You Can Afford It, But Should You Buy It?
How well we manage money has much to do with getting some of the big decisions right. How much should we spend on a house? Should we finance a vehicle? Other financial decisions can be simplified by using a Cash Flow Plan and taking an objective look at how much a household of our size and […]
Profitable Ideas: Robinhood is Coming for College Kids, The Psychology of Saving, and More
Weekly roundup of interesting and helpful personal finance articles from around the web. Robinhood hits campus, where credit card companies fear to tread (NY Times). How well does the college student in your life understand investing? If not very well, that free t-shirt may come at quite a cost. God doesn’t need your good works […]
How Successful Investors Talk, or Not
I had conversations with two investors recently that were very telling. The first conversation was with a guy in his 40s who invests his own money—for a living. That’s what he does. It’s how he provides for his family. It’s very unusual, and probably conjures up images of a day-trader, someone trying to sell positions […]
Profitable Ideas: Ask for a Raise, Teach Your Kids Healthy Phone Habits, and More
Weekly roundup of interesting and helpful personal finance articles from around the web. Here’s why you should ask for a 5% raise right now (Money). “For the first time in a long time, workers may actually have the upper hand.” When job interviewers ask, “What are your weaknesses?” they’re testing your emotional intelligence (Grow). How […]
One Habit That Will Greatly Improve Your Finances
What if there were a single step you could take to greatly increase your sense of financial control and confidence, decrease your financial stress, make your marriage work better, free up money for generosity, increase your savings, and speed the process of getting out of debt? What if this single step were available to you […]
Profitable Ideas: Holiday Shopping in the Midst of Covid, Debt ‘Shovels,’ and More
Weekly roundup of interesting and helpful personal finance articles from around the web. Here’s what could mess up your holiday shopping this year—and why you should start early (CNBC). Supply chain issues, mask mandates, and other reasons to start this year’s holiday shopping sooner than later. The college rankings racket (James Fallows). When choosing a […]
An Investor’s Got to Know His (or Her) Limitations
Fear finally caused me to stop. I was in Colorado, reconnecting with some long-time friends, one of whom is an experienced mountain climber. He had slowly driven us up a perilous-looking, narrow and rocky path cut along the side of a mountain. There were no guardrails to protect us from the sheer drop-off. Bouncing around […]
Profitable Ideas: Keys to a More Satisfying Career, College Plan B, and More
Weekly roundup of interesting and helpful personal finance articles from around the web. The secret to happiness at work (The Atlantic). “What matters is not so much the ‘what’ of a job, but more the ‘who’ and the ‘why.’” College or plan b? (Humble Dollar). It runs hard against many parents’ assumptions, but some young […]
Where Are You Setting Your Hope?
I came across a new phrase that I really like in John Eldredge’s latest book, All Things New (which I highly recommend). He wrote about “shepherding our hope.” I’ve never thought about hope that way, that’s it’s something to be shepherded. This idea has the potential to very positively transform our relationship with money and what […]
Profitable Ideas: Managing Your Career, The Real Cost of Cars, and More
Weekly roundup of interesting and helpful personal finance articles from around the web. Wisdom I wish I knew 30 years ago (The Big Picture). Good career management advice, no matter what your field. The cotton tote crisis (NY Times). Why is it that so many supposedly eco-friendly actions turn out to be not so eco-friendly? […]