Links for September 2025

Links for September 2025

https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/best-states-for-taxes?ccsource=em_NB_1058859_FIDBITS_0225_20250314103051_T102040102_SFID_653293

https://fortune.com/2025/01/30/job-hunt-candidates-applying-a-year-ghosting/

No matter what the official reports from the BLS say, there's a whole lot of people with experiences like this. In fact, a number of years ago, I even experienced ghosting on my job search. The government can say that there are thousands of new jobs, but I'm not so sure...

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChubbyFIRE/comments/1f2vq2w/40_with_an_85m_net_worth_and_a_burntout_soul_but/?rdt=52881

Interesting conundrum. Maybe a candidate for retiring to "consulting" work, or a "job" related to a hobby, or something similar. 

https://ofdollarsanddata.com/proof-of-work/

Great point about crypto, tech, and bubbles in general!

https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2023/06/the-evolution-of-financial-advice/

https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/2025071592/my-grandmother-disinherited-my-father-yet-made-him-executor-of-her-will-now-he-refuses-to-file-for-probate

CEO pay actually declined a little bit from 2022 to 2023! https://www.epi.org/publication/ceo-pay-in-2023/

...or did it? https://news.gsu.edu/2025/06/19/study-reveals-companies-may-be-massaging-ceo-pay-ratios-without-changing-actual-pay/

Yep, sounds about right. CEOs are the new kings. 

How to fix this? A couple videos with interesting suggestions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ZV1ualw48 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k6czLUdJPI

Links for July 2023

 Links for July 2023

Happy Financial Independence! Here are some great links I've collected recently:

This is a fantastic breakdown! I'm not usually a fan of infographics, but this one is supremely well-done! https://www.visualcapitalist.com/chart-assets-make-wealth/

https://spintwig.com/fire-taxes/

A great reminder to consider before you invest: https://noahpinion.substack.com/p/on-bullshit-in-investing

This will make you think: https://thereformedbroker.com/2022/10/02/you-werent-supposed-to-see-that/

https://retireearlyhomepage.com/careeradv.html

http://www.realworlddivorce.com/Ohio

https://web.archive.org/web/20220717095628/https:/truecostofhealthcare.org/medicare-supplemental-insurance/

https://retireearlyhomepage.com/medicare2022.html

Vanguard is usually trotted out as the best possible brokerage firm. But are top management's interests really aligned with their fundholders? Note: this article is from 2002
https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2002/1028/058.html?sh=5d0cc9bf135b

I'm sure that John Bogle would have something to say about that if he were still alive...

Links for April 2022

Links for April 2022

Interesting outsider's take [from a British-born former hedge fund manager] on mortgages: https://www.netinterest.co/p/financing-the-american-home

How to work less than 40 hours per week: https://goodmoneygoodlife.com/how-to-work-less-than-40-hours-a-week/

What this guy learned from getting fired: https://www.andrewlynch.net/blog/how-i-got-fired-from-my-dream-job-and-what-i-learned

A series about college enrollment:

1. Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/01/13/fall-college-enrollment/
2. NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/crisis-looming-u-s-colleges-not-just-because-pandemic-n1235338
3. And further analysis by the Hechinger Report: https://hechingerreport.org/how-higher-educations-own-choices-left-it-vulnerable-to-the-pandemic-crisis/
4. A level-headed take from EducationNext: https://www.educationnext.org/the-upside-of-the-downward-trend-in-college-enrollment/

Does the national debt matter? A thorough overview from Lyn Alden: https://www.lynalden.com/does-the-national-debt-matter/

Thinking about buying some crypto? Read this first: https://news.coincu.com/70841-jake-pauls-crypto-scams-worth-2-2-million/

    Unfortunately, scams are common when it comes to crypto. That's one of the important reasons why I don't personally own any cryptocurrency, at least not yet.

What is money? The answer is surprisingly complicated: https://www.lynalden.com/what-is-money/

Ready for a lesson in economic history? https://praxeology.net/RC-BRS.htm

    The good stuff starts at paragraph 30, but the whole thing is worth reading.

Links for August 2021

Free books from financial educator Paul Merriman and his co-author Richard Buck: http://paulmerriman.com/freebooks/
    Note that this now includes their latest from 2020, We're Talking Millions: 12 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Retirement. Generous indeed! And I should take the opportunity to plug my interview with Mr. Merriman.

A candid assessment of owning real-estate vs. index funds, from an investor in Singapore: https://www.firepathlion.com/buy-property-to-rent-out-or-invest-in-index-funds/

Apparently, the market's last 3 years have been crazier than we realized: https://www.mindfullyinvesting.com/three-years-of-investing-insanity/

Learn from this mistake: https://www.mouthymoney.co.uk/saving/how-my-father-lost-his-life-savings-by-making-one-fatal-investment-mistake/

Abigail Disney pulls back the curtain on how the ultra-wealthy think: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/06/abigail-disney-rich-protect-dynastic-wealth-propublica-tax/619212/

A 10-year performance record is still basically random: https://www.evidenceinvestor.com/a-ten-year-record-is-random-noise/

A great review of historical data on stocks vs. bonds: https://www.mindfullyinvesting.com/articles/6-what-to-invest-in/6-1-historical-returns-and-risks/

"Endless desire is one of the pitfalls of human nature, and one of the first things you need to cure if you want to get ahead more quickly."
-Mr. Money Mustache, in the Foreword to the revised and updated 2018 edition of Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez's classic Your Money Or Your Life

Links for August 2020

I don't normally watch a ton of YouTube videos, because there are too many time-wasters out there. But this video made a ton of great points about money, capitalism, and time.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mRbDEtDoyA

*I'd note that the person who made this video missed one crucial element: risk tolerance. Sure, everything he says makes sense. But it doesn't make sense for just anyone to start a business. And he missed that crucial element.

Remember when everybody was panic-buying toilet paper and paper towels? This analysis provides some insight into why:

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/11/heres-why-people-are-panic-buying-and-stockpiling-toilet-paper.html

ASUS Vivobook 15 - $499

    https://amzn.to/2BEYP68

*A little light on the storage space, but it's pretty powerful for the price, and there are a number of options for extra storage.

 

Laws like this are exceedingly scary for homeowners:

    https://reason.com/2020/07/24/county-wants-answers-from-treasurer-who-seized-mans-home-over-8-tax-bill/

How rich are Americans, by age group? 

    https://froogalstoodent.blogspot.com/2020/08/how-rich-are-americans-by-age-group.html

Hey Americans, interested in what happens to your tax money? You might be surprised where the military ranks in this list...

    https://blog.cheapism.com/where-your-tax-money-really-goes/

A snapshot into the financial picture of "John," someone who retired in 2018 and is looking for income:

    https://seekingalpha.com/article/4340665-retirees-dividend-portfolio-johns-march-update-new-way-to-look-portfolio

Tips to help you retire, regardless of what the economy is doing at the moment:

    https://www.moneytalksnews.com/retire-even-when-the-economy-heads-south/

How much can you withdraw safely after you retire?

    https://jlcollinsnh.com/2012/12/07/stocks-part-xiii-withdrawal-rates-how-much-can-i-spend-anyway/

Steve Adcock and his wife retired early, in their thirties. He offers some advice to help the rest of us retire, as well:

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/31/early-retirement-millionaire-saved-70-percent-of-income-lives-by-basic-money-rules.html

Along similar lines as the above:

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/04/stop-wasting-money-on-these-7-useless-things-and-save-for-early-retirement.html 

For some perspective on the REAL point of having money:

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/07/warren-buffett-son-doesnt-regret-spending-berkshire-stock-he-got-at-19-worth-200-million-now.html?&doc=106539730

This post makes an important point about the power of emotions:

    https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/how-to-motivate-yourself/

Scared to invest? Don't be. Here's why:

    https://www.listenmoneymatters.com/investing-for-beginners/

The best Vanguard funds:

    https://www.listenmoneymatters.com/best-vanguard-funds/

Be on guard against financial abuse:

    https://partnersinfire.com/finance/financial-abuse/

Entrepreneurship isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be:

    https://steveadcock.us/entrepreneurship-lies

Possibly the single most succinct summary of the FIRE movement:

    https://jlcollinsnh.com/2012/05/12/stocks-part-vi-portfolio-ideas-to-build-and-keep-your-wealth/

How much money do Americans think it takes to be financially comfortable? And how has COVID-19 changed that?

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/27/how-much-money-americans-say-is-enough-to-be-financially-comfortable.html

How should you invest? Ty of CampF.I.R.E. Finance describes one solid approach—index and chill:

    https://www.campfirefinance.com/index-and-chill/

Blog roundup May 2020

Blog roundup/interesting links May 2020

A great summary of the FIRE movement:
https://www.thousandaire.com/its-all-about-creating-income/

I've linked this before, but it's worth including again:
https://www.wealthwelldone.com/how-can-i-change-my-life/
     -And while we're using allegorical stories:
     https://froogalstoodent.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-tale-of-two-kingdoms.html

https://pixabay.com/en/stirling-castle-scotland-stirling-202103/

A sound planning session with Inspire to FIRE:
https://www.inspiretofire.com/recession-investment-plan/

The benefits of FI:
https://www.physicianonfire.com/the-benefits-of-financial-independence

Though I don't usually condone day trading, a little information about good, debt-free companies won't hurt. To that end, this is one part of a series on debt-free companies. I like the analysis, though it's not actually influencing my own investing decisions:
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4339254-debt-free-companies-of-s-and-p-500-jack-henry-associates

Some good guidance on how to handle a dip in the stock market if you're planning to retire soon; good advice to hear if you're worried about how the COVID-19 economic slowdown will affect your ability to retire:
https://www.moneytalksnews.com/retire-even-when-the-economy-heads-south/

Jim Collins is ALWAYS worth reading and considering. This one is particularly notable for a great line by Jon Older, in his 8:54 PM comment: "Like a famous person once said, money is like a bar of soap. The more you handle it, the smaller it gets." Great stuff!

https://jlcollinsnh.com/2020/04/14/part-xvii-b-etf-vs-mutual-fund-whats-the-difference/

How does Japan deal with its extreme population density, especially in Tokyo? Micro-apartments!

https://www.nippon.com/en/news/fnn20200211001/tokyo’s-micro-apartments-see-a-surge-in-popularity-the-secret-of-living-in-a-shoe-box.html

Another dose of sanity, this time from Mr. Money Mustache:

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2020/04/02/no-you-didnt-just-lose-half-of-your-retirement-savings/

-The money quote: "But in this situation, it really helps to understand the big picture of what is actually going on. The world is not ending. The air outside your windows is not a swirling cloud of certain death. All that has changed is that we are in a self-imposed economic slowdown that has been created purely to save the lives of our most vulnerable people. Which is one of the most compassionate things our society has ever done." [emphasis in original]

Interested in earning cash for taking surveys and providing companies with feedback on their products and services? One option is https://www.inboxdollars.com/, which is currently offering a $5 signup bonus!

The 15 Best Articles for Your Financial Health (Sept 2017)

The 15 (or so) Best Articles For Your Financial Health, September 2017

Is frugality an idol for some people? http://katesmalley.com/good-money/

https://chadashby.com/2014/02/18/is-frugality-really-a-christian-virtue/

How this guy and his spouse deal with $150,000 in student loan debt: http://commoncentsmillennial.com/10-ways-to-destroy-your-student-debt-lessons-from-a-bitter-postgrad/

• Dealing with debt? Check out my summary of two popular debt-destruction approaches, as well as my own advice, here: http://froogalstoodent.blogspot.com/2017/03/trick-yourself-out-of-debt.html

Links for April 2017

Links for April 2017

Financial information that everyone, especially (but not only) young people, should know: http://www.youngadultmoney.com/2016/07/25/10-financial-basics-everyone-should-know/

Are you trying to substitute money for something else in your life? It won't work! Wisdom from Mindfully Spent: https://www.mindfullyspent.com/home/money-cant-fill-a-hole

Millennials: having trouble paying off your student loans? Sound the alarm! Treat your debt like the emergency it is; pay it off like your hair's on fire!
https://www.learnvest.com/2017/03/millennials-this-might-be-why-you-cant-pay-off-your-student-loans/

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!