Weekly list of curated personal finance articles from around the web. The number one way Americans are becoming millionaires (Morningstar). It isn’t very exciting, but it does have the advantage of being effective. The most reliable car brands, according to Consumer Reports (Visual Capitalist). Not a ton of surprises here, except perhaps Porsche and BMW […]
Archive | Investing
Getting Started With Investing
For help determining how much you may need for your retirement, figuring out your optimal asset allocation, adopting the best process for choosing investments, and choosing among your IRA and 401(K) options, read The Essentials of Investing. For college funding, read How to Help Your Kids Pay for College.
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 […]
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: Learning to Let Go, The Pros and Cons of Allowances, and More
Weekly list of curated personal finance articles from around the web. Helicopter money (The Contessa Counts). Letting go isn’t easy, but it’s so important. 31 years of stock market returns (A Wealth of Common Sense). To succeed as an investor, you have to stay with it. Do you spend money more like a millennial or […]
Profitable Ideas: Yet Another (Big) Data Breach, Beware the Wealth Effect, and More
Weekly list of curated personal finance articles from around the web. Hackers may have stolen the Social Security numbers of every American. Here’s how to protect yourself (LA Times). A security freeze at the three national credit bureaus is your strongest line of defense. So much about real estate commissions just changed. Here’s what to […]
Profitable Ideas: Normal Market Behavior, Locking Down Your Data, and More
Weekly list of curated personal finance articles from around the web. This is normal (A Wealth of Common Sense). Why the market’s recent tumble isn’t necessarily reason for concern. Criminals are targeting students with these common back-to-school scams. Here’s what to watch for. (CBS Money Watch). Teach your kids not to let their digital guard […]
Profitable Ideas: The Great Wealth Transfer, Saving Early and Often, and More
Weekly list of curated personal finance articles from around the web. Talking inheritance (FaithFi). Boomers are expected to transfer trillions to their heirs by 2030. If you’re going to leave some money behind, it would be helpful to have a conversation with those who will receive it. Finance apps can be great for budgeting. But, […]
Is There a Trustworthy Process Behind Your Investment Strategy?
Even during normal times, the stock market is unpredictable. But when the world goes crazy, the market sometimes goes crazy, too. Just look at the first quarter of 2020, the early days of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. market fell 34% in just three weeks. Then, when everyone assumed it would be a terrible […]
Profitable Ideas: Quiet Compounding, Cheap Protection for Your Car, and More
Weekly list of curated personal finance articles from around the web. Quiet compounding (Collaborative Fund). “It’s a wonder to see.” No more piggy banks (The Contessa Counts). Great ideas for helping your kids manage their own spending. Envy is not an asset class (A Teachable Moment). “Liberating yourself from the addiction of comparison should be […]
How NOT to Invest
I overheard a conversation about investing recently that made me a little crazy. I heard several perspectives that I completely disagreed with, ways of approaching investing that I think can be far more harmful to a person’s portfolio and peace of mind than helpful. Since I didn’t feel like I could insert myself into the […]