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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The 4% Rule - We Can Do Better
The 4% Rule is the creation of an advisor named Bill Bengen, You can read more here. Basically, the...
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The Case for Taking Social Security at 62
I wrote about this a few months ago, here, but I’ve been thinking about how to quantify why this...
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3 Years is a Long Time
My grandson is turning 4 in October. Time flies. It seems like just yesterday he was coming home from...
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Energy Could Be Big
Here’s one that’s been churning around my head for the last few months. I started thinking...
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Friday's Mixed bag
A couple things for today. First, it’s Friday and it feels like the end of summer. My pool...
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We Spent $89 Million on What??
Here’s the headline I read today on Allsides. Here’s more. Energy Department In...
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Is Disney a Great Company?
Disney is one of the top brands in the world. That’s a bold statement, but think about it. Who...
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Buying Shares of Growth Companies
Growth companies are not necessarily companies that grow quickly, or at all. Many burn out and fade...
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Too Good To Be True
I wrote recently about a decision not to buy a stock. Read here. This is something I don’t write...
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Another Lame Effort to Scam Me
Yesterday I got the following text. Highlights As a kid, I loved the Highlights magazine. the...
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Coming Soon to a 401k Near You
I was a little surprised last week when yet another executive order made the scene. This one targeted...
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You Can't Take My Social Security - Round 2
I was at a retirement party yesterday and there was a lot of talk about social security – it’s...
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How to Retire - A Beginner's Guide
I’ve written quite a few posts about the economics of retiring. Today we’re talking about...
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Taxes in Retirement - Which Account Should I Use First?
Welcome to retirement. We’ve spent 40 years of our life socking away money and now it’s...
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If You're Going To Phish, At Least Put Some Effort Into It
I get hit regularly by phishing texts and emails. Let’s back up a bit. Phishing (like fishing)...
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Budget is Not a 4 Letter Word
In my writing and in my personal finance classes, probably the least loved topic is budgets. A budget...
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Overvalued Stocks - Stay Away!
Today we’re going to poke fun at conventional wisdom. Saddle up! A guy walks up to you on the...
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Solar Panel (and Battery) Update
Take 2. On Sunday over coffee, I started describing my solar journey in great detail. Rich quickly...
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Thursday Extra - Car Insurance
In addition to the other topics on meatball Thursday, Mike and I covered car insurance. I saw some info...
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What's a Lot of Money To You?
I’m hoping some of you will respond in the comments below. I started thinking about this today....
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Making A Few Extra Bucks With Covered Call Options
I’ve written a bit about covered call options here, here and here. But here’s a brief overview....
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