Watch Dave Ramsey explain why you're in debt

I've criticized Dave Ramsey before, but he really hits the nail on the head in this rant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1usdOW4RyI

Think, America!

Best laptops for bloggers and students

Best laptops for bloggers and students

Looking for great deals on the best laptops? Look no further!

Links October 2016

Donald Trump could have had twice as much money as he has now if he'd retired 30 years ago and invested his money into index funds:
http://www.moneytalksnews.com/why-youre-probably-better-investing-than-donald-trump/?all=1

The Parable of the Little Red Hen:
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/makers-vs-takers

We need to encourage entrepreneurial spirit like this:
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/we-need-more-entrepreneurial-children-one

You're not going to get any help in retirement--not from the government, not from your employer. Plan accordingly: http://redpillmoney.blogspot.com/2015/08/saving-means-investing-or-how-to-fund.html

College isn't for everyone. This entertaining video explains more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CmbJzPmQ-M

Speaking of college, jlcollinsnh includes this gem:
"Moreover, one of the more unfortunate results of spiraling college costs and debt is the way it has warped the very concept of higher education. Rather than the pursuit of learning and culture, it has become the pursuit of job training in an effort to secure employment that will justify the astounding cost and debt incurred.

"Even successfully applied, this shackles young people to jobs long after the appeal has faded. Youth should be spent exploring—building and expanding one’s horizons—not grinding away in chains."
http://jlcollinsnh.com/2015/03/26/stocks-part-xxviii-debt-the-unacceptable-burden/
-Amen, brother!

And also this, from the very popular James Altucher: http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/01/8-alternatives-to-college/
When one or two people buck the trend, they may be visionaries--or they may be saying something edgy for the sake of saying something edgy. But when a lot of successful people are saying the same thing, there's probably something to it!

Maybe baby boomers should quit complaining about the 'attitude of entitlement' in the generation they raised:
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/boomers-you-made-us

Speaking of entitlement: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/19/college-student-blames-parents-after-blows-0g-college-fund/

How and why the media sometimes creates "news" that may or may not be true:
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/war-worlds-how-media-%E2%80%9Ccreates%E2%80%9D-news

Do Doctors Earn Enough?

Do Doctors Earn Enough to Make Ends Meet?

Or, The Very Definition of Lifestyle Inflation

We all know that physicians must go through many years of expensive schooling, as well as grueling residencies and tough exams, before being certified to practice medicine. And, once they finish this long ordeal, doctors finally begin to make generous salaries upwards of $200,000 or more every year.

But, considering the onerous burden of student loans and the relatively short careers (thus impairing their lifetime earning power), are these salaries actually enough for doctors to make ends meet?

When Your 'Friends' Spend Your Money...

As excited as I am about the imminent return of NFL football, I'm heartbroken to see family and friends taking advantage of players: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/08/trent-richardson-money

Photo credit Matt Detrich of the Indianapolis Star, from http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2016/06/08/trent-richardson-has-designs-yellow-jacket/85626540/

This ties into the fact that there's an alarming lack of financial literacy in this country! If you don't watch your business and make a plan for what to do with your cash, you'll look up one day and wonder where it all went! However, as the #3 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, he signed a rookie contract for over $20 million guaranteed, plus a $13.3 million signing bonus. So the lost $1.6 million shouldn't destroy his finances, as long as he didn't blow through the other $13 million that should be left after taxes.

A reminder that if you want to avoid being broke, you have to keep up the right mindset--whether you're an NFL player or a grad student!

This article was originally published at 

http://weapone.blogspot.com/2016/08/that-feeling-when-your-friends-spend.html

Links June 2016

"I never wanted anything handed to me. I wanted to prove myself every year..." --NFL great Jerry Rice, discussing his intense workouts and his unflagging preparation, year after year, even after helping the San Francisco 49ers to 4 Super Bowl championships in 12 seasons!

Rice was never one of the most athletically gifted receivers to play the game. There have been plenty of talented receivers who were stronger, faster, and could jump higher--but nobody could outwork Jerry Rice. That is what made Jerry Rice the greatest receiver ever to play the game of football,

And it's that kind of work ethic and dedication to improvement that can make a mediocre talent into a great achiever in any field. I've written about grit before, and it bears repeating: grit, not talent, is the key to success!

Focus on building wealth slowly. That's what I (and many other personal finance bloggers!) have been saying for a long time :)

What does your college tuition get you that you can't easily get elsewhere?

What are dividends, and why do financial experts keep talking about them?

Don't settle for a job or a salary that's less than you want. Keep your mind open to other options!

Phroogal is doing their 10,000-mile Road to Financial Wellness again this year [at a more leisurely pace, this time!]. A road trip winding across the United States is always a big undertaking; kudos to them for doing it to raise awareness and get the conversation going about money!

Links for May 2016

Here are some interesting, recent links related to money. Enjoy!

• Harriet Tubman's portrait is going on the next U.S. $20 bill!
• Helpful information about surviving grad school without a ton of debt: http://frankfacts.org/how-to-pay-for-graduate-school-without-going-broke-how-i-did-it/
• Rock on [with savings]! http://www.laramieboomerang.com/news/local_news/rock-band-teaches-students-about-financial-literacy/article_d0a8a3cc-fc46-11e5-854b-1b801801a303.html
• Uh-oh...looks like a lot of wealthy people [and corporations] play a shell game to avoid the tax man. This should get you good and mad: http://www.theguardian.com/news/us-money-blog/2016/apr/07/panama-papers-mossack-fonseca-super-rich
• Apparently, The Guardian (originally a UK newspaper, but now has offices all over the place) really wants to get people upset about the "Panama Papers" leak, including updates for when you've calmed yourself down. If this sounds appealing to you, hit this link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/06/panama-papers-all-revelations-so-far-data-leak
• On the topic of things that will get you angry, the Wounded Warrior Project [a charity meant to help wounded war veterans] apparently spent a lot of money wastefully. See this New York Times article from January detailing allegations from a number of former employees, this CBS News article that first broke the story of the CEO and COO being fired, and this Daily Beast article regarding further allegations.
• Infuriating stuff! But before throwing up your hands and refusing to donate to charity, there is an alternative! Consider instead doing a bit of research before writing that check...this article from Intentional Insights shows you how!
• "Well, mainly it's just not having to worry about money." This is why we do what we do! 

A Tale of Two Dealerships, Pt. 1

A Tale of Two Dealerships, Pt. 1

A friend of mine, who we'll call "Cailin" (not her real name) went shopping for a new car in 2014. I tried to talk her into a used car instead...didn't work. She knew what model she wanted, had done some research, and I think she made a solid choice. Now, to find a dealership...

Image from greencarreports.com

Links for March 2016

The Simple Life: would you rather spend money on that thing that caught your eye...or not have to work? The choice is yours.

Along those same lines...Stepping away from the rat race can bring you true, lasting joy that a fancy purchase will never induce. The Frugalwoods have their heads on straight!

My grandmother kept a newspaper clipping that was similar to this powerful list on her refrigerator. It concluded that you can have the husk of everything for money, but not the kernel. This quote is attributed to Norwegian writer Arne Garborg.

Flipping Rich - a TEDx talk on the power of generosity by John Thornton, a professor of accounting ethics

How your money situation influences your mind - Natalie Bacon (The Finance Girl) talks about how money often influences us without our awareness. She's also got some important money lessons for college students!

Here's the toll that student debt can take on retirement - Uh-oh. That's not good for millennials and our finances. Better adopt the Millionaire Mindset and learn to live like a college student! If you're in college right now, these tips can help reduce that debt load!

Lance Cothern of Money Manifesto gets it! With quotable quotes like "Money will no longer dictate what you do with your time," and "The freedom of financial independence is the ultimate financial goal," this article is well worth your time!

Great advice from Will at Growing the Green, especially if you're in a dead-end job with lots of free time! Some hustle and smart time management can get you far!

Ever wonder why financial professionals drive BMWs and Porsches, but their customers don't? See this fascinating interview with a very successful fund manager! Also, the Evidence-Based Investor is a great investing-focused site to follow!

A very astute parable from Mr. FIRE Station (FIRE is capitalized because it's an acronym for Financial Independence, Retire Early. But you already knew that.) The parable can also be found on jlcollinsnh, another good source for personal finance information! The parable is probably older than the hills and twice as moldy, but its relevance will never expire...

A modern parable can be found at Forever Financial Freedom.

Speaking of literary devices like parables, this metaphor works pretty well!

Excellent advice for 20-somethings!

Income-based repayment plans are a good way to keep your monthly payments low when you're just beginning your career. This infographic clearly explains common student debt problems, and how income-based repayment plans can help.

Want to dress like a billionaire? The founder of IKEA says he wears clothes from flea markets!

An interesting take on the approaching mass retirement of baby boomers (Caution: vulgarity herein! Also not sure if I agree with the gloom-and-doom approach, but it will surely resonate with some.)

What Makes a Great Analyst?

What Makes a Great Analyst?

In conjunction with Quandl, a data analysis website that provides financial and economic data 
in a variety of formats that allow analysts to use several different tools. 
They have a collection of free historical data for over 600 futures contracts--currently the largest 
such collection on the Internet! If you're not sure what futures are, see this link for a concise explanation.

Data analysis website Quandl (www.quandl.com) came to me and other finance bloggers with the following question: what separates a good analyst from a great one? 

Top Premium Laptops 2016

Top Premium Laptops 2016

Think reliability, comfort, and high style are only for businessmen with big bucks? You'd be surprised!

A nice computer doesn't have to break the bank! As I do every year, I've collected the best premium laptops for you. The best news is that most of these are under $1000!

Purpose: There is no substitute

Here's the heartbreaking story of "Anna" (not her real name), who wandered through college, a year of graduate school, and law school--all without a clear purpose.

Links Jan 2015

As always, I want to bring you great content. However, between my classwork, research (this is critically important to make degree progress!), and preparing and refining lessons for the class I'm teaching, work on posts for the blog have been slow. But never fear--several projects are simmering on the burner, just waiting for me to crank up the heat!

I may be neck-deep in schoolwork, but there are many writers out there, and they bring plenty of important information! Here are a few articles that caught my attention recently:

• A hidden advantage of reaching financial independence:
  http://www.madfientist.com/power-quitting/
  
  We've all dreamed of sticking it to our employer when things aren't going well! It's very empowering to be in a position that your employer needs you more than you need them...

• Don't worry about going broke if you try early retirement; Mr. Money Mustache makes the case that it's not really that risky:
  http://www.financialsamurai.com/early-retirement-its-not-as-risky-as-you-might-think/ 
  
  Some say Mr. Money Mustache isn't really "retired" since he's still doing stuff that earns money. I think the point is that he could lie in bed for the next three decades without lifting a finger, and he'd still be in good financial shape. The concept of "retirement" being where old people sit around nursing homes and wait for death is...frankly, it's not worth working for. So if he's happy being busy, good for him! And if his carpentry and/or blogging makes him money...well, that kind of hustle is why the Mustachian family is in the financial position they're in!

• Paradoxically, some high earners are broke! A high income doesn't guarantee that you'll be wealthy or happy; I've noted before that there is no level of income that you can't outspend! The dangers of lifestyle inflation are real, folks: http://www.financialsamurai.com/scraping-by-on-500000-a-year-high-income-earners-struggling/

• Just because your parents are advising you to do something (or not to do it) doesn't mean it's sound advice:
  http://centsai.com/are-your-parents-advising-you-on-finance/

• A primer on retirement:
  http://www.learnvest.com/knowledge-center/retirement-101-everything-you-need-to-know/
• Your money lessons shouldn't begin after you graduate:
  http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/the-teenage-years-are-for-practicing-money-decisions-in-a-safe-space/
  
  Also see this: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/when-your-child-learns-self-control-it-helps-their-financial-future-too/

Top 10 Value Laptops 2016

Top 10 Value Laptops 2016

This year, I'll be rating my recommended computers on a 1-10 scale on the following criteria: