Today’s post is in coordination with #FinHealthMatters Day, an awareness campaign spearheaded by the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI). CFSI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to improve the financial health of Americans, especially the under-served, by shaping a robust and innovative financial services marketplace with increased access to higher quality products and practices. See […]
A few readers recently expressed a lack of confidence in their investing. They are uncomfortable with where their money is and unsure how to make changes. I sensed some fear because of the recent downturn, maybe for good reason. So today’s post is about how to invest money more confidently by increasing your financial security […]
Normal people earn a paycheck and spend most of it every month. Wealthy people invest their money and time into income producing assets and business ideas that make money. What better way to start 2018 than by creating new passive income streams to help free your time and build wealth? To get you motivated, I’ve compiled a […]
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Here’s a review I recently wrote that I haven’t shared with subscribers yet. I’m investing on the PeerStreet platform and really like the user experience and returns so far. It’s similar to Lending Club but for real estate. It’s for accredited investors only at this point so not everyone can invest. But if […]
Imagine a life free of obligations to anyone. Sounds great, right? That may never come true when it comes to family, friends, and work life. But you can choose to be free of obligations to banks and lenders by being debt-free. The temptation to borrow is ever-present in our society. Some retirees choose to be […]
Very few decisions during your time on this earth actually change the trajectory of your life. After a party in 2007, I scanned the huge Evite email list to try to find a woman I met there. Then I ‘stalked’ her on Facebook and asked her out. We have three kids together now. Though truly […]
If you own a home, you might be contemplating how extra mortgage payments may or may not fit into your overall financial plan. As is with all personal finance choices, your mortgage payment strategy is personal based on many factors. You don’t find many people who paid off their mortgages and regret the paid off debt. […]
This money post references Sunday’s Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 4. You don’t need to be a viewer to appreciate the personal finance lesson. However, if you aren’t caught up on your episodes and want to stay in the dark, this is your spoiler alert. Season 7 of Game of Thrones is here […]
Over the years, I’ve been indebted many times for one reason or another. Mostly car loans and a few mortgages, but sometimes personal loans too. After college, my parents lent me $5,500 to buy a used Mazda. The interest rate was better than a traditional car loan so I was grateful to take the deal. […]
My Mom and her sisters used to take me and my cousins on house tours. We’d visit city mansions and historic homes that were preserved for viewing or opened to show off antiques and interior designs. I loved walking through the old homes. I remember exquisite stone exteriors and unique customizations like hidden doors, secret […]
One striking revelation from the presidential election process this year was the sharp contrast between people who think the U.S. is in pretty good shape and those who feel the country never recovered from the last recession. Politics aside, the U.S. is in its 89th straight month of economic expansion. The longest post-World-War-II economic expansion […]
If you want to get serious about taking control of your financial life so you can build wealth, it’s time to eliminate car payments. Car payments are a persistent nag on the lives of many U.S. consumers. But they don’t have to be, and shouldn’t be even with super-low interest rates. Because they crush your monthly […]
I’ve owned real estate for almost ten years. Over that period I’ve refinanced my rental property twice and our primary residence once so far (I found the lowest rate at LendingTree. Saved me a ton of money). I’ve been thinking, should I refinance my mortgage again? Refinancing is a hassle. But it has saved me tens of […]
Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve played the gridded sheet. From Lotus down to Excel, I know all embedded cheats. But I ain’t seen nothing like him, in any corporate suite… That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure types a mean spreadsheet! * Many RBD readers have an obsession with spreadsheets, often creating ridiculous ones at the office […]
