If you’re buying a home, you should compare the home’s advertised square footage with the official square footage on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and tax records. Your goal is to uncover any discrepancy and understand why the discrepancy exists. The MLS takes its information from the home’s official square footage found in the county’s […]
When Advertised Home Square Footage Is Different From Tax Records Read More »
I wrote about the various paradoxes of wealth based on a Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey. In this article, I want to highlight another wealth paradox based on the amount people expect they need in retirement versus how much they actually have. According to this new data, I’m convinced Americans really don’t know how much
How Much People Want In Retirement Vs. How Much They Actually Have Read More »
You know that panicky, sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize you’re in deep trouble or you made a mistake? You’re so SOL that you don’t know what to do. It’s Sam’s wife Sydney here, and I recently found myself in a bind. Right after I booked flights to Japan, I
When In Trouble, Remember FULL BENEFIT! A Passport Debacle Read More »
Everybody should have some investments in stocks. Although stocks provide zero utility, some stocks provide dividend income and all stocks have the potential for capital appreciation. Since 1926 the S&P 500 has returned about 10% on average a year. Further, at some point in your life you should sell some stocks to buy what you
It’s OK To Sell Stocks Once You’ve Made Enough To Buy What You Want Read More »
If you’re looking to achieve financial freedom before a traditional retirement age (60+), you must build passive income. This post will highlight the best passive income investments in our current economic environment. Passive income is the holy grail of personal finance. If you have enough passive income to cover your desired lifestyle, then you are
Ranking The Best Passive Income Investments Read More »
I first wrote this post about financial independence in 2012, soon after I had left my day job in the finance industry. It was a 13-year slog, but I was thrilled to leave but also a little worried about the unknown. The idea of this post is to capture the feeling of financial independence and
Reasons To Strive For Financial Independence: That FI Feeling Read More »
Let’s say you’ve just graduated college and have a negative net worth due to student debt. Don’t fret. You actually have a higher net worth than you think! This post will help you calculate the value of a college degree. A college degree is a valuable asset. Millions of people are willing to dedicate 4-6
How To Calculate The Value Of A College Degree Read More »
After every tennis match I lost in high school, my father would console me by saying, “You just weren’t good enough.” Those words stung each time I heard them. But they were true. Over time, my dad stopped coming to my matches because I told him the pressure of his gaze wasn’t helpful. With no
The Joy Of Low Expectations: When Nobody Believes In You Read More »
The 2023 Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey highlights the many paradoxes of wealth in America. Over 1,000 individuals of all different backgrounds filled out the survey. Overall, the survey, conducted between March 1 and March 23, 2023, says it takes a net worth of $2.2 million to be considered wealthy in 2023. The net worth
The Paradoxes Of Wealth: Misaligned Beliefs About Money Read More »
Why the heck are home prices not going down more with mortgage rates so high? In many parts of the country, home prices are actually continuing to go up. The answer to this conundrum is partly due to the “life goes on” home-buying cycle. Many folks put their lives on hold for one-to-three years during
Explaining The “Life Goes On” Home-Buying Cycle Read More »
