Roth IRA for beginners guide: I can still remember the first time a financially savvy friend told me I needed to “open a Roth IRA.” I nodded politely, but internally, my mind went blank. I honestly thought “Roth” was the name of a specific guy at a bank who was going to handle my money….
Four years ago my finances were working like clockwork. I was finally making some nice money, I had aggressively paid off my credit cards and I was feeling immensely pleased of my bright new investment portfolio. I was invulnerable I thought. Then one wet Tuesday morning my transmission completely blew up on the interstate. Tow…
I used to think budgeting was self-punishment. For years I’ve managed my money by downloading ridiculously sophisticated spreadsheets, recording every single $4 coffee I bought, and feeling guilty every time I spent money on something fun. Predictably, the strategy was short-lived, and lasted only three weeks. It was tiring. It was a financial crash diet,…
Three years ago, before I discovered the debt snowball strategy, I stared at a spreadsheet on my laptop that made my stomach drop. I had five different credit cards open. One was from a big-box furniture store, two were standard cash-back cards, and one was a high-limit travel rewards card. The total balance across all…
I can still remember the precise moment I learned how complicated the credit scoring system in the US was. I was at a vehicle dealership, preparing to buy a used Honda. I had checked my Credit Karma app that morning, and it proudly showed a score of 740. I was feeling wonderful. I strolled in…