In August, for the first time ever, there was more money in passive index funds than in actively managed funds. I think this is a good trend, as I practically beg new investors to keep it simple. The easiest way to keep it simple is by not investing in individual stocks. There are also […]
Read More >>Why Fears about Student Loan Forgiveness are Overblown
“Don’t count on loan forgiveness – it doesn’t work!” “It doesn’t sound like loan forgiveness is a thing. Didn’t you see that 99% of people get rejected?” There is a ton of negativity around Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Many are telling people there is no way they will get loan forgiveness. But in reality, […]
Read More >>How to Choose the Best Bank
I’m cynical when it comes to banks. After all, the actual product a bank offers is not unique. It’s a highly regulated product, too, and virtually every bank is FDIC insured up to $250k, meaning even if the bank goes belly-up you will be able to recover up to $250k. There are some ways […]
Read More >>5 Ways to Find Cash to Invest in the Stock Market
A few years back a colleague and I would regularly discuss business and investment ideas. One thing he was really interested in was real estate investing. He wanted to own a bunch of properties and rent them out, and perhaps build some sweat equity by purchasing properties that needed some TLC. Here’s the thing: […]
Read More >>My Money Tool Box: What I Use to Track & Manage My Money
With hundreds, if not thousands, of banks, credit unions, stock brokers, and finance-related apps, how do you pick which ones to use? There are plenty of lists online for the best savings accounts, credit cards, and finance apps. What I’ve found useful, though, is to hear what other people are actually using. For example, […]
Read More >>Working with a Debt Lawyer: What to Expect
One thing I pride myself on is laying out all the options. Everyone has a unique financial situation, and they owe it to themselves to consider all their options. Unfortunately one-size-fits-all advice is what some big personal finance authors and personalities push, which can be unhelpful at best and harmful at worst. For example, […]
Read More >>Options for Dealing With Parent PLUS Student Loans
As of June 2019, there were approximately 3.5 million Parent PLUS student loan borrowers, with approximately $100 billion in outstanding loans. While this is only a small portion of the 40 million plus student loan borrowers and $1.6 trillion in outstanding student loans, Parent PLUS loans do have different repayment options and requirements than other […]
Read More >>10+ Ways I’ve Made Side Income
With technology today there are literally thousands of ways to make side income. But what actually has worked for people? To be clear, it’s not always necessary to have experienced something to write about it. There are likely many bloggers and journalists covering the NFL who never played football, for example. With that being […]
Read More >>Why Privilege is so Important When Talking about Money
I went back and forth on whether or not to write this post. Ultimately I decided privilege, and how it impacts our personal finances – for better or for worse – was too important a topic to not address. Privilege has come up a lot in the media the past few years, especially as […]
Read More >>Should You Trust a Financial Advisor with your Student Loans?
During a recent student loan repayment webinar I was asked the question “can I trust my financial advisor with my student loans?” This is a really important question that I thought would be worthwhile to address in a post. It’s a question that will come up again and again, as a higher percentage of Americans […]
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