Update: Here are our latest thoughts on whether to invest in stocks or index funds! So. I recently did something fairly dumb, and I thought I’d share. I normally follow the advice given to novices, and the bulk of what I’ve invested is in index funds or Vanguard lifecycle funds with very low fees. But … Read More about Tales from the Wallet: On Bad Financial Decisions
401K fees can be such a complicated topic — so when the good folks at DailyWorth offered to guest post I jumped at the chance to have someone wiser than myself cover it! – Kat Is your 401k plan costing you too much? Many people don’t realize that they’re being charged a fee (or fees) … Read More about Guest Post: The Fees That Eat Away At Your 401K
Back in January — inspired by a Mint article — we took a look at tax-savvy investment vehicles such as 401Ks and IRAs. Today, let’s look at some of the other tax-friendly ways to save, such as 529s and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Just as a reminder — according to the article, “The Value of … Read More about Tales from the Wallet – Tax Savvy Investments, Part 2
Readers, do you prefer to make tax-savvy investments — and sometimes put money behind walls where you can’t get it for decades? Or do you prefer to invest in regular, non-tax-deferred accounts?
What sort of year-end financial housekeeping do you do? What should you do?
A good friend of Kat’s is an expert t saving — so she rounded up all the easy ways to save $10K.
Ah, golden handcuffs — long after some people know they should quit their high-paying jobs, they stay on because their lifestyle costs too much (usually due to a combination of rent or mortgage, plus debt). How do you break free from the golden handcuffs, and adjust your finances to your new lifestyle? Today’s guest poster, … Read More about Tales from the Wallet: From A Lawyer’s Salary to Paying Tuition – Six Ways to Deal
2019 Update: We still stand by these thoughts on stashing your cash for your emergency fund — but you may also want to check out our more recent discussion on emergency funds, as well as our money roadmap to know what order to do personal finance tasks in. Managing your money can be one of … Read More about Tales from the Wallet: Stashing Your Cash
You may not realize it, but where you live is one of the biggest money decisions you make — it can impact YEARS of savings because it’s such a pain to move. So it’s worth asking yourself — can I have a roommate? Do I really need a 1-bedroom or is a studio OK? Do I need to live in the trendy part of town or should I live somewhere cheaper?
We’ve talked about budgets before, but we haven’t really discussed how to live within your means, which is a bit of a different subject. So let’s discuss. (Pictured: Burberry Medium Nova Pop Dégradé Wallet, available at Burberry for $275.) I think living within your means is a bit like packing a suitcase: you have to … Read More about Tales from the Wallet: How to Live Within Your Means
This started out as a post about how to pay off debt, and I realized as writing it that the huge question is thus: When should you pay off debt? So let’s talk about it. As I’ve mentioned before, I generally led a charmed life (as far as debt is concerned) in my 20s — … Read More about Tales from the Wallet: When to Save, When to Pay Down Debt
Readers got into this discussion a bit in the comments to Monday’s resolution post, but I thought I’d continue the discussion here, because I think it’s a worthwhile one. So let’s talk about setting and sticking to a budget… First, I would say that not everyone needs a budget. Your goal should be to spend … Read More about Tales from the Wallet: Setting (and Sticking to) a Budget
