I’m pleased to hear you are considering home ownership. Owning your own home is a wonderful blessing, but it can be a heavy burden–a curse even–if you borrow money before you’re ready.
I know you are busy, so if you don’t have time to continue reading now, please just scan my very quick, bulleted summary. It’ll [...]
Marriage, like most ventures, requires effective communication for success.
My wife and I met under peculiar circumstances, so we knew from the start that we had a lot to talk about.
Early on, we invested time talking about our values, beliefs, and approach to life. We didn’t want our marriage to become another divorce statistic.
Today, money disagreements [...]
The neglected path:
avoid debt,
save now,
save enough,
minimize expenses,
own everything;
money will then be your powerful ally
instead of a crushing burden.
This post was part of Liz Strauss’ The 25 Words of Work / Life Wisdom Writing Project.
Q: Where’s the best place to protect my money from inflation?
A: Although the stock market has outpaced inflation in the past, the stock market’s returns are too volatile to only invest in the market.
In the past, investors had few options for shelter. Today, however, the government sells TIPS and Series I bonds which compensate investors [...]
Many financial advisers emphasize the importance of building a large nest egg. While a large nest egg is a great idea, this strategy can make people focus on the future at the expense of the present.
That’s a trade off we’re not willing to make.
Many people view their retirement balances as the solution to their situation–working [...]
Financial matters have a reputation for being complicated. Ill-deserved or not, financial success requires that we consistently make the right choices. Unless you’re content to settle for water cooler advice or willing to do the research, you’ll need to know how to find reliable financial advice.
Many people rely on media gatekeepers and financial “advisors” for [...]
Notes
The photo of Dave Ramsey was adapted from the Dave Ramsey website.
This article was featured in the Carnival of Snowflaking hosted by Greener Pastures.
Ben Stein’s latest book offers a different, destructive take on one’s personal finances. How to Ruin Your Financial Life contains over fifty popular ways people sabotage their financial lives.
With each lesson taking no more than a couple of minutes, the book is a quick read. It’s also a funny book; Ben’s trademarked dry humor abounds, [...]
Have you heard that advertising campaign about people almost helping their neighbors? It’s a powerful message. Sometimes we think about doing good, but we fail to follow through.
The thought is either pushed aside or we fool ourselves into thinking that it’s the thought that counts. We’ll just do that later.
With investing, like doing good, the [...]
I am most likely to spend money when I am stressed or exhausted.
For this reason, I hate working.
But seriously, I am naturally very serious and analytical. I see potential hurdles as challenges, not problems. However, building our first house stretched the limits of my patience as we encountered roadblock after roadblock.
As the months rolled by, [...]
