too?

Last time, I talked about my (thankfully?) fruitless attempt to buy tax liens as an alternative investment vehicle. I was initially attracted by the promise of high returns, but ultimately left feeling like what I was trying to do was—if … Read MoreRead More

Leaning tree

Tax liens, or that time I tried to profit from other people’s debt

Right after college, I started taking an interest in investing. At the time, I worked with someone who was similarly interested. We’ll call him Ivan (not his real name). Ivan was the person who introduced me to Rich Dad Poor Dad. … Read MoreRead More

Sun rays

How do you know how much money you need?

Let’s face it: you probably have no idea how much you need to save in your life. This isn’t your fault. Like so much of financial security, we’re not taught anything in a comprehensive, start-to-finish sort of way. So we … Read MoreRead More

Netting

My take on Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps (Part 2, Baby Steps 4-7)

This post is part of a two-part series: My take on Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps (Part 1, Baby Steps 1-3b) My take on Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps (Part 2, Baby Steps 4-7) In my last post, I talked … Read MoreRead More

Mud crawling

My take on Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps (Part 1, Baby Steps 1-3b)

I offer my opinion and review of each of Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps, starting with Baby Steps 1, 2, 3, and the often-forgotten Baby Step 3b. This post is part of a two-part series: My take on Dave Ramsey’s 7 … Read MoreRead More

Double rainbow

If you save $1 today, how much will you have in 10 years?

It’s better to save when you’re younger. I think most of us know that. The problem is that being younger is the time when it’s hardest to save. One’s younger years are the time when pretty much everyone has a … Read MoreRead More