finance
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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
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New Year, New You: Cultivating Positive Habits for a Better Life
Ah, a brand new year. Especially after the shitshow that was 2020, its good to have the sense that we can begin anew, that we can shed some of those habits and behaviors that have been holding
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Frugalvore: Eat Well & Save Money - A Practical Guide
The “locavore” movement is based on the idea of eating only foods grown within a 100-mile radius of where you live. Vicki Robin, for instance, might be best-known for her money m
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Best Time to Rent an Apartment: Seasonal Trends & Savings
Is there a best time of year to rent an apartment? There is no straight answer because there are a lot of factors that come into play when renting an apartment, but here a few things to k
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Cost-Effective Moving: 10 Proven Strategies to Save Money
Talk to anyone who’s recently moved, and they’ll swear they’re never moving again. Moving is an enormous task, and the cost of moving can cause sticker shock. If you hav
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Affordability Calculation: Understanding How Much House You Can Buy
You’re finally ready to get out of the rental market and buy a home of your own. But how do you know how much house you can afford? Before you head out on your house-hunting adventure, yo
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Moving Cost Sharing: Strategies for Couples & Roommates
Money tends to be a touchy subject for many people–so don’t be surprised if you run into roadblocks when you and your roommate or significant other begin calculating moving co
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Finding Your First Off-Campus Apartment: A Comprehensive Guide
You lived in the dorms during your first year or two of college, but now is the time to find your first real apartment off campus. This is truly a turning point in your life, and it is on
finance
- Retirement Planning: Addressing Social Security Concerns & Strategies
- Credit Card Balance Transfers: A Comprehensive Guide
- High-Risk Investments: Understanding the Potential Downsides
- Investment Options: A Beginner's Guide to Portfolio Management
- Pocketsmith Review: Simple & Affordable Personal Finance Tracking
- H&R Block Loan Review: Is a 0% Interest Loan Worth It?
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Invest in the S&P 500: A Beginner's Guide to Index Funds
Standard & Poor’s 500 index funds are among today’s most popular investments — and it’s little wonder why. The S&P 500 index on which these funds are based has ret...
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Long-Term Financing: Understanding the DrawbacksA mortgage is a common example of long-term financing. Borrowing money to finance a purchase includes factors for repayment that can shape your financial future. Choosing long-term financing ...
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Understanding Rising Rents: What Renters Need to KnowImage Credit: Ekaterina79/iStock/GettyImages Rental prices, along with everything else, continue to climb in 2022. In the early days of the pandemic, a record number of renters left major cities fo...
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Budget-Friendly Christmas Gifts: 25 Unique Ideas Under $10This article may contain links from our partners. Please read how we make money for more info.The holiday season is supposed to be a joyous time, but you may be feeling anything but joy if you’r...