Personal Finance ABCs

A wise man wrote “There is a huge gap between the skills and knowledge each and every one of us needs to manage our financial lives, and the formal training that we’ve received.”  That was me.  It’s on the about page.

I have lots of posts to help with this.  The latest posts are on the home page, but there are many more.  Click on the category links in the header to explore!

I started with some ideas on how to save more money and create a budget, herehere and here.  Once we’ve managed to save some, we need to start investing.  Check out the posts on  compoundingasset allocationmutual funds and ETFsstocks and bonds. I’ve also got posts to help understand financial products and how they work, and how to use them to your advantage.

  • My company has a 401k. What is it, how does it work, and how can I participate?
  • My credit card gives me points. What am I giving up in exchange?
  • I’d like to invest in stocks but I don’t understand them.

I’ve also got tips on car buying from a former car salesman and a comparison of hearing aids.  

And you can always get back to the home page by clicking the dancing dollar sign guy at the top left of every page.

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Someone Has Your SSN
That’s a troubling thought. Happy New Year to you too! So, how do I know this? I’m...
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My Favorite Car Detailing Products
We’ve just survived Christmas, New Year’s is next week – holy cow, 2025 – and...
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My Letter to Congress (on the US Debt)
I’m writing to you because I’m concerned about our country’s finances and I’m asking for your help.   Today,...
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You Owe Me $271,790!! A Look At The US Debt
Given the excitement with the impending government shut-down and the politicking around a spending bill,...
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Be Careful What You Measure
We invest to grow our wealth, so it’s natural to want to keep score. How are we doing? If we’re...
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A Few Things To Do Before 2024 Ends
Believe it or not, 2024 is almost in the bag. It’s been quite a year. The S&P is up over...
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I Love Costco
It’s Proxy season again. If we invest in a number of companies, we’ll likely find quite...
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Do I Need An Extended Warranty?
For today, we’ll focus on used car warranties. In a future post, we’ll talk about other...
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Would You Like A Hyundai With That?
I’m on Amazon.com. I’m buying dog food, paper towels and a new iPad. Before I go to my...
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Yes, Everyone Is Trying To Steal Your Money. Here's What To Do
As paranoid as this sounds, it is, unfortunately, true. OK, maybe not that guy who was helping the old...
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Diversification v. Diworseification
About 5 years ago, I started helping my mom with her finances. She asked me to help, not because she...
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A Tale of 2 Boards
What the heck is a board of directors anyway? In today’s post, we’ll talk about 2 recent...
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I Spent $13,967 For An Investing Class
That’s a lot. But, let’s put it in perspective. My wife and I have 64% of our net worth...
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How Much Have You Saved For Retirement?
If you are the average American, the answer is simple. Not enough. Why is this? Well, with many Americans...
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The Best Black Friday Deal
Today is Black Friday. We all know Black Friday as a day to score huge deals as the Christmas shopping...
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Hear the TV Again
This is a followup from my post on Hearing Aids and TV Streamers. I’ve finally found a solution...
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Buying Shares Of A Company I've Sold
This one is a slippery slope for me. As a rule, I will not buy shares of a company that I’ve sold....
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Solar Was A Bad (Investing) Idea
I’ve written a few posts lately about how I’ve gotten investment ideas. I talk a lot about...
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Who Is On The Other Side Of My Option Trade?
If you’ve read my posts on covered call options, here, here and here, you may have wondered who...
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Is Your Favorite Company Evolving?
We should be asking this about all the companies in our portfolio, not just our favorite. And if...
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How To Find an Investment Idea
I’ve talked about some of my more interesting investment decisions like being wowed by Netflix’...
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