There are numerous, readily apparent benefits to working from home: the ability to design your ideal work environment, avoiding a long commute and the increased freedom, just to name a
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The Pros and Cons of Rapidly Paying Down Your Mortgage
The idea that typical American home owner should pay down mortgage debt rapidly is nothing new. The sentiment certainly makes sense at face value; by eliminating your mortgage payment you free up a huge chunk of cash. You also no longer have to pay the bank interest, which must feel incredibly liberating. However, there are also significant problems with strategies that prioritize rapidly paying down your mortgage, namely “opportunity loss,” which complicate the issue.
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How to Access Your Retirement Money Early, Without Penalty
How to access retirement funds early, without being penalized. Investing for your retirement can actually be pretty easy to get right. However, the rules governing retirement accounts are often anything but straightforward. In my previous role at the investment firm I work for, I assisted hundreds of alternative asset investors working with “self-directed” IRA accounts. These investors are typically savvier than the average 401k holder, even they are often unclear about the rules determining contributions, and perhaps more importantly, how they can access funds early and without being penalized.
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These 10 Money Habits Will Make You More Money in the Long Run
At Valuist we often put broad financial topics under the microscope to provide in-depth analysis and, hopefully, determine their inherent value. But sometimes the most impactful articles are the ones that provide easy-to-digest tips on a range of pertinent topics. So, for this post, I am going to summarize some of the most important money lessons that I have learned and covered for Valuist.
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The Valuist Financial Independence and Retirement (F.I.R.E) FREE Calculator Tool
There are numerous ways to calculate how much money you’ll need to save to retire comfortably but perhaps the easiest method, is to first determine how much you plan to
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10 DIY Home Maintenance and Repair Jobs That Save a Ton of Money
There are some pushy door-to-door sales people in my neighborhood. Let me start by stating that if I’m not seeking out a service, then I’m not interested. Door-to-door sales guys
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15 Factors to Consider Before Picking Stocks, ETFs and Mutual Funds
Valuist readers are likely aware that I advocate for a broadly diversified portfolio of low-cost ETFs and mutual funds, especially for core retirement investing. Over time, it becomes increasingly difficult
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The Valuist Investment Portfolio: The Only Free Lunch in the Stock Market
When I say, “Valuist” investments, I’m not referring to value investing specifically (though I am a big fan). I’m talking about earning the best risk-adjusted returns from the stock market
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5 (More) Money Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make
One of the most popular early posts by Valuist is, 15 Money Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make. But over the last few years I’ve made (and hopefully, learned to
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5 Times When Big Spending Pays Off (And 5 Times It Doesn’t)
A colleague at the investment firm that I work for sometimes pokes fun at the Valuist philosophy. He probably thinks I am a penny-pincher. However, the truth is that I’ve been spending a lot of money lately.
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The Best Free Budgeting and Net Worth Tracking Spreadsheet
There are many great ways to manage your personal finances but as your income increases, tracking income and spending becomes increasingly complicated. Thus, the Valuist Best Free Budgeting and Net Worth Tracking Spreadsheet was born. I get so much value out of this tool that I wanted to provide it, for free, to all new subscribers
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How to Invest When the Stock Market Crashes
Only one option makes sense for the long-term, well diversified investor: to buy. If you’re like me, invested mostly in index funds that track the entire US or world markets, all you need to build wealth is time.
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5 Money Hacks That Don’t Save You Money (And 5 That Do)
In the vast world of personal finance bloggery (it’s my neologism, so sue me) there’s no shortage of so-called “money hacks.” They’re called “hacks” to appear sophisticated and perhaps radical,
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Why That Life Insurance Quote Might be Totally Bogus
You hear it on the radio all the time – the 40 year old male that could get a 20 year $500,000 term life insurance policy for only $30.62 per
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The True Cost of Buying Overpriced Whole Life Insurance
Recently, I’ve been publishing guest posts in an effort to expand the range of topics covered by Valuist. Inviting qualified authors to lend their expertise also helps me attain the
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