When you’re young you feel invincible. Nothing can get in your way. You’re young, strong, agile, flexible, and time is on your side. In a blink you’re 20 years old. Another blink you’re 30, then 40, and then 50. Along the way you’ve assumed more responsibilities, maybe started a family, promoted to management at work, became a care taker, volunteered, and so on. Through these decades will you be just as responsible with your health? We put so much effort…
Like any sports team, you have your star athletes. Those who attract attention and outperform. Your portfolio will probably be similar. You’re going to have a few investments that shine, some that are mediocre, and others that just lag behind. I’m a buy and hold kind of investor so over time I’ve had some good picks. Here are my top stock performers. This is by no means financial advice. This is my own personal experience. Work with a financial expert…
If someone asked me for advice on how to pursue financial independence, I would have to say that it’s not a formula you follow and it’s not one thing that will propel you into financial independence. It is a combination of multiple habits that one would need to consider that is tailored specifically for you. There are common habits that many adopt and could be labeled as a standard. I specifically said “habits” with an “s” so it’s plural. It…
What type of credit cards do you have? Do you lean towards cash back credit cards, travel rewards credit cards, or merchant credit cards? Some cards offer no annual fees and there are others that have annual fees. Many credit cards offer promotions for new applicants and if they qualify. Some may offer a cash back bonus, hotel points, airlines miles, travel points, merchant credits, or other incentives. But did you know many credit card companies offer more than this?…
We all do this. Whether we voice it or just think it, we are constantly doing it. We compare ourselves to others all the time. Whether it is comparing clothes, shoes, cars, homes, hair styles, vacations, jobs, online followers, or lifestyles we constantly ask ourselves what do they have that I don’t or what are they doing that I’m not. This will lead you down a spiraling trap of never being good enough. Your life story is unique and should…
Establishing and working to achieve personal goals is great to have. It gives you a sense of mission, objective, and target to work towards to. If you share financial goals with another person such as spouse or significant other conversations about money is going to be an important topic to talk about regularly. Divorce rates and separation rates due to finances is increasing. To counter this trend get on the same page with your partner. The divorce and separation rate…
If you have a retirement account with your employer such as a 401K and they contribute towards by matching a percentage, have you ever thought to wonder what that equates to? My employer matches 5%. When I hear that, my thought is that 5% of my retirement account is from my employer and 95% is from my contributions. What I didn’t factor is the potential earnings the 5% would carry. Employer contributions and its earnings have high potential to increase…
Have you ever moved money to the wrong account? If so, it may cost you to fix it. I have several accounts that I manage because I also manage my kids custodial accounts. With cash brokerage accounts, IRA accounts, and Roth accounts, it can start to look the same. What happens if you accidentally funded the wrong account? Depending on which account it is, it could be nothing or it could be something. I made a mistake and it cost…
Staying healthy is a long term goal for many of us, if not all of us. How often do you go to the doctors? How about specialists? How often do you have to pick up a prescription? The more doctor visits and prescriptions you take, the more it costs you. Whether you have a deductible to meet or having to pay co-pays for every visit, this can add up. I’ve had my share of medical expenses in the past. Even…
Ever think that a huge company like Microsoft would be in the business of giving you rewards for taking pictures of your receipts and interacting with their services? I didn’t until I came across Microsoft Rewards. Microsoft is trying to bring people to use their products and services so what better way than to offer a rewards system. You earn points by taking polls, quizzes, uploading receipts, searching with Bing, and others. Microsoft has a legitimate rewards program. I’ve been…