The Best Time To Plant A Tree Is Now

Have you heard of the "happiness curve"? According to multiple studies of life satisfaction, I am entering the unhappiest period of my life at age 40 (WaPo): My theory is that this is simply the inverted curve of "number of humans that I am … [Read the rest]

Immediate Annuities vs. Safe Withdrawal Rates

Annuities have a rather mixed reputation, which I think is mostly deserved. Some are amazingly complex and expensive (the word "Indexed" can be bad in this world). Then there are simple, straightforward ones that are worth consideration, including … [Read the rest]

Charlie Munger 2019 Wall Street Journal Interview Transcript

The best thing I read today was definitely Charlie Munger, Unplugged, the full transcript of a 6-hour interview with Charlie Munger about his philosophies on business, investing and life, as conducted by Jason Zweig and Nicole Friedman of the Wall … [Read the rest]

Best Interest Rates on Cash – May 2019

Here's my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash for May 2019, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. There hasn't been much movement recently, and the rate curve is still pretty flat with long-term rates only slightly … [Read the rest]

Savings I Bonds May 2019 Interest Rate: 1.40% Inflation + 0.50% Fixed Rate

Update 5/1/19. The fixed rate will be 0.50% for I bonds issued from May 1, 2019 through October 31st, 2019. This is the same as it was for the last 6 months. The variable inflation-indexed rate for this 6-month period will be 1.40% (as was … [Read the rest]

Vanguard ETFs Now Permanently Cheaper Than Admiral Shares (More Examples)

Updated with more examples. Up until recently, Vanguard has had a long history of keeping the expense ratios of their corresponding ETFs and Admiral Shares mutual funds the same. As of 2019, this is no longer the case. Inside a Vanguard notice, … [Read the rest]

Richard Feynman and Fighting Burnout With Curiosity

While going back through my Kindle highlights, I came across the autobiography of Richard P. Feynman, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character. Feynman won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 but was also something of … [Read the rest]

TAB Bank Kasasa Cash Checking Review: 4% APY (Up to $50k) w/ Activity Requirements

Update late January 2019: Reader Steve shares that "TAB Bank is no longer offering Kasasa Cash Checking. But for those already having an account, no changes are planned." Original post: TAB Bank has a Kasasa Cash Checking account that offers 4% … [Read the rest]

Book Notes: Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

I'd never heard of Shonda Rhimes before stumbling across Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person. Apparently, she created some huge TV shows (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder). However, the … [Read the rest]

Spending Diary: The Most Commonly Ignored Personal Finance Advice?

After finishing The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack, I found it to be a solid all-around personal finance book that joins others like If You Can by William Bernstein and The Richest … [Read the rest]

The Personal Finance Index Card: Book Version Differences

After rediscovering the young adult versions of fitting personal finance advice on an index card, I decided to go back and read the book The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack. (I was … [Read the rest]

Blue Zones: Financial Lessons From the World’s Oldest People

While learning about Okinawan centenarians, I also came across the idea of Blue Zones - places where a high concentration of people live past 90 without chronic illnesses. While the eating habits of Blue Zone residents have been mentioned a lot, … [Read the rest]