I’ve been investing in (mostly stock) mutual funds since 1994. As I wrote elsewhere, after a rocky start, I developed a method for picking mutual funds that’s worked pretty well for me. 2 Pieces of Accepted Investing Wisdom I Rarely Follow There are two commonly accepted pieces of investing wisdom that I mostly reject. First, […]
Freelancing is tough. And many new freelancers make it tougher by falling into bad financial habits. Sometimes right from the start. Here are a few bad habits to avoid if you’re trying to make it as a freelancer. Treating freelancing like a job Financially a job is very different from being a freelancer. When you […]
* But Fortunately, Times Are Changing (Quickly) People who have access to a financial advisor have better financial outcomes. Charles Schwab conducted a survey of the financial behaviors of people who work with a financial planner compared to those who don’t. The results for people who work with a financial advisor are encouraging. 75% pay their bills and still have enough […]
There are now around 57 million freelancers in the US, and the move to full-time freelancing is becoming more attractive, for many reasons. Freelancing is far from being an easy option, though, and many freelancers find it hard to scale their business and earn more money. Simply working longer and longer hours isn’t a sustainable […]
Inflation keeps ticking higher and higher, but affects the cost of some items much more than others The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks thousands of prices and folds them all into a weighted average they call the consumer price index, or CPI. Last month, I wrote how the CPI’s year-over-year increase was 5.0%, […]
Going through a divorce can be one of the most emotional and challenging life experiences for many people. And when it comes to your finances, your life may truly feel turned upside down. Fortunately, you’ll find a growing number of financial advisors who specialize in helping people navigate the complexities during the process of getting […]
When it comes to making a budget, one thing that will often trip you up is a lack of understanding regarding what you actually spend. You can start tracking your spending at any time, of course. But if you’ve tracked your spending for a month, you still won’t have a good idea of what your […]
High Inflation Is Here Now. Are You Wondering How Badly It Will Hurt Your Wallet? There’s no two ways about it. Prices are moving up. For some things, by over 50% in the past year! According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the official score-keeper, May’s year-over-year change in the consumer price index […]
While low cost index mutual funds and ETFs have surged in popularity among do-it-yourself investors and financial advisors alike, investing directly in individual stocks and bonds could offer many potential benefits depending upon your unique circumstances. But investing in individual securities comes with additional risks and requires considerable time, knowledge and discipline to thoughtfully build […]