Evaluating the risks and opportunities of a battered stock market
Stock market crashes are scary. Even if you’re a longtime student of personal finance and objectively understand that bear markets are healthy, every massive drop feels like an unusual circumstance that could be different and more crippling than all the previous ones — and someday that may actually be true.
As many non-essential businesses are temporarily (or permanently) closed, with their respective owners and employees out of work, obviously, the priority for those most directly affected is to simply tread water by whatever means possible.
However, if you are among the lucky few to still have a steady income with…
The benefits are undeniable
Anyone who has latched onto the Financial Independence (FI) movement has probably discovered that a core tenet of scaling net worth is predicated on minimizing investment fees. The clearest and obvious way of doing so is to simply invest in an index fund that tracks either the total U.S. stock market, the total global stock market, or a large and representative subset, like the S&P 500. Maybe add a total bond market index fund to hedge volatility, particularly as you get closer to withdrawing from your portfolio.
Without going into too much detail into the benefits of index funds themselves…
7 reasons why SF will hoist the Lombardi
Most postseason talk, Vegas odds, and power rankings from major NFL media sources have the Baltimore Ravens as the favorites to win Super Bowl LIV in Miami. They appear to be getting better as the season goes on and certainly have passed the eye test. Here are 7 reasons why San Francisco has an even better chance among the remaining field of teams.
- The most battle-tested team (by a mile)
It probably makes more sense than you think
Most people reading this type of article are full-time, non-remote, salaried employees. While there may be something comforting about having a predictable stable income, it should come as no surprise that we probably put in way more than the 40 hours a week clearly stated on our paychecks, directly or indirectly, in exchange for that stability.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to restructure my job to 30 hours a week, fully remote. My salary was proportionally scaled from its original 40 hours per week down to 30 hours per week, or a…
The fastest way to get there is also the scariest
The path to being free and fulfilled is, for better or worse, tied to our finances. We work to cultivate better lives for ourselves and our families with the goal of one day being at peace with what we’ve built and enjoying the spoils of our labor (if we so choose).
The financial levers at our disposal to keep us on track usually fall into one of three categories: earning more, spending less, and investing wisely. All are undoubtedly pillars of improving our lives, but are also of the “slow…
Even if you’re an expert, the game is rigged
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MOST people are aware that investing is the only road to wealth. MOST people don’t trust financial institutions. MOST people don’t know how to effectively pick stocks. The intersection of these 3 dynamics should convene around nearly everyone doing the following:
Managing their own finances
Dollar cost averaging (investing at regular intervals to normalize against large unpredictable price fluctuations)
Investing in passive low-cost index funds
Not buying shares of individual companies (especially the company they work for)
While these concepts have gained in popularity, low levels…
Because that’s how you get closer
I swore I wouldn’t center my writing around personal finance given the amount of garbage already in this crowded space, but my brain goes where my brain goes. In the pursuit of optimizing your life for challenge, growth, rest, joy, wealth, serenity, relationships, and purpose, getting your financial health in order (or at least getting it off life support) is the prerequisite for everything else whether we want to admit it or not.
I’ve learned from mistakes, large and small, and will undoubtedly make many more as I go. I’ve consolidated the most notable…
Translating the genie metaphor to your life and your money
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You know how in cartoons and movies when there is a magic genie it grants you 3 wishes? The lucky beneficiary who stumbled upon this incredible power thinks about it, then gets the 3 things that he or she believes will make them happy, likely with a predictable plot twist along the lines of “the best things in life are free”. Meanwhile, we the viewers are always left thinking, “you dumbass, you’re supposed to ask for more wishes”.
The premise of this narrative is…
Writing is your one true time capsule for personal growth
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I’ve never been to therapy. I would — I just never have. The value of it, as I perceive it to be, is to understand the root causes behind your actions and the drivers behind your thoughts so you can better understand and organize your mental triggers to live a more fruitful life. If there are elements of this process that can be done in a self-guided way, I’ve found none better than writing. …
Taking off the mask will give you fewer, but better, opportunities
You have core motivations — things that drive a feeling in you to take action and do whatever it takes to push through adversity and resistance. These could include your paid work, providing for your family, or other obvious drivers. But often there is an underlying motivator that runs deeper. This might involve having enough money to afford a return to your love of art, writing, music, sports, food, or anything else that you lost time for over the years.
As we progress into adulthood, our authentic self gets…
Dessy John
Digital marketer, writer, husband, father, and some other stuff depending on the day.
