Hi Friendos, If you have student loans you have probably read that the recent debt ceiling deal included a restart to student loan payments around September 1st. Student loans are a complicated area and I am not an expert in this but can share a couple thoughts: (1) If you are someone who will need […]
Hi Friendos, Happy Memorial Day weekend. Many people will pause to remember loved ones who died in military service. I have many relatives who have served, including my paternal grandfather, Robert (Bob) Lee. Heās the fellow on the right here: That photo was scanned by his cousin who spent 10 years in the Air Force. […]
Hi Friendos, This weekās topic is vesting and 401k matching. It sounds so sartorial. Iām going to walk through a very detailed (and boring) example of this with a 401k. This is a long one, so stay with me now! Setup: The matching part: So with this particular matching formula and your given salary, you […]
Hi Friendos, A few weeks ago I said the āstock market is not a good match for investment time horizon.ā Thatās because there can be long stretches of negative or flat returns, and at the beginning you donāt know how a particular time period will pan out. So what if you are setting money aside […]
Hi Friendos! Investing can feel complicated and overwhelming. There is so much jargon out there, tax issues and fees to consider, types of investments to figure out…And you donāt want your own investing to make the world a worse place! Today we have a smoking hot discussion about socially conscious investingā (aka ESG investing ā […]
Hi Friendos, Would you be willing to send me questions you have about taxes? This summer I am sending all yāall to summer school for a class called Anatomy of a 1040, a multi-part series about how various aspects of taxes work and why it matters. The curriculum will be even stronger if I make […]
Hi Friendos, Thereās a podcast about cleaning that I love. Hanna, one of the hosts, says that a lot of times, the problem isnāt that someone is ābadā at cleaning, they just need a better system. I am all about systems for preventing problems and making life easier (automating finances is a superpower), and part […]
Hello Friendos, I do a little container gardening here in Brooklyn. Last weekend I planted my seeds so now I am in waiting mode to see if it all germinates. Some seeds only take 5 days. Some a week or two. If my strawberry seeds take, it could be 45 days. Maybe some birds snuck […]
Hello Friendos! Have you filed your taxes yet? Well if not, put down that basket of eggs (or egg matzo) and get to it! Make sure to take advantage of the IRS Free File program if youāre self-preparing and qualify. What is more boring than filing taxes? Monitoring your checking account? I do that a […]
Hello Friendos, This week I am thinking about debt. Partly because Iāve been reading David Graeberās book Debt: The First 5,000 Years (excellent!) and also because of a recent conversation about how to get out of debt. Here is my recipe: Step 1. Decide you want to get out of debt. This mindset is key […]
Frequently Taxed Questions 