First, I need to apologize, because not every Colorado teacher just got a big raise. But due to a confluence of circumstances, quite a few did. These circumstances include: The state legislature having surplus dollars and finally deciding to try to make up for the years of underfunding of K-12 education (known, I kid you … Continue reading Colorado Teachers Just Got a Big Raise: Now What?
Month: May 2023
Denver Public Schools Single-Vendor 403b Plan: Is It The Best Choice?
I've written before about 401k, 403b, and 457b retirement plans and the similarities and differences between them. Unfortunately, many school districts offer some truly horrible 403b plans (listen to Learned by Being Burned for more info). But there has been a positive development lately in that some school districts, typically large ones, have now started … Continue reading Denver Public Schools Single-Vendor 403b Plan: Is It The Best Choice?
Some Musings on Housing, Renting, Wages and Perspective
Note: This is not going to be an in-depth, research-based, exploration of any of these topics. Many folks more knowledgeable than me have written much more useful information around these topics (Ben Carlson at A Wealth of Common Sense frequently talks about housing). But I still felt like I had something to say based on … Continue reading Some Musings on Housing, Renting, Wages and Perspective
New Book: TL;DR: Financial Literacy for Employees of Texas Public Schools: Optimizing Financial Decisions Based on Your TRS Benefits
I just wanted to share my latest book, this one written with Ryan Cruz for educators in Texas Public Schools, focusing on financial literacy and making the most of their TRS pension benefits. Please consider sharing with any teachers you know in Texas. This is the latest in the TL;DR Financial Literacy series. If you … Continue reading New Book: TL;DR: Financial Literacy for Employees of Texas Public Schools: Optimizing Financial Decisions Based on Your TRS Benefits
Coloradans Should Buy an EV (But Maybe Wait a Few Months)
This post is about Colorado HB23-1272 which has passed the Colorado legislature and is awaiting the Governor's signature. Like most bills, this one is complex (77 pages long) and filled with legislative and legal jargon. As a result, the following is my current interpretation of some of the provisions in this bill but it is … Continue reading Coloradans Should Buy an EV (But Maybe Wait a Few Months)
My Financial Mistakes (So Far)
One of the things that I frequently talk about in my classes, my books, and when talking with folks individually is that one of the biggest problems we have in personal finance is that talking about it is still taboo for many people in our culture. We’ll talk about making money in general, and certainly … Continue reading My Financial Mistakes (So Far)