finance
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Financial Control: Strategies for Quick Wins & Confidence
I cringe when I remember learning to drive. At fifteen-years-old, I was impatient, full of nervous energy, and so short that I could barely reach the steering wheel. (Which is still kind of a pro
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Affordability Calculator: Determine Your Ideal Home Price
“How much house can I afford?” Answering this question correctly is one of the keys to building a happy, wealthy life. Unfortunately, theres a vast housing industry in the U.S. thats
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My Hot Tub Purchase: A Financial Perspective
“When are you going to write about your hot tub?” readers have been asking. “We want photos of you in your hot tub.” Fine. Heres a typical scene on any given afternoon. (T
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Refinancing Student Loans: A Comprehensive Guide
This is a guest post from Travis Hornsby, founder of Student Loan Planner. I met Travis last year and realized he knows a lot about something thats a blind spot for me. I asked him if hed be wil
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Boosting Wealth: Understanding the Power of Your Savings Rate
For years, Ive argued that your saving rate is the most important number in personal finance. “Saving rate” in the world of personal finance is the same as profit in the world of busi
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Investing Strategies: Insights from a Money Nerd Retreat
What happens when a half dozen money nerds spend 48 hours together in Clearwater, Florida? Do they romp on the beach? Swim in the ocean? Cook dinner together? Drink copious quantities of alcoho
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Quality Products on a Budget: Expert Strategies for Smart Shopping
Our recent three-part discussion on choosing quality over price has been interesting. (If you missed it, heres part one, part two, and part three.) Its clear that most of you money bosses value q
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Early Mortgage Payoff: Is It the Right Financial Move?
My friend Amy recently wrote with an interesting dilemma. “Should I pay off my mortgage early?” she wonders. Amy has a high-paying job and has managed to save enough that she could
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The Unexpected Link Between Frugality and Wealth
In a recent article in The Atlantic, Joe Pinsker shared some thoughts on why many ultrarich people arent satisfied with their wealth. There seem to be two reasons. First, people tend to ask th
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Overcoming Debt Fear: A Case Study in Taking Action
Last night, as I do from time to time, I met with a GRS reader. Actually, Debbie doesnt read this site but her sister does. And Debbie means to. Although I met Debbies sister last year at a Camp
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Financial Advice That Changed My Life: A Letter From My Mother
Have you ever thought how different your life could have been if you’d taken someone’s advice? What if I told you it may not be too late? I recently rediscovered a letter my mother wrote to me
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A Father's Wisdom on Life, Death, and Turning 50
“Who was there for your father when he died?” Kim asked me a few moments ago. Shes interested in becoming a death doula, so shes reading a book about end-of-life care. “Its odd
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DIY Home Repair: A Beginner's Guide to Fixing Leaky Sinks
“Oh good,” Kim said when I rolled out of bed yesterday morning. “I’m glad you’re up.” She gets up at 5:30 for work most days, but I tend to sleep in. Especially during al
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Create a Budget That Works: A Simple, Step-by-Step Guide
“A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” — John C. Maxwell Ive had more one-on-one money coaching meetings during the past year than my previ
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Evaluating Financial Advice: How to Make Smart Decisions
Commenting on a recent article, Carmine Red asked an excellent question: How do you evaluate the financial advice you get from other sources? Specifically, how do you decide if some piece of ad
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The Enduring Value of Thrift: A Childhood Reflection
When I was a boy, we lived in the country. That is, we lived five miles from the nearest town (Canby) and 25 miles from the nearest city (Portland). We were surrounded by farmland. Life was qui
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Financial Success for U.S. Military Members: A Veteran's Guide
Howdy! Im Spencer, an active-duty Air Force officer investing for financial independence by age 40. Since 2016, my wife and I have saved half of my active-duty paycheck into our financial indep
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Take Control of Your Finances: The Power of Spending Tracking
Last year wasnt good for me. Depression and anxiety reigned supreme. By objective standards, my life was pretty good. But subjectively, life sucked. Going into 2020, I decided I needed to make s
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Protect Your Digital Life: Essential Cybersecurity Basics
Last Monday, I got an email from Spotify saying that somebody in Brazil had logged into my account. I checked. Sure enough: A stranger was using my Spotify to listen to Michael Jackson. I told
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Saving Rate vs. Savings Rate: Understanding the Difference
Those who know me well will tell you that Im something of a pedant. Im not proud of it. Left to my own devices, Im one of those whod go around correcting everybodys grammar. It grates on my ner
finance
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Slash Food Costs: Simple Eating Habits for Financial SavingsA change to your eating habits could make you healthier, both physically and financiall...
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Travel Insurance: Is It Worth the Investment in 2024?How much is your peace of mind worth...
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Federal Truck Insurance Minimums Poised to Double to $2 MillionAn amendment to a bill circulating on Capitol Hill would more than double the required minimum amount of insurance for commercial motor vehicles. Currently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administra...
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Lending Money to Family & Friends: A Practical GuideShould you lend money to family and friends? It can be a tricky and emotionally charged decision that families face from time to time. In some situations, it’s obvious that a loved one ha...