It’s a great position to be in. All consumer debt has been paid off, or never existed in the first place. You’re doing well in your career, invest 10 percent or more of your income, and have plenty of savings in your emergency fund. You also own your own home and don’t plan on moving anytime soon. You’re at a point where you have a surplus of money coming in every month.
I hear it a lot—investing is risky. Yes, investing definitely is risky. You can lose money investing short-term. It’s agonizing to think that you can work hard at your job, do what you believe is the right thing, and actually lose some of that money if you were to pull it out.
If I went to the store and saw oranges for three dollars a pound, I wouldn’t buy them. Oranges are normally around a dollar per pound and two dollars more per pound would probably shock my system. I might even drive to another store across town to find oranges at the price I’m used to.
One of the most common fears for people in personal finance is losing their job. A job loss can happen for any number of reasons. Company down-sizing, poor performance, disruptions in the industry, reductions in state and/or federal funding, and countless other ways.
As we’ve written about many times before, personal finance seems like a complex topic. With so much information (both good and bad) available, things can get really confusing.
We hear the message all the time—save money. Although that message is frequently given, there’s rarely a reason or a why given behind it. For some people, it may be obvious why they are saving, but for others, not so obvious. A couple in their mid-30’s with a family of four has different reasons for saving than a 22-year old fresh out of college.
I think when most people think of getting a raise or pay increase, they think of making more money at work. Maybe by getting a promotion and making more, or moving up a step on the pay scale. Or making more sales, getting a bonus, or even starting a business.
There’s an idea in personal finance that for the average person to obtain wealth, they need to cut a bunch of things out. Maybe it’s because cutting spending is the lowest common denominator, or the easiest thing for people to relate to. I’ve frequently heard statements equivalent to a crash diet:
A little over a week ago I was at a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. I’m actually a diehard San Francisco Giants fan, I was at the game because my wife is a Dodgers fan and she wanted me to go. People always laugh when they hear about our baseball allegiances because the Giants and Dodgers are longtime rivals.
I read the book Rich Dad Poor Dad for the first time about ten years ago. Since that time, I’ve re-read the book at least a few times. Each time I’ve read it I’ve picked up something new. Definitely one of my top books of all time.
“If only I had invested in Amazon, Apple, or Nvidia 15 years ago” or “I knew I should have bought that property 20 years ago
Improving your money habits and systems is the best way to get ahead financially. Set up systems and follow them on a predictable basis. Sounds
Most people want answers. We want money advice to be universal and easily applied. If a billionaire or influencer does this or uses that strategy,
Debt is a tool. Ever heard this? Lots of personal finance experts have made this statement, but it kind of stops at that—leaving many wondering
