I grew up thinking my family was poor. We lived in the heart of Manila but outside of gated wealthy villages in nearby cities. My parents didn’t buy me toys or new clothes. I only got to wear hand-me-downs because I have eight older siblings. I knew we were better …

Talks about inflation have been the rage across news outlets and social media lately. Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package is freaking out too many stock-market pundits faster than the vaccine rollout. Some are probably on drugs to even suggest it could reach hyperinflation levels. This fearmongering has led people …

Forbes has yet to release its annual list of billionaires for 2021, but I’m not relying on an outdated list this time. Instead, I’m publishing my highly coveted immigrant billionaire list based on last weekend’s closing prices. “But why should we admire these super-rich guys we have no chance of …

When my wife and I first dated, I had to fly to Dallas to see her. She offered that I stay in her apartment while she goes back to work, which I accepted without hesitation. I was too cheap to get a hotel room. A whirlwind romance followed, I proposed, …

You’ve seen it in the news, especially during an economic depression. A man loses his job, gets into a big pile of debt, runs out of options, and then kills himself. In more tragic cases, he takes his whole family with him. If you think having a job is stressful, …

How do you call an investment that failed? Answer: a long-term investment! Far too many investors think it’s a joke to stick with underperforming funds in their portfolio— selling them in favor of attractive ones— turning temporary losses into real ones. Nothing wrong with buying and selling based on a …

One of my proudest accomplishments is being able to finish our basement with my own hands. It now comes with a full bath, laundry room, home theater, and a mini gym. I did most of the labor myself, including the electrical and plumbing, working mostly weekends with occasional help from …

I’m not going to lie to you. Financially, it has been an excellent year for us as a couple. With no mortgage to think about and the kids’ college savings almost funded, our cash reserves have been piling faster than we can invest. If Trump’s win, four years ago, made …

At least that’s what I think former Wharton professor and economist Joel Waldfogel is implying in his book Scroogenomics: Why you shouldn’t buy presents for the holidays (Princeton University Press).
In a 2012 interview with Bloomberg, Waldfogel argues that Americans end up wasting billions of dollars on presents during the holiday season every year:
“Normally, when we spend money on ourselves we only buy things that they’re worth at least the price. So if I see something worth $50 to me, I’ll buy it. Normally, spending provides some measure of satisfaction.”
He then contrasts this to giving gifts to others.
“Gift giving is really different. If I set up to spend $50 on you, I’m operating at a huge disadvantage– I don’t know what you like or what you already have. I could spend $50 and buy something that is worth nothing to you.”

As cliché as it sounds, the first million is the hardest. Having achieved recently my second in four short years instead of fifteen— saving for my first— is a testament to this. But why exactly is that? The short answer is it takes money to beget money. The more money …