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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A Tale of 2 Kitchens
This is not about kitchens, but it is about dining so…close enough. Fine Dining On Saturday,...
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Where Is My Social Security?
There has been a lot of excitement about social security lately. Social Security is funded by us and...
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What Drives Stock Price Changes?
There are quite a few people who avoid investing altogether because of the wild gyrations of the market....
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Early Retirees - Don't Forget To Budget For Taxes
This morning I was reviewing my year-to-date expenses. Yup, you’re jealous right – we retirees...
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What's Your Plan For Retirement Finances?
This morning, I was reading about tariffs and the national debt. I wanted to understand more about how...
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Friday's Thoughts
It’s Friday May 9. It’s been a wild year to date in the market and I had a long drive today...
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TJX Is A Bargain
Today, I’m perusing the TJX annual report. Before we get into (a light assessment of) the details,...
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Don't Shoot Yourself in The Foot. Some thoughts on Market Timing.
This weekend, I read an article in Benziga called Peter Lynch’s Market Observation: ‘Far...
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Today's surprise - Experience Drives Commitment
The old guys and I have been discussing the merits of owning investment property here and here. Between...
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Is Buying Property a Good Investment?
The old guys and I have been debating whether buying property is a better investment than the S&P...
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Should I Invest in Rental Property?
Reader Mike asks about rental property as an investment. While I’ve never owned rental property,...
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Investing As A Hobby
In a few posts, I’ve mentioned how investing is a hobby for me. I read company annual reports...
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What Are You Paying For Subscriptions?
I was surprised by an article I read today. I’m hoping to get some feedback because I’d...
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Cash - You Have options
Yesterday, I wrote a post about the importance of having cash in a rocky market. While cash doesn’t...
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I Love Cash - Some Thoughts On Money Markets
Quick story today. I’ve written about my love for Costco and some other great companies, but today...
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Dollar Cost Averaging is Your Friend
It’s April 22, 2025. The S&P 500 has had a wild ride of late. It’s down about 11% year-to-date,...
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Don't Panic! What To Do About Tariffs and market Volatility
The craziness in the markets has got the media excited. Some articles are a call to action. Immediate...
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Car Detailing - Round 1 Results
For those who read the prior post here, I was comparing the Griot’s Garage detailing products to...
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What's Up With Tariffs and Stock Prices
Everything is down. We had a brief reprise on Wednesday April 9 when some of the higher tariffs were...
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3 Thinks I Learned From The Amazon Shareholder Letter
As an investor, it’s important to understand who is running the companies in which we invest and...
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What Did The Market Just Do? Nothing - Here's Why.
For anyone who owns a security, whether it is a stock, bond, mutual fund, or ETF, it is important to...
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