Category: Saving

Investing for the Future You is an Act of Faith

Many years ago, when my now grown children were in elementary school, we attended a special evening activity at their school with Richard Paul Evans, author of The Christmas Box and many other best-selling books. Evans had just written a book called The Spyglass which he read to us. Evans had never written children’s books…

The Key to Keeping Financial Resolutions (Or Why My Finances Are in Better Shape than My Body)

Surveys show that the most common New Year’s resolutions are physical and financial.  I have certainly made my share of both of these types of resolutions over the years but I have had a lot more success in keeping my financial resolutions than my physical ones.  Why is that?  Is it just my personality or…

Investing News That’s Too Good To Be True

“The great paradox of this remarkable age is that the more complex the world around us becomes, the more simplicity we must seek in order to realize our financial goals.  Never underrate either the majesty of simplicity or its proven effectiveness as a long-term strategy for productive investing.  Simplicity, indeed, is the master key to…

Comparing Ourselves to Others Leads to Foolish Financial Choices

Men do not desire to be rich, only to be richer than other men. – John Stuart Mills (1806-1873) There is a great old Jewish folktale in Rabbi Harold Kushner’s book When Bad Things Happen to Good People.  The story is about two competing shopkeepers in a small town.  Their shops were right across the street…

Debt Elimination or Retirement Savings?: Gazelle Intensity vs. Humble Arithmetic

Gazelle Intensity Popular debt elimination evangelist Dave Ramsey teaches that, after setting aside $1,000 for emergencies, your only financial priority should be paying off all debt except your home mortgage.  Everything else, including saving for retirement, should be put on hold until your debts are paid.  Ramsey uses the term “gazelle intensity” to describe the…