How to Survive a Bear Market Attack
Financial Planning

How to Survive and Thrive from a Bear Market Attack

Imagine you’re hiking in the Alaskan wilderness with a friend, and not far away, you spot two little cubs heading toward you both. Your heart starts pounding, wondering where momma bear is until you get startled by the sight of an angry grizzly ready to pounce the two of you …

Retire as a Millionaire from the Military
Career
1

Can You Retire from the U.S. Military as a Millionaire?

Retiring as a millionaire is probably the last thing you’d think about when joining the military. To serve the country is on top of the list. Besides, any financial gain you get from the government wouldn’t offset the sacrifices you have to endure: Rigorous training (10-13 week boot camps in …

pet owner
Lifestyle

How Pet Owners Can Prepare For Retirement

For a budding early retiree, nothing is more satisfying than being able to prepare for every aspect of your retirement, pet ownership included, which is totally optional. If you opt to do so, please clean up after your dog’s poop, and properly dispose of the waste. When most people plan …

Saving ideas

5 Questions I Ask Myself To Avoid Impulse Buying

We were at an Apple Store when my wife noticed me staring at a pristine-looking MacBook Air. Weighing only 2.8 pounds, I was obviously in awe of how light, thin-looking, quiet, and fast the machine ran. “You’ve been staring at that item for well over an hour!” she teased. “I’m …

Cars that I've driven
Saving ideas

How to Save Money on Car Repairs Big Time

Image credit: Rugged Motorbike Jeans | Kevlar Pants Biker Jeans Rider Denim I’ll be the first to admit: I’m worried about inflation. The war in Ukraine is making matters worse. It makes me want to hang a picture of Putin on a wall so I can throw darts between his …

Investing

War is Stupid, So is Panic Selling

Russia has invaded Ukraine, another black swan event to wreak havoc in the stock market just when the world has barely recovered from the effects of COVID-19. Putin must have lost his mind— a scary proposition considering that Russia has the most nukes in its arsenal. What’s next? The Chinese …

Why Married Couples Who Combine Finances Get Richer
Relationships
2

Should You Marry for Love or Money? Why Not Both?

If you are reasonably attractive, your shortest path to wealth could be to marry for money. But should you? The old joke is to marry some rich old man (or woman) and marry for love after they die. But that only makes you a glorified prostitute. Since Valentine’s Day just …

Career
4

Why Earning More Won’t Solve All Your Money Problems

When I was younger, I did a lot of insane long driving. I’ve driven from coast to coast at least twice. There’s even a period in 1999 where I drove 500 miles every weekend to see family.

But nothing is crazier than when I drove, over the long 4th of July weekend of 2003, from Philly to Dallas round trip— hoping to be able to return to work on Monday.

100% savings rate
Financial Planning

How to Calculate Your Savings Rate the Right Way

I recently got interviewed by the FI community on Instagram, and one of the questions the content curator asked was, “How much is your savings rate?” to which I responded with 40%. But in all honesty, I grabbed the number out of thin air. I’ve been religiously tracking my annual …

Xbox Christmas Wish
Relationships

How to Teach Your Xbox Obsessed Kids About Money and Investing

My son once told me he someday wants to earn big bucks working for Microsoft. “So you want to be a software developer like me?” I asked. “No, I want to be a cashier; that’s where the money is!” he quipped. That’s when he was nine. Kids this age have …