Saving Ourselves From Not Saving
Americans aren’t saving enough. The numbers appear to back up this claim, which we hear repeatedly. But what I find more interesting is how we react to such statements. I touched on the issue of savings last week, and the...
Ways to Increase Your Wealth When Your Income Is Flat
Income inequality can arise from a number of things, like gender, race, social class and education. We know it’s an issue. But the most recent recession revealed what may be an even bigger problem: wealth inequality. When we talk about...
The Importance of Ignoring the Noise of the Market
Last week was uncomfortable for market watchers. The Dow dropped more than 200 points one day and surged more than 200 the next. Both moves were attributed to small, seemingly random things. The International Monetary Fund cut its global forecast,...
Being Mindful Can Help Guide a Decision
We’re really good at telling ourselves stories. One story I told myself for a long time was that I needed to buy a lot of books. It’s my job to be on top of things, so I’d go to Amazon,...
Picking the ‘Right’ Hedge Fund Involves More Than Looking in the Past
Early in my career, I worked at a large brokerage firm. My job included answering calls from people with questions. One question kept coming up: What does your Individual Retirement Account return? The first few times, I thought it was...
Investing Against the Odds, and the Facts
Earlier this summer, I was on a hike with a friend and mentioned that while we’d started at about 9,000 feet, we’d reach an elevation of 12,000 feet by the end of the trail. My friend replied, “That’s a fact...
Fighting the Gender Pay Gap
My daughter started her senior year of high school this fall. With college fast approaching, I’ve had some fun discussions with her and family friends about future professions. One thing keeps coming up: It’s the 21st century, and our daughters...
The Strange Allure of Higher Fees
Just about anything that comes with the “alternative” label is automatically enticing to plenty of people. Alternative rock spoke to so many music fans that it became more or less mainstream in the 1990s. On a smaller scale, consider the...
Resist Changing Direction Because of a Single Event
I recently went backpacking in the Uinta Mountains. It’s a range of gorgeous peaks close to my home in Park City, Utah. A group of friends planned to spend a few days in the backcountry, so we got together to...
Go Ahead, Spice Up Your Investing Life
“I’m bored.” You’ve said it. I’ve said it. Your children or nieces or nephews have said it. Our usual response to these two little words is to recommend doing something about it. You tell children to go outside. You pick...
