Tag long term thinking

Comparison of a concentrated stock portfolio versus a diversified portfolio using investment baskets

How Many Stocks Should You Actually Own?

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…

How to Research a Stock Before You Buy It

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…

Hand lifting a basket of diversified investment sectors representing an ETF

What Is An ETF? A Simple Beginner’s Guide

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?…

Start saving with your first paycheck and the importance of time in building financial habits

Start Saving with Your First Paycheck

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…

Learn in Detail, Live in Simplicity: Why Money Systems Matter

Learn in Detail, Live in Simplicity: Why Money Systems Matter

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…

person standing at the start of a road representing a beginner’s guide to building wealth and starting a financial journey

The Beginner’s Guide to Building Wealth

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…

Retirement Savings 101: What’s Your Magic Number?

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…

Trying to Time the Market? Here’s Why That’s a Costly Mistake

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…

Breaking Down the Mortgage Debate: 15-Year vs. 30-Year

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,…

Atomic Planks: The Power of 1% Daily Improvement

“Little Things Make Big Things Happen.” — John Wooden Atomic Planks may not sound inspirational at first, but the concept behind them absolutely is. It’s all about changing yourself for the better—just 1% at a time. Atomic Planks is meant…

illustration showing dividend stocks generating income for investors

What are Dividend Stocks?

Introduction Dividend stocks are a type of equity investment that can provide investors with a steady stream of income. These stocks are issued by companies that regularly share a portion of their earnings with shareholders in the form of dividends.…

401k retirement savings concept showing coins and cash representing long term retirement investing

Start Your 401K Early: Why It Matters

When you’re young, it’s easy to think of retirement as something far off in the distant future. However, the truth is, that the earlier you start saving for retirement, the better off you’ll be in the long run and starting…

teen learning financial habits early in life by saving money in a jar

Starting Early: Why Financial Habits Matter

Developing strong financial habits early in life is one of the most important steps toward long-term financial stability and independence. Financial literacy, building and understanding credit, recognizing the value of financial freedom, and developing strong money habits are all important…