A Tentative Personal Finance Blog

Who is the best person to handle your finances? It’s you, but let’s say you’re the kind that can make money but don’t know what to do with it once it’s yours. Or perhaps you know a bit about personal finance but need some help on the more complicated matters associated with managing your […]

When it comes to finances, there’s no shortage of tasks to dread and blow off. There’s the paperwork, paying taxes, piles of receipts, shelling out for insurance you hope you never have to use, and on and on. But ignoring the details is even worse than the drudgery of getting them done. There’s debt, denial, […]

Growing up, money was a taboo topic. My parents never talked about how much they made or how they spent it. Managing money seemed like a Hurculean feat that only my father could handle. He was the sole decision maker even though my mom was also working and providing a salary. She trusted […]

If you save and invest money every month, you will become a millionaire at some point. As Einstein put it, compound interest is the “eighth wonder of the world.” It all depends on how much money you currently have, how much interest that money will earn (the tricky part), and how much you can save […]

Yesterday I pointed out several reasons to consider buying a used car instead of a new one. For many Fools, used cars are a tremendous value purchase. But there certainly are benefits to buying new, benefits that go well beyond that intoxicating stew of volatile organic compounds.
So what do you get for that 30% premium […]

Ah, that new-car smell. For many, it’s a wonderful intoxicant, one that lures them back to their favorite car dealer as soon as it fades from their most recent purchase.
But as with other intoxicants, getting hooked on that aroma can be an expensive habit. Two years after your purchase, long after the scents of newness […]

Once you’ve developed an investment strategy and selected the appropriate holdings for each of your goals, it’s important to leave your overall plan in place. However, changes in the financial markets and your time horizon may shift your investment mix from what you originally established. So review your plan periodically and rebalance and reallocate […]

You may not have a lot of cash to invest and you probably can’t afford a professional to decide where those dollars should go. With access to a 401(k) for the first time, new hires entering the workforce may be at a loss when it comes to investing. What to do? Fewer […]

It is a good idea to be mindful of news and information surrounding your investments. However, try not to abandon a well conceived, disciplined investment strategy to chase performance, the initial underlying reasons for buying a holding may still be valid.
Some people may be tempted to alter their investing plans in response to short […]

Many people focus on the risk of market volatility, the possibility of losing money through market fluctuations. However, they may not give enough attention to inflation risk, the possibility that their investments will not grow sufficiently to stay ahead of rising prices.
Peoples’ exposure to each type of risk should depend upon their time horizon, […]