“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” That quote is attributed to Randy Pausch. I highly recommend his TED Talk that is referred to as The Last Lecture. Pausch, a college professor, gave the talk when he was dying of cancer. I’ve always said that the number one personal trait […]
It’s just a few days until April 15- are your freaking out? The individual tax deadline is the straw that broke the camel’s back for many consumers. As if personal finances wasn’t already difficult- now I’ve got to get my taxes in?! Frustrating. So, I’d like to thank the folks at Earnest.com for provided […]
I saw a disturbing statistic: over 50% of families text each other while they’re in the home together. I text my 17 year old daughter to tell her when dinner is ready- hey, it keeps the peace! But it’s poor communication. New Personal Finance EBook in 2017: Get sample chapters here I’ve noticed another area […]
I had to get a knot out of a drawstring bag the other day. Funny- when you start to pull the knot apart, you may be surprised at how the strings are intertwined. This is an analogy for the relationship between higher interest rate and your stock portfolio. The connection may surprise you. Have a […]
“There’s a lady who’s sure All that glitters is gold And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.” (Thanks, Led Zeppelin) This may be hard to digest but it’s true: some wealthy people get into debt troubles- and there are plenty of reasons why. People may take on huge debts that can’t afford to pay off, and a […]
Does $9.99 really make that much of a difference? It dawned on me on the Wednesday before Thanskgiving that I had subscription fees that were posting over the holiday weekend. They were on my budget as expense items, but I still needed to reconcile my bank account to see if they had posted correctly. Not […]
My favorite Rio Olympics-related headline so far: “Olympic kayaker possibly capsized by couch in Rio de Janeiro” Priceless. Now, the story isn’t confirmed, but it illustrates all of the controversy related to Brazil’s preparation for the Olympic Games. This situation is a great analogy for personal finance, because it helps us think about the answer […]
So, I overheard a Dad say something interesting to his 4-year old son (at least he looked to be about 4). His son asked him a question and he said: “I just answered that question, so I’m not going to answer it again”. That approach would have saved me a lot of time when my […]
So, how much information do you need to make an informed decision? Unfortunately, Tesla’s Motors problems with autopilot cars provide a great discussion about required disclosure to investors. This CNBC video with a former SEC Chairmen discusses whether or not Telsa had a duty to disclose a car accident that occurred with an autopilot vehicle […]
So, we’re in a crazy political period, and it’s hard to know just what is true in a political ad and what isn’t true. In the investment business, however, we have extensive rules on disclosure to investors, and those rules are in place to provide all stakeholders- including investors- enough to information to make informed […]