Identity theft has become a common crime, impacting millions people each year. As bad as the problem is, about a hundred years ago, an identity theft took place on a far grander scale. Everyone’s identity was stolen. Amazingly, this huge heist didn’t make headlines, and it didn’t prompt any calls for greater security. In fact, […]
Archive | Psychology of Money
Navigating The Mixed Messages Of Our Consumer Culture
If you’re really paying attention, life can be a very odd experience. Especially when it comes to money. For example, in troubled economic times, front-page newspaper stories regularly quote economists expressing concern that the personal savings rate is going up. I still vividly remember reading one such story during a recession. I had to blink […]
Profitable Ideas: Magic Beans, Selling a Sense of Groundedness, and More
Weekly roundup of interesting and helpful personal finance articles from around the web. Magic beans (The Reformed Broker). Who are you listening to for investment advice? I no longer want to shop (NY Times). How some time away from the mall changed this writer’s perspective on shopping. How has the pandemic changed your financial habits? […]
Taking Your Finances From Good to Great
“Few people attain great lives, in large part because it’s just so easy to settle for a good life.” – Jim Collins, “Good to Great” On the first page in the first chapter of his book, “Good to Great,” Jim Collins makes the intriguing statement above. While it’s a business book, focusing on how some […]
Profitable Ideas: Your Wealth IQ, Go Big Early, and More
Weekly roundup of interesting and helpful personal finance articles from around the web. What’s your wealth I.Q.? (A Teachable Moment). “Getting more from what you don’t pay for is a terrific life hack.” As good as it gets? (A Wealth of Common Sense). The stock market provides a tremendous opportunity to build wealth. Keeping my […]
The Single Most Powerful Antidote to Our Consumer Culture
Every day of our lives, we are the unwitting recipients of countless messages designed to foster discontentment. And they work really well, convincing us that we need something more in order to be happy. In order to be worthy of love or respect. According to one study, more than 60 percent of us always have […]
Profitable Ideas: Your Brain is Not Your Financial Friend, The Mobile Investor, and More
Weekly roundup of interesting and helpful personal finance articles from around the web. Your behavioral biases could be causing you more financial harm than you realize (CNBC). In many ways, our brains seem to be wired to steer us off course. Your 401(k) isn’t free. Here’s how to figure out how much you’re paying in […]
To Make a Positive Change, Make it Emotional
Making an important lasting change in our life can be tough. We vow to get out of debt, but old habits are hard to break and we just can’t seem to make progress. We commit to putting more aside for an emergency fund, but spending comes so much easier. In their book, Switch, Chip and […]
The Power of Clarity
Are you trying to make a positive change in your finances or some other area of your life? How clear are you about the change you’re trying to make? As Chip and Dan Heath researched Switch, their helpful book about what it takes to truly change something about our lives, they discovered several surprises. This […]
Profitable Ideas: Habits That Won’t Fail, Two Rules For Building Wealth, and More
Weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. 5 common mistakes that cause new habits to fail (James Clear). Good insights for anyone with new goals for the new year. Two simple rules for building wealth (A Teachable Moment). “Simple beats complex in investing and life.” Those messy humans […]