Personal Finance Advice

In many of my articles, and those of other writers, a common theme can be found. Most financial writers, myself included, tell people that they have to choose what to do with their money. We advocate choosing between life experiences like travel and the accumulation of stuff and gadgets. We tell people to choose between [...]

In the interest of protecting the innocent (and the guilty) in this piece, I’m calling the couple in this story Jake and Joan. They are people I know in real life, but I’m not going to say whether they’re friends, family, or acquaintances. All I’ll say is that I was closer to Jake than Joan [...]

My uncle recently passed away. This would not normally be something that I would share with others, but he also gave me the best financial advice I have ever received. This is advice I would like to share with you so that you can share it with your children. There is no question that he [...]

The other day I heard someone make the argument that most financial advice was of no use to them because it assumes that you have some extra money, you just need to “find it.” “I literally have no extra money,” this person said. “Every dime I have goes to the mortgage, food, or the utilities. [...]

I’ve never been much of a follower. Even as a youngster, I had to find my own way to do things, even if they didn’t measure up to what everyone else was doing. As a single parent for many years, I learned a few things the hard way. I learned not to follow common financial [...]

I’m very careful with my money, but everything about it is not clear as crystal. Every year around January, questions I have to ask about taxes, income, claims and reporting. Later, around September, I do my business finances and re-configure my rates (I work on the school’s calendar year). I wake up and my mind [...]

When people think about the best financial advice they have ever received, it usually comes from a family member, a close mentor or a financial guru. So it’s with a bit of embarrassment that I must admit that the best financial advice I ever received came from a call girl I slept with in my [...]

It’s been said that when you take free advice, you should remember that you get what you pay for. I agree that it’s important to evaluate any advice — free or not — before following it, but rejecting all free advice because it is free is a really bad idea. (Unless you paid someone to [...]