In the Financial Independence community, we have a dogged devotion to our investments. “Buy constantly and never sell,” and “you only lose money when you sell” are common refrains. When, then, is it acceptable to sell a bad investment? Should we hold onto investments which are objectively terrible, too?
The Event You Say You’ve Been Waiting For
The event you say you’ve been waiting for has arrived. How can you convince yourself that this is no different than the last financial crisis?
Thumbtack: Out of State Landlord’s Friend
I recently stumbled on a new tool that has hugely improved my ability to bid and manage repair and renovation projects from out of state: Thumbtack.
2016 Tax Plan (And 2015 Optimizing)
It may only be November, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start making your 2016 tax plan! Open enrollment for insurance has begun for 2016, and there’s still time to save on taxes for 2015.
Undercover: Than Merrill’s Fortune Builders
I walked into the large conference room and saw that it was completely empty aside from three lonely rows of chairs. Dave Matthews played on a loop as a timed slideshow flashed feel-good quotes on a projection screen. One of the slides listed the core values of Fortune Builders, the “education” wing of Than Merrill’s real estate empire.
Dave Ramsey’s Awful Advice
If you’ve been reading this blog, you know that I am not a fan of gurus. Gurus are usually people with an easily-understood message that appeals to the desperate and inexperienced. Unfortunately, more often than not, key parts of the advice they give is harmful to the financial well-being of their adherents. This is especially true of ultra-popular faith-based financial guru Dave Ramsey.
Wall Street Bad Behavior to Make You Rich?
In a fascinating article this morning, The New York Times evaluates a proposal by Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders. The proposal essentially suggests a 0.5% fractional tax on any purchase or sale of stocks, 0.1% for bonds, and 0.005% for…
Get Rich With Patience
As I write this, the US markets have just closed down about 2.5% for the day, and about 9% down for the year so far. Though I have written on this topic before, it bears reiterating: Our successes or failures are born in times of adversity. Your future wealth is contingent on your ability to stay the course despite terrifying media proclamations that somehow, someway, this correction is worse than any of the countless corrections that have come before.
Isn’t Real Estate Too Much Work?
When I talk to friends who don’t own rentals, or even when I speak to those on their own path to financial independence, Real Estate Investment (REI) is always a contentious topic. For those with a bad landlording experience in the past, or for those who have never investigated REI, there are a few common questions.
Real Estate Gurus Are Sociopaths
On this blog, I try to avoid clickbait-y headlines. In this case, I can’t think of another way to explain what I’m going to discuss today: real estate gurus are sociopaths.