Introduction Most people think building wealth is out of reach—and because of that, most people don’t think about it at all. That mindset is a big reason why so many people live paycheck to paycheck. This beginner’s guide to building…
Welcome to the Inspiration side of this site. I shared the short version of my story in the ABOUT section. I am 58 years old so there are a lot of stories to my life but this story is THE…
Paying off debt is one of the most common financial challenges I have helped people work through, and one of the most misunderstood. I have been in some type of a finance role my entire life. Along the way I…
In a recent post, How to Research a Stock Before You Buy It, I walked through the framework — what to look for, what matters, and why. This post is meant to accompany that one with a real stock research…
“Faith is taking the first step even when you do not see the whole staircase.” — Martin Luther King Jr. There are quotes you read once and quotes you live with for a lifetime. This quote is one that has…
In How to Research a Stock Before You Buy It, we covered the basics of figuring out whether a company is worth owning. Once you start putting that knowledge to work, the next question is — how many stocks should…
In my last post, ETFs and Index Funds vs Individual Stocks, we talked about when it makes sense to start adding individual stocks to your portfolio. If you have decided you are ready to take that step, the natural next…
If you have read What Is an ETF? and Index Funds vs ETFs, you understand how to get into the stock market with one simple investment that instantly diversifies your money across companies and/or technologies. The next question almost every…
If you have learned what an ETF is, you have probably come across the term: index funds. In What Is an ETF?, we discussed the confusion of where to put your money once you have started saving it. Stocks, bonds,…
If you have started saving money — or are starting to think about it — or are sitting on money you have been afraid to invest — the next question is simple: What do you actually do with that money?…
As retirement is likely not on your mind when receiving your first paycheck, it is easy to think that saving some of that first paycheck doesn’t really matter. This is why it is so important to start saving with your…
You just got hired. Congratulations! Whether this is your first job in high school or your first career position out of college, the decisions you make now can set financial habits that follow you for decades.Learning how to prepare for…
Introduction Building a budget is critical as I talk about in Budgeting 101. Tracking your actual expenses versus that budget is also critical. While these steps are crucial, they don’t serve much of a purpose unless you modify your behavior…
Introduction I believe a budget is a critical step on the road to building wealth. Most people don’t have one—at least not one that reflects how they actually spend their money. Because of this, most people don’t fully understand where…
Your debit card is more harmful and risky than you realize—and it could be costing you in ways you may not have considered. One of the most common mistakes I see people make is using a debit card over a…
So much of the country is living paycheck to paycheck. In my opinion, one of the contributing causes is the way people view their checking account balance. If you are like most people, you log into your bank account or…
If you have ever made a budget, used it for a few weeks, and then completely ignored it, you are not alone. Budgets are a lot like New Year’s resolutions. They start with great intentions but fizzle out quickly. Most…
Introduction: Budgeting Made Simple At BUDGETING 101, I speak to how important it is to budget your expenses on the path to building savings. I personally budget my life across 30 items (personal savings, college fund, auto repairs, food, entertainment,…
I recently came across a survey from 2020 titled Mind Over Money, conducted by Capital One and The Decision Lab. It provided helpful insights on financial stress relief for those struggling with monetary concerns and looking for advice on how…
If you’re starting your real estate investing journey, you’ll quickly come across the term Cap Rate. This is short for Capitalization Rate. While not a perfect science for evaluating properties, Cap Rate is a great starting point to assess a…
Introduction There are a wide variety of opinions on how much you should spend on a car. While there are formulas to help guide you—and I’ll share a few in this post—the truth is, beyond the math, it comes down…
I have been thinking about this topic of Rich vs Wealthy a lot recently and what better time to get my thoughts out there than the start of a new year. You have a blank slate and the opportunity to…
As I discussed at The Very Basics of a Home Loan, Debt-to-Income (DTI) is one of three important criteria in qualifying for a home loan. Credit Score and the amount you are using as a downpayment are the other critical…
Refinancing the right way is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Over the years I have witnessed so many friends refinance for all the wrong reasons. There are certainly times when a home refinance makes financial sense but just…
There will be other posts here that go into greater detail behind home loans and the qualification process, but this one is meant to cover the VERY basics. Often, when people came to me to buy their first home, they…
At first, it felt too early in the life of this site to write about retirement savings—but today, it suddenly felt like the obvious topic. Why? Because saving and building net worth makes more sense when there’s an end goal…
Introduction: Is Your Budget Leaking Money? If you couldn’t tell from Budgeting 101, I strongly believe the key to building wealth starts with a budget. Unless you’re making more money than you know what to do with, you need a…
Once you get your budget set, start to control your spending habits and build some savings, you need to really think about an emergency fund. In the same spirit that you cannot view your 401K as regular savings, your emergency…
I’ll say this many times: I’m not here to give you stock advice. I’ll share what I personally do, what I’ve done, and even the trades I’ve made—but my goal is to educate you. I want you to understand key…
There are many approaches to investing in stocks: day trading, value investing, growth investing, index investing, dividend strategies, and more. In the spirit of diversification, your portfolio might contain elements of several. But regardless of your investing style, one strategy…
Much of this site is about helping you save money and build long-term wealth. Along those lines, let’s talk about one of the most underrated tools for doing just that: the 15-year mortgage. When people think about buying a home,…
