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  • Pay Off Debt Or Invest: What’s The ROI?

    June 19, 2014

    ·

    Jon

    Pay Off Debt or InvestThe first rule of wealth creation is to spend less than you earn. The result is extra money you can save and put to work. When choosing between whether to pay off debt or invest, what’s the best use of your money?

    Both play a role in a smart financial plan. But basic math says – whatever gives the best return on your money. To simplify things, here’s a formula for dealing with this question.

    1. Get that 401k match
    2. Pay off highest interest debt first
    3. Pay off short-term over long-term debt
    4. Refinance to lower rates when possible
    5. Extra money towards debt is a guaranteed return every time

    I’ll explain below. Continue Reading…


  • Happy Hour: Managing Mistakes

    June 13, 2014

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    Jon

    Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup of interesting reads in another edition of Happy Hour.

    Managing Mistakes

    As a kid, you were warned to stay away from the stove. It was hot. It would hurt. Yet, despite the warning, you felt the pain eventually. Everyone did. In that mistake you learned a lesson. Of course, it wasn’t that your parents were right. It was far to early for that one. Rather, the stove has hot things that burn. A simple lesson that caused you far less pain in the future. Continue Reading…


  • Commission-Free ETFs: Worth The Savings?

    June 12, 2014

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    Jon

    Commission Free ETFsThe commission-free ETF craze is a growing trend among brokers fighting for your investment dollars. Free is a big selling point.

    With ETFs already a popular alternative to mutual funds, taking advantage of an opportunity to cut commissions is persuasive. Your current online broker may already offer commission-free ETFs as an investment choice. But is it the best option for you?

    Commissions Are Relative

    A $5 to $10 trading fee may not seem like much but brokerage commissions are just a cost to your portfolio’s returns. Every dollar you spend must be made back just to break even. The cost is relative when you consider the amount you’re investing. But as the table below shows, the return you need to break even can be very high. Continue Reading…


  • Happy Hour: 30 Sec. Econ Review

    June 6, 2014

    ·

    Jon

    Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup of interesting reads in another edition of Happy Hour.

    30 Sec Econ Review

    Negative Rates in Europe

    The European Central Bank announced negative rates this week, along with a few other measures, to help move it forward. Much like QE helped to lower rates, increase borrowing, and grow the economy, this is expected to do the same.

    At the beginning of the year I pointed out how Europe is following a similar path as the US. If this is true, the results should be the same – higher stock prices, lower rates. Continue Reading…


  • Happy Hour: Advances In Self-Driving Cars

    May 30, 2014

    ·

    Jon

    Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup of interesting reads in another edition of Happy Hour.

     Self-Driving Prototype

    We came one step closer to self driving cars when Google unveiled the first prototype this week. As someone who hasn’t driven in over a decade, I fully support this. The idea of being driven around as opposed to driving is refreshing, certainly less stressful, and more efficient than our current system. Continue Reading…


  • A Simple Plan To Save More Money

    May 29, 2014

    ·

    Jon

    Save More MoneyA successful plan to save more money is very straight forward. Set aside a decent chunk of your income early and let the power of compounding grow it over time. This doesn’t always go as planned. Other obstacles get in the way, like paying off debt and instant gratification (buying things you really don’t need).

    Those obstacles are why the personal savings rate sits below 5%. The guru’s say to save 15% of your income and live off the rest. That’s a big difference between reality and what’s recommended. That means most people will fall short of their retirement needs, unless they plan to save more money now. Continue Reading…


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