Sustainability has become a key concept in environmental and resource management circles. Of course, it’s also a good goal for your own financial practices. I’m sure it once seemed as if the world contained an endless reservoir of oil. By the end of the 20th century, though, it was clear that we were wrong. Some […]
Co-workers tend to look at me as someone who dives head-first into projects and generally meets deadlines ahead of schedule, so they don’t realize my hidden secret. I’m a recovering procrastinator. When I was a student, I did everything at the last minute. I suppose the blessing is that it taught me to work fast. […]
Let’s talk about a somewhat controversial subject, at least in financial planning circles: paying off your mortgage early. A great deal of conventional wisdom says you should never pay a mortgage off early. Well, I’ve gone against that conventional wisdom. Twice. I don’t know if that means I lack conventionality or I lack wisdom, but […]
I enjoy weddings. I’m just not sure how much I’d pay for one. That thought was prompted by reading recently that the typical wedding in the United States costs around $30, 000 these days. Now, I’m a little skeptical about that number. After all, there is whole cross-section of businesses dedicated to promoting the idea […]
A very wealthy and successful guy I used to work for once mentioned something about his mortgage to me. I was a little taken aback, and asked why someone with his money would still have a mortgage. His thinking demonstrated that there are several dimensions involved in the decision of when to maintain debt rather […]
I suppose it is bound to happen if you live in a wooden house in a semi-rural area. Our house has become besieged by woodpeckers. The insistent, get-you-up-out-of-bed nagging of their rapping on the walls reminds me of the inescapable angst of having money worries. The problem is, I know what to do about financial […]
How worried should I be? That’s a question financial people get a lot when the market is as unstable as it has been over the past several weeks. Actually, it’s a question we ask ourselves in those environments. Having both asked and answered that question several times recently, let me share some of the answers […]
The worst thing about bad credit isn’t being turned down for a loan or a new credit card. After all, there are worse things than not being able to borrow. The bigger problem with bad credit is that it can cost you money in a number of ways, and that added cost makes it easy […]
If you have been able to buy a house or refinance a mortgage in recent years, then congratulations. You have been a beneficiary of the Fed’s extraordinary effort to keep interest rates low. For many others though, monetary policy hasn’t been so favorable — in fact, it has cost them dearly. Ostensibly, low interest rates […]
It’s one of the most awkward questions a friend can ask you: “Will you lend me some money?” Awkward for your friend to have to ask, and awkward for you to have to answer. Saying “no” could adversely affect your friendship. However, saying “yes” could also put a strain on your friendship, and your finances. […]