Baby Step One – Starter Emergency Fund

Today I’m launching a new series. Actually it is the very first installment of what I envision as an ambitious 3 series set in which I plan to cover some personal finance basics from different angles.  Call it a “Back to the Basics” bundle if you will.  I expect this series to take shape over the next couple months so stay tuned.  I hope you’ll enjoy and engage the discussion. In some ways...

Wake Up Call

A read an article the other day from a pretty well respected icon in the blogging game.  Leo Babauta over at Zen Habits has about 160,000 readers – an insane number when you’ve been doing this long enough to know what that really means. His article was about changing habits and the easiest way we too often derail our efforts to change and improve. The idea was as simple as it gets.  So simple...

Mortgage Interest Is Tax Deductible, So What?

A couple weeks ago I was exchanging emails with a friend – and reader – and during the exchange he shared from a discussion he was having with a co-worker about tax deductible debt – think mortgage.  It seems that his co-worker – a CFO, trained in the ways of finance – was in favor of maintaining a mortgage for the purposes of the tax deduction rather than paying off the debt as quickly...

Discover, You’re An Idiot

I received a letter in the mail the other day that was equal parts shocking and appalling… and sadly, genius. Discover, a credit card I’ve held for a couple years and last used nearly that long ago, sent a letter offering me $500 and encouraging me to rack up massive amounts of debt in the process. The hook was obvious.  Who doesn’t want five crisp bills?  But the catch was brazen and laughable...

Debt Sucks!

  This article was written by Steven, author of Hundred Goals, a blog about achieving your goals while managing your finances. Steven writes about his journey of traveling the world and working towards completing a life list of 100+ goals, including skydiving and becoming debt free. Sign up for email updates and be sure to join him and hundreds of other readers on the Hundred Goals Facebook Page! …and...

Financial Infidelity

  So, when was the last time you cheated on your spouse?  What?  It’s a fair question, no need to get all bent out of shape.  We all cheat on our spouses from time to time.  Heck, I know I’ve done it twice, at least that I can recall.  Some folks consider it sport or simply a normal way of life.  That’s just how some households roll. Now to be sure, I am not talking about marital infidelity. ...

Help, I’ve Fallen Off My Snowball

I hear that the road paved with good intentions leads to nowhere good, and having missed a turn along the way, that’s where my budget snowball was heading. Long story short – I’ve written plenty about the details already and don’t want to bore the regulars – I’ve fallen off my snowball.  The good thing is that I do know how to get back up, and now firmly (or nearly so) on my feet, muscle...