Some see “debt” as the foulest of all four-letter words. “All it does is reveal a lack of discipline,” they insist. “All it does is cause major stress.” I agree it’s a bad idea to use debt to buy items that decrease in value over time. And, yes, indiscriminate borrowing often stems from a failure …
On this day 245 years ago, the Second Continental Congress signed a declaration that the 13 American colonies were no longer under British rule. That feisty letter—which our forefathers sent “across the pond” to King George—effectively said, “As of today, we are free to build and become a different kind of nation.” We call the …
Here’s a shocker: Forbes estimates that nearly two out of three Americans do not have a will. No clear instructions for survivors. No written record of “Here’s how I want my property distributed.” Even the “rich and famous” are part of this will-less majority. The artist known as Prince died without a will. So did …
On Father’s Day we honor the dads who make the world a better, richer place. I should probably define terms. Some guys are “just-a-father.” That is, they made a strategic biological connection with a specific obstetric result. That’s it. Then they disappeared. The legacy of these “just-a-fathers” is grim. Did you know children in father …
In a celebrity culture like ours, the “rich and famous” get most of the attention. The freak athlete. The shrewd mogul. The talented entertainer. The mesmerizing author. The successful investor. The flamboyant reality star. Through some combination of genetic gifting, hard work, and dumb luck, these few lucky souls have managed to hit it big. …
Here’s a fun, indoor thing to do on the next rainy day. Type the question “What do people fear most?” into your preferred search engine and look at the results. We humans are scared of all sorts of things: failure, change, heights, snakes, the dark, giving speeches, being alone, being confined in small spaces, being …
In my column last week I introduced the idea that the wealthy know a “secret” the rest of us don’t. It’s the idea that success—financial or otherwise—doesn’t come because of a single grand action. Rather, it’s the result of a thousand small steps and smart habits. Perhaps you remember the nineties business book Built to …
Most folks are convinced the wealthy know some big financial “Secret” the rest of us don’t. Like, they went to “the right” school and met “the right” people. Or they heard about Tesla before anyone else did, or got in on the ground floor of Amazon. Or somehow, they cracked the code on those free …
Do you live within your means? If you answered yes, that’s a problem. Here’s why. Caleb and Jessica bought a new house last year and spent more than they planned. The expenses that accompanied their new home were more than expected. “We are still living within our means,” they explained to me, “but we can’t …
An old joke says that if you keep one foot on a hot stove and your other foot in an ice bucket, on average you should be comfortable. That line always makes me smile. It underscores a reality in the world of markets and investing—averages can be both mathematically accurate and experientially awful. Case in …
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