We live in a capitalistic society. Many say this with a sigh and a shake of the head, but there are some upsides that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you start early enough, it is possible to rise to unfathomable heights of success. Unfortunately, it’s also possible to destroy your credit and your life quite early [...] Read more »
the iPhone sickness (2010 and counting)
$599 to $399, 68 days after product launch. Remember that, back in 2007? I wrote most of this post back in 2007 when the iPhone first came out, and found that much of what I wrote is still true today. Here it is: It was bound to happen. Like a million consumer electronic devices before [...] Read more »
the dead end of home ownership
the American dream I’ve known more than one guy with the following life story: working at a corporate job as a middle manager, married with young-ish kids and settled in normal sized house in an acceptable neighborhood. Maybe the kids are really young, even though he’s in his forties; like me, a lot of men [...] Read more »
what’s the point of net worth?
Having been involved in several conversations about the calculation of net worth over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that net worth isn’t that important. The reason? Net worth is a difficult number to analyze, and the difficulty in analyzing it makes it a worthless tool for measuring progress in your financial life. 1. [...] Read more »
how to find disability insurance
Disability insurance is something everyone should have, yet some employers simply don’t offer this important kind of coverage that takes care of you financially in the event you become disabled. Privately purchased disability insurance isn’t cheap, but if you ever need it, its definitely worth the initial outlay. Even if your employer does offer disability [...] Read more »
the question that can only be answered one way
Both Bubelah and I have one surviving grandparent apiece. Until I was a young adult, I had all four; three of her grandparents had died either before she was born or when she was much younger. But now we both have a single grandmother left. It’s tough, of course, to lose relatives or friends but [...] Read more »
What is the Point of Saving, the World May End Tomorrow?
“Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.” -Benjamin Franklin More than 200 years ago, this great statesman, inventor, and philosopher was well aware of the power of saving. He knew that without attending to spending and expenses, saving won’t happen. Live for today or save for tomorrow? I have a [...] Read more »
how to make money on Facebook
Here’s a financial lesson for anyone who participates in online social media of any sort. It’s a cautionary tale about online privacy; not the stalker-type issues that most people are worried about; instead, it’s about how you have to be careful to reveal too much online about business dealings. I was catching up with some [...] Read more »
how to rise from poverty
I was rich as a child. Not really. I wasn’t. I lived in fairly plain conditions in subsidized housing. My family was poor enough that we used the residual heat from cooking to heat our home. I had to share a room with my brother. I didn’t get a puppy. We only had one car, [...] Read more »
What Are Annuity Accounts?
An annuity account will help you get money when retirement comes. An annuity may involve many different parties and come in different kinds. They have plenty of pros and cons. An annuity helps you save for retirement. It is very important, though, that you learn more about annuities to better understand the product and to [...] Read more »
all about rewards credit cards (guest post)
Are rewards cards really that great? Should you shell out an annual fee to carry one in your wallet? Will they give your credit score super powers? Here’s an overview of all things rewards-card related, so you can decide their true worth for yourself. Rewards cards rack up perks, but… Okay, your rewards card may [...] Read more »
raise the estate tax to 100%
The estate tax - or the ‘death tax’ as it’s so cleverly nicknamed - has been a cause celebre for anti-tax proponents since it was enacted. What is it? Read more here. I’m not a tax expert, but as someone frustrated by taxes I feel free to opine on such things. I would hope anyone who [...] Read more »