Invest In Your 401(k) or Pay Down Your Home Mortgage?
Will you come out ahead by investing or by prepaying your mortgage? Here's a year-by-year comparison of the two approaches.
Category: Budgeting
When a Financial Storm Hits Home
As the economic storm that accompanied COVID-19 continues to rage, here are ways to "batten down the hatches" in your personal finances.
Making Ends Meet: Essentials for Successful Budgeting
Budgeting isn’t simply tracking what you've already spent. For a budget system to be successful, you must be able to answer the question, “How much do I have left to spend in each
Ordinary People Who Have a “Financial Superpower”
Being a “super saver” won’t help protect the Earth against evil aliens. But substantial savings can guard against personal financial disaster and help you meet long-term goals.
Beware the Short Memory, and Other Points to Ponder
Crazy times
“We are in such bizarre times, all bets are off. It is certainly not the time for ‘buy and hold’ unless your goal is to lose everything. If not, then you need an active, flexible, defensive investment strategy
Zero-Sum Budgeting: Giving Every Dollar a Job
Can't figure out what happens to all your money? With a zero-sum budget, you'll give every single dollar of your income a designated, predetermined task.
Paycheck-to-Paycheck
Famed investor Warren Buffet once remarked, "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked" — meaning that market reversals have a way of revealing those who aren't prepared for adverse
4 Options for Budgeting Online
Trying to make financial progress without a budget is like, well, trying to fill a tub without a stopper in the drain. And budgets don’t have to be dreary! Apps and online tools have made budgeting easier and more useful
What Money-Management System Do You Use?
My wife and I are considering moving to a different system for managing our family finances (i.e., budgeting) in 2019. Perhaps you're thinking along the same lines — a new year, a new approach.
Years ago, we started out
Your 10 Most Important Financial Moves for 2019
Each December, we offer planning suggestions for the year ahead. But this isn’t meant to be a one-size-fits-all list. It’s up to you to take our broad collection of ideas and narrow them down to your personal “Top 10” for