The Extraordinary Opportunity of Starting Early (and Privilege)

compound interest

Note: This post is going to assume a lot of privilege. It's not going to address the very real issues of income inequality and systemic disadvantage, as those are a bit beyond my wheelhouse (although I do have pretty strong opinions about policy changes we should make that could at least help address those issues). … Continue reading The Extraordinary Opportunity of Starting Early (and Privilege)

New Teacher (Financial) Orientation

I've been doing some financial presentations for educators in various Colorado school districts. As part of the intro to my presentation I reference the fairly typical "90-minute New Employee Orientation" that school districts often provide for new teachers and that, while these are well-intentioned, they usually fall woefully short of what they could (and should) … Continue reading New Teacher (Financial) Orientation

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