Tag: investing

Spending Matters: Calculating How Many Days Earlier You Can Retire

This is going to be very long (first rationale, then step-by-step instructions). I think it's going to be worth it, but we'll see. Ask just about any math teacher and they'll tell you that humans don't have a very good intuitive sense of exponential growth (e.g., see the response to the pandemic). Humans are pretty … Continue reading Spending Matters: Calculating How Many Days Earlier You Can Retire →

Are Target Date Funds The Best Choice for Educators?

One of the most helpful innovations in both investing and retirement planning has been the Target Date Fund. If you're not a familiar, a Target Date Fund is one investment that allows you to pick the date at which you anticipate needing your money (typically when you expect to retire), and the fund is setup … Continue reading Are Target Date Funds The Best Choice for Educators? →

Turn 30 Minutes into $15,000 (No smoke and mirrors, just math)

Yep, another clickbaity headline, but hear me out. A couple of months ago I wrote my last clickbaity headline, How to Make $2,000 in 30 Minutes (For Real), which described how you could make $2,000 in an (arbitrarily chosen) six years by getting the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Credit Card (that's a referral link … Continue reading Turn 30 Minutes into $15,000 (No smoke and mirrors, just math) →

How to Help Your Savings Keep Up with Inflation

Most people have a savings account. Sometimes folks have that savings split into different "buckets", perhaps money set aside for future specific purchases (a car, a new furnace), for contingencies (car repairs, an appliance breaks), or more generally as "emergency savings". By its nature, "savings" is different than "investments", because you generally want to take … Continue reading How to Help Your Savings Keep Up with Inflation →

Time to Buy! Buy! Buy! (Service Credit)

Many pension plans allow members to purchase service credit. This may be counterintuitive for some folks, but many plans allow you to "buy" years where you didn't work under the pension system and then treat those years as if you had. This typically both increases your ultimate pension benefit and often can allow you to … Continue reading Time to Buy! Buy! Buy! (Service Credit) →