Ever since I began to view my money as a tool to provide freedom and choices in my life, I’ve no longer considered a “budget” to be a four-letter word. Instead, I find that it is something that liberates me to actually look more closely at my values, spend more freely on many things and […]
Exactly How To Calculate How Much You’ll Pay Under the Proposed Tax Bill
The proposed tax bill we’ve all been waiting for is finally here (oh wait, that was just me?!). If your situation is similar to mine, you’ll be a little relieved at the changes since the last vague tax plans were presented. I’m excited to update the calculations so that you can see just how your tax […]
The Undebatable Best Way to Invest Your Money
The personal finance community talks a lot about investing. We collectively cover the fundamentals, risks, benefits, and logistics. All of this is generally focused on investing money in the stock and bond markets. But is investing in the market the absolute best way to secure your financial future? I would argue that it isn’t. The […]
Historical Returns Don’t Predict the Future, But Your Behavior Does
Personal finance is said to be disproportionately more about behavior and significantly less about actually having the necessary knowledge. It explains why so many people don’t even have $400 to cover a small emergency and also why the majority of investors lag the stock market returns each year. If we go back to the absolute […]
All Income Is Not Created Equal
One of the most impactful first financial lessons includes the illustration of how compound interest works. Investing your money results in exponential rather than linear growth due to your earnings also earning money. There’s another very important lesson as well, though, that is often overlooked. This lesson centers on the varying potential for different types […]
The Ultimate Guide to Financial Preparedness
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin The absolute best thing about getting my financial life in order is simply having the peace of mind that no matter what hardship came my way, I can financially cover it. And when those things ultimately do occur from time to time, they […]
Are Robo-Advisor Fees Worth The Cost?
Today we have a guest post (the very first here!). Brad Kingsley is a personal finance blogger and certified financial coach. He helps people create a plan for their finances to achieve big goals, like getting out of debt, paying for college and providing for a comfortable retirement. Follow him at MaximizeYourMoney.com. Robo-advisors can handle all of […]
10 Ways I Use My Budget (Other Than Planning Monthly Income & Expenses)
It’s hard for me to admit sometimes that there is more than one way to do many things. For example, I’ve tried to embrace the 50/20/30 budget method, but I’m just not convinced that it’s really the best way for anyone to budget. For absolutely sure, a meticulously detailed budget is the best system for me. […]
5 Financial Measurements You Must Know (and how to calculate them)
I’m a big proponent of treating your finances like a business in many ways. To achieve true financial success, it’s essential to be just as diligent and intentional about your spending and saving. Savvy business owners use key metrics that help them ensure that their business is running smoothly. In addition, these measurements can help […]
(Coins in the) Couch to $5K
Recently, my sister posted on Facebook about starting a Couch to 5K program. I commented that I had recently been on the opposite 5K to Couch program and had a lot of success with that, but should probably switch back to the Couch to 5K program now. Truly, Americans need a financial couch to 5k program […]
