Put Me In, Coach!

…I’m ready to play!  So goes the song. This means, I’m ready, I’m skilled, I’m qualified, and I’m hungry. Some people get excited about planning their investing or financial future, and want to do it themselves. But do you need a coach? Possibly. Here’s why. When...

The Bigger The Star, The Bigger The Target

I occasionally read an independent wealth manager / fund broker’s blog on DIY Investing. He posted an article that was critical of Dave Ramsey’s use of 12% returns in his examples on radio, during his Smart Money arena events, and in his books and classes. The author...

Enron and The Case Of The Single Stock

This week I met, for the first time, someone who was personally financially taken out by the fall of Enron. He was all set to retire in his 50s because his “advisor” had him invested in an ultra high risk portfolio – Enron stock. He didn’t pay much attention to it...

How You Can Learn From Celebrities’ Money Mistakes

CNN recently reported on grand money mistakes made by the rich and famous. Think it doesn’t apply to you? It might. Real Estate: Don’t overbuild your neighborhood. If the kitchens in your neighborhood are formica, don’t install granite in yours and expect the value of...

It’s a Big Mountain…But You MUST Climb It!

Christie and I often look at financial things from, as we say, “THIS side of the mountain.” The mountain being the mountain of debt that it took over six years to pay off. We have replaced that mountain of dung with a healthy Emergency Fund. According to a recent USA...

Financial Goobers Don’t Agree On Much

Christie and I agree with and put into practice most of what Dave Ramsey teaches. So much so that we volunteer to lead his Financial Peace University class a few times each year. Whether because of jealousy or a dislike of (admittedly) sometimes oversimplification,...

What Happens During An FPU Class?

There is a constant wailing and gnashing of teeth. Dante’s Inferno is on full display as you enter into the abyss of spreadsheets and budgets… NO, I’m KIDDING! Financial Peace University is a 9-week class about personal finance, on handling money God’s and...

My Take On Three Myths Of Retirement Planning

I read an article today on Kiplinger about the Three Dangerous Myths Of Retirement Planning. It aligns perfectly with what we teach in our 9-week FPU classes and in coaching clients individually. I’ll leave it to you to read the article on your own, but will address...

Understanding The Mortgage Interest Deduction

I was just reading a comment by a guy, let’s call him Joe, who said “It’s good to have a long-term mortgage because the interest rate is typically lower than what you can get on your investments AND it’s tax deductible”. Christie and I currently have a mortgage, and...

The Effect of Community

Somewhere around 2004 my older brother and I were talking on the phone (quick side trip: he’s retired military, always saved and invested, worked during retirement). I talked about the house we had just bought and the two new cars (purchased on the same day) sitting...

Insurance Is A RIPOFF! (The Saga Begins…)

This will be a series of posts about Insurance. The kinds to stay away from, and how to shop for the kinds you need. Insurance is NOT a rip-off btw, the right kinds of insurance are an absolutely vital part of your financial plan. First and foremost, know that we do...

Prince Did Not Have A Will

For over a week I’ve been sick about the death of Prince. I am a fan and I loved his early work, but had not heard much since Sign ‘O The Times. Christie and I were extremely fortunate to get to see him live on about the 10th row in 2000 on his Hit n Run tour. It was...

Broke People Spend More On The Senior Prom

Families making less than $25,000 plan to spend $1,393 for the Senior Prom. This, compared to families earning more than $50,000, who are planning to spend an average of only $799. This report comes from Visa, who really hopes you use their credit card to finance your...

Which Rewards Credit Card Is Best For Me?

When you start to research this topic, almost every hit you get on the internet comes from one of two places; either banks and credit card companies that want you to sign up for a credit card, or “informational and review” sites that profit from referring you to a...