Links to some of my favorite recent articles on money and life:
Time Machine and the Future Returns for Stocks by JL Collins at jlcolinsnh
If you think you can predict the future of the stock market by keeping up on current events this article should convince you otherwise. Even if you don’t think you can predict future market moves the article is an entertaining and informative look back at how the stock market reacted to some of the big events of the last 40 years.
The Financial Art of Saying “Thank You” at My Mattress Money
Nice guys don’t finish last and learning the art of giving sincere thanks to others can sometimes have unexpected rewards.
Simplifying After Tragedy Strikes by Sandy Kreps at Becomingminimalist
With the devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico there is an unprecedented number of Americans trying to rebuild their lives after losing just about everything. The author of this article can relate since her home burned down in January of this year. Here she offers support, hope, and useful advice on how to recover from a tragedy and rebuild your life better, and simpler, than it was before.
YNAB (You Need a Budget) Personal Finance Software Review at Young and Thrifty
I don’t use YNAB (I have been using Quicken for 30+ years now, and would have a hard time changing at this point) but I like just about everything I have heard about it. If I were starting over right now I would definitely give YNAB a try. Here is a thorough review from a new YNAB user that does nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for the company. There is a lot of great information here for you to consider if you are looking for a new budgeting app.
Why Everyone Should Write by Morgan Housel at The Collaborative Fund
It is difficult to focus in this increasingly distracting world. I just finished the fascinating book, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, by Nicholas Carr. One of the ideas that sticks out in my mind is Carr’s description of a computer hooked to the internet as a “distraction machine”. We are constantly being bombarded by the latest information, whether important or not (emails, FB Posts, news stories, calendar reminders, blog posts, etc.). This is changing our brains to focus less and think less deeply on important things and instead seek out new and novel things. One of the reasons everyone should write is because it helps us focus, and when we do get distracted “…a sentence on paper has all the patience in the world, waiting for your return when you are ready.” This is a short and interesting article that offers some interesting thoughts on the benefits of writing.
Quite the honor to be highlighted by Brent, especially along side of the other highly popular bloggers.