Financial Samurai

I was reading some posts around the web discussing how it’s common place to live at home with mom and dad.  Is it really that common?  Have I lost touch with reality, yet again?  After four years of college, where there are just ridiculous amounts of parties and unspoken amounts of fun, who on earth goes home and lives back with mom and dad?

Even if I was unemployed, I’d pay several hundred bucks and rent the sofa in my buddy’s living room or something.  Is there no shame in living at home with parents as a grown adult?  Perhaps not.  Right on my street, live three 26-27 year old young bucks with grandma.  Come on, how can these guys live with themselves living with grandma?  After 25 years old, that’s 3 years after college to find independence.  So I got to thinking, perhaps it is feasible to live at home with mom and dad, or grandma and still get girls!

STRATEGIES FOR GETTING GIRLS WHILE LIVING WITH MOM & DAD Read more…

Are you a lazy shopper?  I gotta say that I’m an extremely lazy shopper because I’m trying to pair down the things I own.  When I do go shopping the experience is sometimes so cumbersome I often just give up and don’t buy anything.  That said, when there’s a deal, oh how great the temptation it is to buy.

Whenever I think about coupons, I think of old folks sitting around their round breakfast tables on a Sunday morning going Edward Scissorhands on the paper.  With their stacks of nicely cutout coupons in hand, they go to the local grocery store and bargain hunt away.  If only there were an easier way, which bring us to a guest post by Kyle, the Director of Marketing at CouponCactus.com. Read more…

Every month I contribute $1,375 to my 401K so that by the end of the year, the 401K is maxed out at $16,500.  Unfortunately, $16,500 a year is a ridiculously low amount of money to save for retirement if you really do the math.  After 10 years, you might have $200,000, and after 30 years you might have $600,000 to $1 million depending on the markets and your employer’s match.  Whatever the case may be, the 401K is simply not enough money to retire on, especially since you need to pay tax upon distribution.

The government needs to get it together and raise the amount of 401K contribution for those in the later part of their lives.  How is it that a 40 year old executive who makes $165,000 can only max out the same amount in his 401K has a 23 year old kid out of school making $35,000?  It just doesn’t make sense.  Instead, the government should allow pre-tax contributions to increase by $5,000 every 5 years so that by the time one has served 20 years in the work force for example, s/he can contribute $35,000+ a year to their 401Ks until retirement.

Let’s talk about the pencil geek IRA retirement plan for example.  If you’re one of the fortunate who are allowed to contribute, you can only fund $5,000 a year!  Whoopdeedoo!  $5,000 X 30 years later, assuming you don’t lose it in the market yields $150,000-$300,000 maybe!  Great, just enough to buy me a Honda Accord sedan when I’m grey.  Get it together government and raise that $5,000 contribution amount higher with better tax incentives.  Furthermore, let hard working Americans who make over $120,000 the opportunity to contribute regularly, and not just through odd year loop holes.  Empower people to want to save for their future!

DIFFERENT STROKES Read more…

Hear that?  That is the sound of another self righteous employed person complaining about the unemployed sucking up resources and driving the government deficit further into the red.  Who cares employed people??  You guys aren’t the ones who are struggling to find a job in this economy!

There are several tautologies here:

1) Few can live a comfortable lifestyle off of unemployment benefits which average $200-3oo a week

2) The vast majority of people who are unemployed want to make more money, find jobs, and do something meaningful with their lives.

3) Our budget is headed towards a $1.4 trillion+ deficit, so who cares if we’re going to spend another $50 billion to help millions of unemployed people survive for up to 99 weeks?

THE BUDGET DEFICIT DOES NOT MATTER WHEN YOU HAVE NO JOB Read more…

You guys know that the one and only data point I track religiously is the 10-year yield right?  Well, after the 10 year yield dipped below 3%, I went to the bank with a buddy of mine to go see how much money we could borrow.  The wiry banker sat us down like a loving couple and asked us to go through our finances at which point I kindly stepped out of the room and let him go first.  Five minutes later, he came out with a grin on his face, so I curiously went in.

I proceeded to disclose some of my finances, and he proceeded to tell me some curious news.  “Look here Sam, you can borrow up to $1.5 million dollars at a 5 year fixed rate at 3.75%!”

Holy moly really?  You mean little old me, just like that can borrow that much money at that low of a rate?  “So what’s the catch?”, I ask.

“Zero points, and $2,500 in closing costs.  But don’t worry, we are giving you a $500 credit for being a preferred member, and frankly, if you guys both take out loans, I’ll throw in another $500 credit,” said the banker.

“Done!  Where do I sign?, I ask as I think about the new Audi R8 I plan to buy with just $150,000 of the $1.5 million.  Or maybe I should be more conservative and spend $100,000 on the new 2011 Porsche 911.  Or actually, I heard the 2011 BMW  335i coupe is coming out for only $55,000 this fall.  With all the money “saved”, time for a bachelor’s trip somewhere fun!  (I’m still thinking to myself here).

NOT SO FAST FOOLIO! Read more…

Dr. Thomas J. Stanley wrote a great book called “The Millionaire Next Door” where he surveyed a bunch of folks and discovered millionaires for the most part are pretty simple, everyday people.  The next door millionaires drove second hand cars, shopped at Walmart, and lived in sub $500,000 houses which were of course, all paid off.  Part of the reason why Dr. Stanley’s book is such a big hit is because he appeals to a mass audience and shows us we can all be millionaires because there’s nothing really special about them!

Hence, like getting your college degree, is becoming a millionaire by the time you retire fast becoming a rule rather than the exception?  The answer is “yes” if you ask Dr. Stanley and all the next door millionaires.  In fact, they are probably all shaking their heads at those who can’t get there because it’s so easy for them.  Success skews reality proclaims Roger at The Amateur Financier.  So true.  If you’re rich, you think everybody is rich or should be rich.

SO EASY, EVEN A KNUCKLEHEAD CAN DO IT! Read more…

Pick any private school.  The cost is about $200,000 over four years.  These figures don’t surprise anybody anymore given the ever rising application volume to storied institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.  That said, there have to be some who believe $200,000 for a private school is a hard pill to swallow over an excellent public school for just $40,000.

With an estimate 17% of people aged 20 through 24 unemployed, swallowing a bowling ball may be easier than finding a desirable job post graduation.  Let’s say you are one of the unlucky few who can’t find a job after a $200,000 education.  Does it really matter? Let’s think about why it doesn’t really matter from the eyes of several recent graduates.

THE BOY WHO WAS FORCED TO GO Read more…

Like clockwork, I top-ticked the markets when I wrote “The Good Times Are Back Again” this past April.  The markets have since fallen about 9% as the Euro Zone goes bonkers over debt problems.  But, at least the message from the post is that it’s exactly during the good times where we need to be more disciplined in our finances, because we never know when the bad times will return.  Now that the bad times are back, is now the time to party like it’s 1999 and spend counter-cyclically?  Nope, because with the amount of volatility, by the time you finish reading this post, the markets might be surging again!

With this market correction, it’s pretty clear that everything isn’t peaches and cream.  US leading indicators have turned downwards, unemployment figures have stopped improving, and people are wondering whether Europe will be like the US, but much worse.  If you’re American living in America, look at the bright side of things: the US dollar is strengthening, and the 10-year yield has declined to 3.1%, which is leading to lower rates yet again!  The 10 year yield and all its glory really is the most beautiful figure to watch.  It can tell the story of everything and anything.

The USD will always be a global safe haven currency, no matter how hard we try and mess things up.  It’s good to see that we aren’t the only basket cases as investors sell the Euro faster than they can say tapas!  What’s going on now is that money is shifting towards US assets, namely the property market.  Combine an asset shift with cheap debt, and rental yields above the current risk-free rate of return (3.1%), you realize why smart money is moving into the US property market again.  Only a minority will agree with the attractiveness of the US property market, and therein lies the opportunity.

During bad times, it’s always good to re-evaluate your finances.  I’m not convinced the bad times are back and am actually quite sanguine about the economy.  All the same, here are some suggestions just in case things get ugly for longer.

TOP 5 THINGS TO DO WHEN THE BAD TIMES ARE BACK AGAIN Read more…

It continues to perplex me why there should be a distinction between an emergency fund and your general savings.  If you have $100,000 in the bank, what is the difference between calling it $100,000 in savings, and splicing the funds into $10,000 emergency money and $90,000 savings?  The answer lies in the fact that people who need to create an emergency fund likely always have “emergencies” and are weak with their spending and savings!

Let’s say your name is Mr. Benjamin aka a $100 dollar bill.  You’re relaxing with your fellow Benjamins in the bank, hopefully earning at least a 4% interest rate using the “DVD Method To CD Investing” and having a grand old yield maximizing time.  A Benjamin’s purpose is to provide a solid source of liquidity and risk free interest income for the owner upon his or her retirement.

Some Benjamins are lucky.  Their owners don’t discriminate between one bill or another.  They treat each bill with vital respect i.e. they don’t touch it!  Some owners are just nutty, always disturbing their party and separating one Benjamin from another.  “Listen up Benjamins!  100 of you are to relocate to this side of the tracks, and the other 900 Benjamins get to kick back and relax!”

YOUR CRUTCH WHEN YOU CAN WALK JUST FINE Read more…

The following is a guest post from @NealFrankle of Wealth Pilgrim.  Neal is a Certified Financial Planner, a fellow Yakezie member, and all around good guy.  Hope you guys enjoy!

During strong markets, anyone can make money. During weak markets, everyone gets hurt. For the most part, all ships rise and fall with the tide, financial adviser or not.

So what’s the point of having an adviser?

(I have my own answer to this question and it may surprise you.)

But before we get to my answer, let’s explore the wild and wonderful world of financial advisers and our clients.

1. Financial Advisers are Salespeople. Read more…

Yowza! Source: NY Times

Over 11 million people are estimated to have died by the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust just 65 years ago.  5 to 6 million of the 11+ million were Jews and over 300,000 were Athenians during the Axis’ occupation of Greece.  It’s a fallacy to blame modern day Germans about the atrocities of the past.  Yet, just because the demons have all died, shall we forgive and forget?  Absolutely not.  The offspring and relatives of the 11+ million dead live on, and their stories will never ever be forgotten.

With a GDP of US$3.6 trillion, Germany is now the largest economy in Europe as well as the 4th largest economy in the world.  Germany also has roughly $50 billion in estimated loans to Greece, a large amount, but not an overwhelmingly debilitating amount given the size of their economy.  Saving Greece helps the Germans and the rest of the 27 EU members who in some way were all negatively affected by Germany decades ago.

GRAND STANDING AND FINGER WAGGING Read more…

If you look carefully around the web, you’ll read scores of articles about the desire to retire early.  Yours truly wishes to finish up no later than 45, as I believe working for 20 or so years is a long enough time.  I’ve done the math with various living and return scenarios and it can be done.  But the question is whether it’s a good idea?  Perhaps not.

Now that the economy is in recovery mode, it’ll be interesting to see how attitudes change towards early retirement.  Will those who’ve short circuited their careers feel the pull to return to full time work and maximize their earnings potential again?  I believe so.  What about all our “lifestyle design” and “digital nomad” friends who had a rough time landing something stable they truly love?  Possibly they’ll come back too.

Those who are able to retire early are often cherished.  I certainly admire those who are able to cut down their desires to the bare bones and live a very frugal lifestyle.  I also admire those who’ve been able to strike it rich very early!  That said, perhaps early retirement isn’t a good idea for the large majority of people.  Let’s explore several reasons as to why people want to retire early, why they exist, as well as understand why it may not be a good idea.  Someone has to argue the other side, so it might as well be me.

WHY PEOPLE WANT TO RETIRE EARLY (IT ISN’T THAT OBVIOUS!) Read more…

In “How To Dramatically Increase Your Job Security For Life“, the article suggests managers are more inclined to fire those workers who have nobody to support but themselves.  As a result, one should strategically at least hint at the intention of starting a family to protect oneself from unemploymentville.  Clearly I’m being somewhat flippant.  My goal is to make people realize that relationships and emotion play enormous roles in shaping work success.

Whether you work for a small family business or a large corporation, hiring and firing is a very personal decision that comes down to one or only a handful of decision makers.  By tugging at their souls, and increasing their guilt factor, you’re well on your way to dramatically higher job security for life.

Let’s say you’re not particularly wealthy, nor make a particularly impressive amount of money.  You still have loads of student loans and consumer debt to pay off.  In essence, you’re the typical American!  Shouldn’t you be putting on your air mask before helping others?

Child raising is estimated to cost anywhere between $250,000 to $1 million from birth to after college.  If a family can’t even have the discipline to save 20% of their paycheck after contributing to their 401K and IRA, how can one consciously start a family?

$250,000 ISN’T A LOT, YET HOW MANY CAN SAVE THAT MUCH? Read more…

A fantastic topic came up over dinner one day regarding how to increase job security in today’s highly volatile economy.  The usual tips came up, such as: be invaluable, develop strong internal relationships, and never call in sick on a Friday (slacker).  All tips were logical, but the more we drank, the more out of the box we thought until we reached the best employment insurance strategy of them all: Make babies and start a family!

Starting a family could be the #1 way to ensure long term employment.  With a family, your employer must not only consider your situation, but the situation of every single person you support.  The more kids you have, the more bullet proof you become!  Imagine a scenario where your boss is faced with firing 10 employees out of 100, or 10%.  How do you think she chooses?

HOW MANAGERS THINK BEFORE FIRING YOU Read more…

It’s difficult to save money and not splurge on things you want.  Let’s face it, those financial goals you made this year will need as much help as you can get.  One of the key ways I save is to play games.  Let me show you what I mean.

SAMURAI SEPTEMBER

Last July, I made a resolution not to spend any money on things other than basic necessities such as food and my bus pass in September.  Even filling up Moose with gas was pretty much off-limits as we decided to do a lot of biking, walking, and carpooling instead.

By naming September, Samurai September, the game was set in motion to see if I could succeed.  Not only did I not spend any money that month, I didn’t spend any money in October either!  I wanted to beat the rules of my game, and break the record by as far a margin as possible.  The feeling is just like trying to smash the Pacman record by a wide margin, so nobody will ever unseat you.

THE “I WON’T SPEND MONEY UNTIL…..” GAME Read more…