Month: February 2024

Spend Now or Spend (More) Later

In my financial literacy class for teachers we spend a lot of time discussing the balance between spending money now and saving in order to spend money in the future. And I want to be perfectly clear, this is an important balance to achieve. Some folks (myself included) may delay gratification too much, always saving … Continue reading Spend Now or Spend (More) Later →

Our New Secondary Solar Panel System (and Battery Backup)

We originally installed solar panels on our roof in December of 2009 (activated and producing energy by the end of January 2010). We did it partially because it was the right thing to do (climate change, air pollution, safety of energy workers, environmental justice), but also because it was going to be a great financial … Continue reading Our New Secondary Solar Panel System (and Battery Backup) →

“The Future is Never Guaranteed!” Yes. And?

There's a response (or variation thereof) that comes up in almost every section of my financial literacy class for educators. At some point (and often several points) in class discussions, participants will respond with some form of, "The Future is Never Guaranteed!" (And, yes, the exclamation point is generally included.) It always comes up in … Continue reading “The Future is Never Guaranteed!” Yes. And? →

Reading, Interpreting, and Understanding PERA’s Highest Average Salary (HAS) Tables

Colorado PERA is the pension system for public employees in Colorado. Like most public pension systems, the benefits members receive have changed over time, with newer members receiving less generous pension benefits when compared to more veteran members who have an earlier membership date. Many pensions refer to these different levels of benefits as tiers, … Continue reading Reading, Interpreting, and Understanding PERA’s Highest Average Salary (HAS) Tables →