Personal finances and investing insights that go beyond the basics

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How to Invest 1 Million Dollars

When determining how to invest 1 million dollars, age, risk tolerance and goals will become important factors. Depending on how old you are, your goals and income needs might change. Whether you're still earning money from a regular income from employment or a business will also be a factor. Your risk tolerance is a huge element that needs to be considered that is often … [Read more...] about How to Invest 1 Million Dollars

Everything you need to know about the Trek credit card

The Trek credit card is a store credit card offered by the popular bike brand and by many local bike stores that are licensed Trek product dealers. While the Trek credit card does not differ wildly from many store credit cards, depending on your needs it may be something worth considering. In this Trek credit card guide we will look at the overview of the card itself, where you … [Read more...] about Everything you need to know about the Trek credit card

How to Live Off Dividend Income

The idea of living off dividend income is an attractive one. You can sit back and enjoy life while you collect checks from your investments without having to sell off any investments. But sometimes, investors have misconceptions about dividend income and dividend investing. If dividend investing is so great, why do most professional financial advisors not recommend pure … [Read more...] about How to Live Off Dividend Income

Disney Dividend: Analysis, amount and payout schedule

Disney (DIS) investors have long praised the Disney dividend that is paid on a semi-annual basis for shareholders, but have recent moves by the media and entertainment conglomerate put the Disney dividend in a more "back seat" position? As Disney positions itself for the next era of media and entertainment consumption, the company has made huge bets - in many cases, bets that … [Read more...] about Disney Dividend: Analysis, amount and payout schedule

Ford Dividend: Analysis, amount and payout schedule

The Ford dividend is a maybe component of why investors and shareholders buy and hold Ford (F) stock. In this article, we'll look at every aspect of the Ford dividend including its sustainability, how often it's paid, how much is paid out on a regular basis and more. We'll also take a look at dividend investing in general and how the Ford dividend might play a part in an … [Read more...] about Ford Dividend: Analysis, amount and payout schedule

Hurricane Charley: Timeline, facts, damage caused

Hurricane Charley was the first of four major hurricanes to impact the state of Florida in 2004. The other storms were Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. Charley existed during the timeframe of August 9 to August 15 during the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It peaked at a category 4 hurricane and had sustained winds at 150 mph during its peak force. Upon making landfall in Florida, … [Read more...] about Hurricane Charley: Timeline, facts, damage caused

How long will your retirement savings last?

Retirement – it’s something that most of us are planning at some point in our future. But while the idea of never having to work again is enticing, getting there can be a real challenge. After all, making sure you have enough money week-to-week is hard enough, let alone putting aside enough money every paycheck to start saving for the future. Nevertheless, in 2019 about 85% of … [Read more...] about How long will your retirement savings last?

How to calculate how much you need to save and invest each week or each month

If you have a goal of amassing a specific sum down the road, say a year from now, or five years from now, breaking that down into regular savings goals (weekly, monthly, etc.) can be a useful approach to hit your goals. To put it more simply, if you want to save $10,000 over the next 3 years, how much should you be saving every month? or every week? Let's help you figure out … [Read more...] about How to calculate how much you need to save and invest each week or each month

A guide to making (and hitting) your short-term and long-term financial goals

Setting goals is an important step in financial planning. If you don’t map out specific goals, it can be hard to make significant progress in your financial life. Writing out example goals can give you a framework upon which you can set budgets, set savings schedules, make decisions and more. Without it, you’re flying blind a bit.  It’s important to establish financial goals … [Read more...] about A guide to making (and hitting) your short-term and long-term financial goals

How to calculate real GDP with the real GDP formula

The gross domestic product (GDP) is one of the most commonly cited economic indicators of economists, investors and policymakers. Real GDP is an offshoot of the standard GDP metric that provides clarity on the economic health of a nation while factoring in inflation and prices. As such, knowing how to calculate real GDP is extremely important. To fully understand real GDP, … [Read more...] about How to calculate real GDP with the real GDP formula

How to retire at 50: A complete guide to retiring early

Retiring early is a dream for many individuals, but knowing how to retire at 50 escapes many. To be able to take a step back either partially or fully from traditional employment or a job and enjoy these years of your life is obviously something most desire. Unfortunately for many, by the time they have enough money to retire (or don’t have enough money, but just have reached … [Read more...] about How to retire at 50: A complete guide to retiring early

Hurricane Gustav: Timeline, facts, damage caused

Hurricane Gustav was a disastrous storm that hit the coast of Louisiana in 2008. It caused billions in damage and significant loss of life. Gustav caused damage and casualties in Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and more. It's estimated that damages caused by hurricane Gustav total more than $8 billion. Hurricane Gustav formed in late August 2008 a few hundred … [Read more...] about Hurricane Gustav: Timeline, facts, damage caused

How to calculate how much you make an hour

Determining how much you make an hour is an important consideration when you're employed via salary. It's useful for a number of reasons. First, you may need to compare the hourly wage of your new salaried position against a previous job held in which you were paid hourly. Secondly, you may need to know your hourly wage of a salaried position to calculate some sort of overtime … [Read more...] about How to calculate how much you make an hour

How to go from 0 to 1,000 users a month on your blog

When launching a new website or blog, getting traffic growth going is the hardest part. Going from 0 to 1, so to speak, is difficult. This is the subject of this article. How to go from 0 to 1,000 users a month on a new website or blog. Before we do that, let's take a brief step back and talk about why we're even approaching this subject on this site. Why are we talking … [Read more...] about How to go from 0 to 1,000 users a month on your blog

Cyclical Unemployment Explained: Definition, Causes and Examples

Cyclical unemployment is the component of unemployment typically associated with economic upturns and downturns. Naturally, unemployment increases during recessions or economic downturns and decreases during periods of strong economic growth. Cyclical unemployment along with other forms of unemployment such as structural unemployment, seasonal unemployment and others make up … [Read more...] about Cyclical Unemployment Explained: Definition, Causes and Examples

CPI Formula: How to calculate the Consumer Price Index

The consumer price index (CPI) measures the average level of prices of goods and services in the economy. The CPI formula is used to measure the change in prices by consumers for a representative basket of goods and services during a defined time period. CPI is a widely followed measure of inflation which is used by economists, policy makers, investors to guide economic policy, … [Read more...] about CPI Formula: How to calculate the Consumer Price Index

How to evaluate a stock

As investors, learning how to evaluate a stock is extremely important. Proper evaluation of a stock means attempting to value its current and future earnings, examine its place in its industry, the competitive environment around the company and also external stock market conditions. When evaluating an investment, it really comes down to analyzing the future cash flows of … [Read more...] about How to evaluate a stock

Netflix content spend, explained

For the investing community, the Netflix content spend is one of the most talked about items with respect to the bull case and bear case for investing in Netflix stock (NFLX). But few truly understand the Netflix content spend, why it's important for the business, and what elements of the spend we should be truly monitoring. Let's try to fully breakdown the Netflix content … [Read more...] about Netflix content spend, explained

Cryptocosm explained: What it is and why it matters

Cryptocosm refers to the network of organizations, systems, companies and individuals powered by blockchain technologies in which security and decentralization are primary features. The term cryptocosm was coined by technologist, futurist, author George Gilder from his book Life After Google: The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy. He’s also used the … [Read more...] about Cryptocosm explained: What it is and why it matters

AT&T faces many challenges ahead of its launch into streaming

As AT&T plans to launch its streaming service in 2020, the New York Times is reporting that the potential price of the service is proving to be quite a snag as the company attempts to put the details into place for its service. The source of the problem is HBO, which has seven million online customers. The premium cable network costs $15 a month — a price that’s … [Read more...] about AT&T faces many challenges ahead of its launch into streaming

The Mega Backdoor Roth IRA explained

For years, the Mega Backdoor Roth IRA was a rarely used tool applicable only to a select number of people and truly understood by even fewer people. With the rise of the gig economy and more and more people have second and third income streams, the Mega Backdoor Roth IRA is more relevant than ever. While a bit more complex than something like a standard 401(k), putting the time … [Read more...] about The Mega Backdoor Roth IRA explained

5 stock market indicators you should be following

If you turn on CNBC, typically within a few minutes you’ll hear something along the lines of “The Dow is up 100.” But is what the Dow did today really one of the main stock market indicators that you should be monitoring if you want to be a successful investor? Also, recent history shows us that stock markets can be performing very well right before a major market move … [Read more...] about 5 stock market indicators you should be following

Is Roku’s business model ideal in the next era of streaming wars?

One of the most rapidly growing trends across today’s consumer landscape is the growth of streaming video, and the Roku business model might be uniquely positioned to continue to take advantage of this trend. The number of people ditching traditional cable and other Pay TV services for streaming services is at all-time highs and compounding. A report on the cord cutting … [Read more...] about Is Roku’s business model ideal in the next era of streaming wars?

CBS eyes Starz as media consolidation continues

With tech behemoths like Amazon, Apple and Netflix investing billions into direct-to-consumer media businesses, the landscape for traditional media companies continues to shift at an ever-increasing pace. M&A activity (e.g. Disney/Fox, AT&T/Time Warner) continues to mark an industry facing major disruption by well funded, powerful new entrants. As reports surface of CBS … [Read more...] about CBS eyes Starz as media consolidation continues

Best investments for kids: How to secure your child’s financial future

Parents can guarantee incredible financial gains for their children by beginning the investment process now. While understanding what the best investments for kids are, it’s a broader topic in the sense that there are many important facets to the discussion. Things like when you should begin investing for your kids, what types of accounts are appropriate for kids and what are … [Read more...] about Best investments for kids: How to secure your child’s financial future

Income statement formula explained

What is the income statement formula? What is the income statement formula? Let's first take a quick step back. Income statement is one of the three primary financial statements that describe the financial performance of a business or a company. The income statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow statement are the three primary financial statements. The income … [Read more...] about Income statement formula explained

How to void a check

When setting up automatic payments for a utility company, direct deposit or other automated services involving your checking account, you can often be asked to provide a voided check with your paperwork. Knowing how to void a check correctly is important so that you can ensure you provide the appropriate information, but also keep your bank account and information secure. … [Read more...] about How to void a check

Investing 101 Book: The top 10 books for learning how to invest

Looking for an investing 101 book? We've got several recommendations for you if you're looking to read up on how to invest. Ten Investing 101 Books to Consider The Bogleheads' Guide to the Three-Fund Portfolio This is a must-read investing 101 book for investors looking to understand how to build an efficient and simple portfolio themselves in the midst of an … [Read more...] about Investing 101 Book: The top 10 books for learning how to invest

How to grocery shop on a budget

Food is one of the largest budget items for just about everyone. When it comes to discretionary purchases, it’s pretty much always the largest. While large families will often complain about spending large amounts on groceries (for good reason), singles or smaller families have to deal with other issues that make budgeting challenging. So, learning how to grocery shop on a … [Read more...] about How to grocery shop on a budget

Taxable accounts in retirement: Why they’re more important than you think

The backbone of most people's retirement funding are the tax sheltered accounts such as IRAs and 401(k)s. These accounts are fantastic, and rightly should make up the bulk of your retirement saving. Maximizing contributions to these accounts is a must and should be at the top of your personal finance priority list each year. But depending on your situation, contributing … [Read more...] about Taxable accounts in retirement: Why they’re more important than you think

Market Brief (Apr. 3, 2019): The Fed vs. the market

We live in unprecedented times. At least it seems so considering how short our memories are. It seems unprecedented how quickly the Fed has turned dovish from hawkish in just a matter of weeks. After hiking rates in December, the Fed has gone increasingly dovish in order to either satisfy the markets, President Trump or the slowing economy. Perhaps a combination of the … [Read more...] about Market Brief (Apr. 3, 2019): The Fed vs. the market

Market Brief (Mar. 26, 2019): I’m going defensive

I stated in a recent post that all new money is going to go into bonds, because I don't like where the stock market is currently. I'm going to flesh this out a bit further and take my position further. I'm officially going full defensive mode. I think a recession is coming, and here's why. You've got the trifecta of the following: The yield curve is inverted. The Fed is … [Read more...] about Market Brief (Mar. 26, 2019): I’m going defensive

Case study: I’m in accumulation mode and nervous about how high the stock market is, but I don’t really believe in market timing. What should I be doing?

This is a scenario I've put a lot of thought in, because frankly, this is my situation. Attempting to time the market is really hard for a number of reasons that I'm not going to get into here (google it, there's plenty out there on it). But I also don't go to the other extreme where you stick to your asset allocation strategy 100% regardless of what the market is doing. I … [Read more...] about Case study: I’m in accumulation mode and nervous about how high the stock market is, but I don’t really believe in market timing. What should I be doing?

Credit card churning guide: How to maximize bonuses and rewards

Credit card churning is a unique strategy in which individuals attempt to maximize credit card signup bonuses and other credit card related rewards through opening and closing multiple credit cards over time. This guide will explain how to execute a credit card churning strategy, explain the risks and provide some specific examples based on the author's personal … [Read more...] about Credit card churning guide: How to maximize bonuses and rewards

How much to save for college?

For parents considering the future costs of college for their children, the question of how much to save for college is a common one. While the headlines scream about ever-increasing costs for higher education, for all but those with high incomes, saving for 100% of college for all of their children might be impossible. Moreover, there is such a thing as saving too much for … [Read more...] about How much to save for college?

Market Brief (Feb. 19, 2019): Is Walmart catching up to Amazon?

Walmart delivered another great quarter which saw two of the main indicators that move the stock get reported in a positive fashion. Those numbers are US comp sales and ecommerce sales. In simple terms, revenue at US stores is up, and Walmart continues to deliver gains in ecommerce showing that Walmart, at a minimum, isn't getting crushed by Amazon. It's worth noting that a … [Read more...] about Market Brief (Feb. 19, 2019): Is Walmart catching up to Amazon?

Understanding the tax cost ratio

The tax cost ratio measures how much a fund's annual return is impacted by taxes that the investors must pay on dividends, distributions and capital gains returned during the year. Like the expense ratio, the tax cost ratio is a variable that investors must consider when choosing which funds to invest in and what types of accounts should hold such investments. It can be … [Read more...] about Understanding the tax cost ratio

Medishare Reviews: A guide to choosing the right health sharing ministry

Health sharing ministries, commonly referred to as medishare plans, have grown in increasing popularity in recent years as traditional healthcare insurance plans have seen their costs rise dramatically. The Affordable Care Act (ACA, also referred to as ObamaCare) also led to an increase in medishare participation for a number of reasons. Regardless of political affiliation, the … [Read more...] about Medishare Reviews: A guide to choosing the right health sharing ministry

Market Brief (Jan. 31, 2019): Facebook pops, again proving that investors should ignore most of the press

Back in mid December, I wrote the market brief talking about how tech is on sale, and asked the question if you should be buying at these levels. Specifically, about Facebook, I wrote the following: Now, with that out of the way, it’s definitely a great time to buy these stocks. Recently I filtered through stock data and discovered that there are only four US non-energy … [Read more...] about Market Brief (Jan. 31, 2019): Facebook pops, again proving that investors should ignore most of the press

Market Brief (Jan. 24, 2019): Ford (F) as an example of a downtrodden, dividend play

Ford announced its earnings after market close last night, and there wasn't much to note. The company is in the midst of a massive restructuring after years of pretty mediocre execution in the auto sector. In the summer of 2018, the stock took a big hit. Ford has struggling businesses around the globe, while its North American business remains really strong - driven mostly … [Read more...] about Market Brief (Jan. 24, 2019): Ford (F) as an example of a downtrodden, dividend play

How to increase net worth: 25 tips to start doing today

No matter if your net worth is negative or you’re worth millions of dollars, anyone can begin taking steps today to increase his or her net worth. Whether you’re already motivated, or you’re looking for somebody to give you a nudge, anyone can make progress in this area. That’s why we’ve created this list of 25 ways to show you how to increase net worth. While perhaps not … [Read more...] about How to increase net worth: 25 tips to start doing today

Market Brief (Jan. 18, 2019): Netflix growth accelerates

The reaction to Netflix's latest quarter announcements has been odd. Headlines range from "Netflix beats" to "Netflix misses" and everywhere in between. But, I guess this is what you should expect in today's world where nobody really does any research. The bottom line is that Netflix is incredibly dominant, and this quarter just further cements this opinion. Netflix is … [Read more...] about Market Brief (Jan. 18, 2019): Netflix growth accelerates

Market Brief (Jan. 4, 2019): Selling into this rally

The Dow closed down over 600 points yesterday on news of Apple's pre-announced revenue miss. Today, the market is up over 700 points. What's the correct trend? To me, the trend is lower, and today gives you an opportunity to unload some equities exposure. A few reasons why: The jobs report that was very good today is a lagging indicator. Jobs will often continue to power … [Read more...] about Market Brief (Jan. 4, 2019): Selling into this rally

Stock market for kids: Tips and resources for teaching your children about stocks

Is the stock market for kids? Yes! Sure, it’s unlikely that your kids are going to be managing money and trading actual stocks (at least at a young age), the stock market can be an incredible tool for teaching your kids about math, finance, personal finance and investing. If your kids are older, you can even touch on subjects such as psychology and economics. For quick … [Read more...] about Stock market for kids: Tips and resources for teaching your children about stocks

Market Brief (Dec. 19, 2018): Tech is on sale, should you buy?

The big tech names such as Facebook, Amazon and Netflix have been down big from its highs a few months ago. Few people disagree that these aren't great companies. High growth with massive revenues and varying levels of profitability depending on the company.  These stocks were at wild valuations not long ago, and there was near unanimous support for buying and owning these … [Read more...] about Market Brief (Dec. 19, 2018): Tech is on sale, should you buy?

Market Brief (Dec. 7, 2018): What’s causing the volatility?

I've had a number of people ask, what's causing the market volatility? The economy is good! Why would the market be going lower if the economy is good? Unemployment is low, consumer sentiment is still good, corporate earnings are still great, so what gives? For new investors, it's important to always remember that the stock market is a forward looking vehicle. A company … [Read more...] about Market Brief (Dec. 7, 2018): What’s causing the volatility?

Why the shift to streaming is my favorite trend, and why I’m long Netflix (NFLX)

As with any article which discusses stock-picking, I want to give my overall investing disclaimer. So, here it is... Investing Disclaimer: I think marketing timing and picking stocks is very difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. I do very little (almost none) trading in short time horizons. Roughly 80% of my portfolio is in a few, simple index funds. I withhold about 20% of … [Read more...] about Why the shift to streaming is my favorite trend, and why I’m long Netflix (NFLX)

Investable Assets: Why you should run hard to the key level of $500,000

Investable assets are a worthwhile consideration for calculating your level of wealth. Net worth is probably more common, but often, some individuals will include things such as their home or automobiles in a net worth calculation. What are investable assets? Investable assets are typically limited to things like cash, funds in bank or savings accounts, retirement accounts, … [Read more...] about Investable Assets: Why you should run hard to the key level of $500,000

Pandas tutorial: A guide to mastering this key data science library in Python

This pandas tutorial will cover the basics and help Python programmers get up to speed quickly on this great data analysis library. Pandas is a widely used Python library in the data science field. It comes with a number of excellent functions that make working with large data sets super convenient. It's recommended to be familiar with the numpy library if you're learning … [Read more...] about Pandas tutorial: A guide to mastering this key data science library in Python

Numpy Tutorial: Quickly master this key Python library for data analysis

This numpy tutorial will cover all the basics of the numpy python library. Mastering this library is key if you wish to do meaningful data analysis in python. It's heavily used for data analysis of all types including analyzing financial data. The numpy library provides the ndarray object (an n-dimensional array) for holding data. A big reason why numpy is so popular is the … [Read more...] about Numpy Tutorial: Quickly master this key Python library for data analysis

Saving money and why you should view it like an economist

If you’ve read any basic personal finance information, have a good amount of common sense or ever listen to Dave Ramsey, you know the basics about saving money and the reasons for it. Our focus here is to move beyond the basics, so when it comes to saving money, let’s quickly get the basics out of the way. If it’s not obvious, saving money is the result of spending less … [Read more...] about Saving money and why you should view it like an economist