Diversification is said to be the only free lunch in the investment world. If your portfolio is heavily weighted toward one asset class, you may benefit from exploring other places to put your money. The alternative investment ideas in this post may be a good starting point for your search. Conventional investments include stocks, bonds, […]
Buying compact discs (CDs) used to be a thing. That’s how we bought music back in the 1980’s and 1990’s. I spent a few thousand dollars on CDs throughout high school, college, and my early working years. One summer, I worked in a record store to earn money because my internship at a financial services company was […]
One of my new favorite podcasts is the Animal Spirits Podcast hosted by bloggers Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson of Ritholtz Wealth Management. These guys are prolific writers and tweeters who often poke fun at investment pundits and fund managers who try to predict future market returns. Turn on CNBC and there’s always someone who claims to know […]
In the almost five years of sharing my investments on this blog, I’ve never shown exactly how I track dividend income. This article lays out the steps (with screenshots) I take each month to import dividend data into my tracking spreadsheet, estimate forward dividend income, and easily capture dividend increases. My forward 12-month investment income […]
Most of us aren’t looking for extravagant wealth. We simply want sustainable and long-lasting wealth that provides financial security for our families and enough money to fund the lifestyle we desire. That kind of wealth is more attainable than most people think. But there are no shortcuts. By consistently following a tried and true strategy over […]
Google announced its purchase of a minority stake in LendingClub in May 2013. That event opened my eyes to the potential of earning passive income via peer lending. Five years after making my first note investment, my LendingClub holdings are back to providing reliable returns after some turbulence over the past 18 months. This LendingClub investor review shares […]
A New York-based company called Construction Robotics has designed and built a bricklaying robot called SAM (Semi-Automated Mason) that can place up to 3,000 bricks during an 8-hour day. That’s about three times the number of bricks that the fastest human bricklayers can set. The machine requires at least two humans to load materials and finish […]
In 2002, a nineteen-year-old garbage man in the U.K. named Michael Carroll won a lottery jackpot worth $14 million dollars. Instead of making smart money moves with his winnings, he spent his fortune on jewelry and a mansion where he threw lavish parties with drugs and prostitutes. A decade later, he was broke and working […]
My latest article on U.S. News & World Report recommends tips to simplify your finances in retirement. Retirement isn’t the only time to simplify. Anytime is a good time to simplify. But I’m a bad role model for simplifying finances because I’m on the far side of the spectrum with multiple personal investment accounts and bank […]
I’ve never joined the debate about individual stocks vs. index funds because I’ve never chosen one side or another. I invest in dividend growth stocks, index funds, and even a few growth stocks. In surprising proportions. I’ve invested in individual stocks since 1995. That year, my uncle gifted me one share of Chevron stock and I’ve […]
One of the best benefits of my new job is the employer-sponsored retirement plan. The plan was confusing at first, even for me who lives and breathes this stuff. But they made it complicated to maximize the tax advantages. It’s so good, the plan is even better than most of the 401(k)s of the big […]
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 […]
Bull markets are glorious because they make just about everyone participating feel like they’re a genius investor. Until the markets reverse and you lose money. Sometimes a lot of money. Then you feel like crap as you watch your net worth plummet. This month we’ve seen some long-awaited volatility return to the stock markets. After […]
Back in January of 2017, most personal finance professionals, advisers, bloggers, and just about anybody willing to give you money advice said to avoid investing in crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin. The price of Bitcoin at the close of 2016 was $963.74 per $1 USD. On the last day of 2017, the price was $14,156.40. That’s […]
