Category Archives: The Maverick

How Not Eating a Marshmallow is Key to Financial Success

I recently read this interesting Reason magazine interview with New York Times science writer John Tierney, co-author of the new book Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. The interview starts with an explanation of the famous “marshmallow test” experiment in … Continue reading

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Posted in Money Saving Ideas, The Maverick | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Using Your 401(k) in Retirement

We recently received this  question on the Ask a Question to a Financial Planner section of our blog: “I have $35k in bank card debt+$30k in retail credit debt. Bank interest range 13/23%, retail 18/29%. I’m 63, and have $40k … Continue reading

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Posted in Retirement Planning, The Maverick | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Plan for an Extreme Early Retirement

My most popular blog post (and the most popular one on our whole blog) called “How to Be Financially Independent in 5 Years (No Matter What Age You Are)” was about a concept called “Early Retirement Extreme” in which people … Continue reading

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Posted in Retirement Planning, The Maverick | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Are You Paying Too Much On Your Phone Bill?

We often review people’s budgets  to help them find savings and one area that I consistently find people spending more than they probably need to is on their phone bill. The average landline bill is probably only about $20 but … Continue reading

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Posted in Money Saving Ideas, The Maverick | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

When it Comes to Financial Advice, Follow the Money

As the election year begins, there’s a lot of concern about money in politics and how it can be used to corrupt politicians and buy votes. But politics isn’t the only profession in which money can be a problem. The … Continue reading

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Back to Basics: What Exactly is a Bond?

Last week, we discussed how to invest by buying a stock and becoming an owner of a company. This week, we’ll take a look at becoming a loaner instead. The first experience most people have as a loaner is with … Continue reading

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Posted in Basic Investing, The Maverick | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Back to Basics: What Exactly is a Stock?

With the start of a new year, it might be a good time to take a step back. As financial planners and educators, we can get so caught up in the complexities of things like employee benefits, various investment strategies, … Continue reading

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How to Turn Your Investment Lemons Into Lemonade in the Next Two Days

We usually wait until April 15th to worry about taxes, but the time to do something about them is mostly well before that. Some examples include contributing to your employer’s retirement plan and flexible spending accounts. But there is also … Continue reading

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Posted in Advanced Investing, Money Saving Ideas, The Maverick | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Surviving the Holiday Season

Opening gifts may be fun but opening the credit bills next month won’t be. No one wants to start off the New Year deeper in debt, but too often that’s exactly what happens. Here are some ways to survive the … Continue reading

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