I've been meaning to write this post for a while, but this afternoon a podcast I was listening to finally inspired me to put digital pen to internet paper. The question is simple: what is a wealthy individual who despairs over the excesses of capitalism to do with their wealth? The traditional answer provided by capitalism, conveniently, has been to invest their wealth in order … [Read more...] about Investing your values, from easy to hard
investing
Things I learned from an actual big bank advisor portfolio
If you follow the world of financial advice at all, you know that professional financial advisors don't have much patience for the so-called advisors you find tucked away in the corner of bank branches or affiliated with brokerage houses. Unlike fee-only Registered Investment Advisors, such firms have substantial flexibility to give "advice" that operates in the best interests … [Read more...] about Things I learned from an actual big bank advisor portfolio
My stubborn preference for mutual funds over ETF’s
I understand that I sometimes come across as a bit crotchety when it comes to the early retirement blogging community. Nothing could be farther from the truth! I retired at 29 and haven't regretted it for a day since (if Mitch McConnell manages to scrounge up 50 votes to take away my health insurance we can revisit this discussion). Anybody who advocates quitting your job and … [Read more...] about My stubborn preference for mutual funds over ETF’s
The use and abuse of “the 4% rule”
I had a good time recently appearing on the Saverocity Observation Deck podcast with Noah from Money Metagame and host Joe Cheung. One thing that I think got a little muddled in our conversation was my feelings about "the 4% rule," which is much beloved by financial independence and early retirement enthusiasts. Rather than try to tell you I'm right and they're wrong about … [Read more...] about The use and abuse of “the 4% rule”
The Robinhood free stock catch (and an easy workaround)
I don't think you should invest in individual stocks, but gambling is, famously, fun, and when I want to gamble on individual stocks I use the Robinhood iPhone app, which offers commission-free trades for stocks and ETF's listed on US exchanges. If you were so inclined, you could even use it as your primary taxable brokerage account, although I don't believe you can link it to … [Read more...] about The Robinhood free stock catch (and an easy workaround)