Learning to Shun the Instagram Life
“We should just move to the country and live in a tent.” I mention this idea to my wife every time I’m confronted with one of the realities of living in Park City, Utah. It seems like almost everyone here...
Americans Are Bad at Math, but It’s Not Too Late to Fix
When I lived in Las Vegas, there were billboards everywhere advertising different casinos. One of the most common was the type that promised “98 percent payouts.” I remember thinking how amazing that was. After all, 98 is a lot of...
When Competition Obscures Financial Goals
Years ago, a friend with an incredibly successful career as a sales representative shared a story about what she and her brother called their W-2 Derby. It’s exactly what it sounds like. At the end of each year, they’d pull...
An Eye to the Past Can Help Guide the Future
Over time, we’ve come to accept the concept that knowledge is power. In theory, when we have more knowledge, we can make better decisions. But for many of us, there can be a disconnect between knowing something and acting wisely...
Money-Spending Decisions, Made Once and for All
For more than a decade, my family and I have gone to Jackson Lake in Wyoming for what’s become our favorite summer vacation. Because the trip includes a boat, we make arrangements to rent a mooring for the boat so...
A Little Bit of Realism Can Result in a Lot More Happiness
Expectations are funny things. When we start to expect something, we also start to count on it. Once we start counting on something to happen, we start to make plans. Then, if we aren’t careful, we even start to act...
The Wisdom of Breaking Away
In February 2012, a group of experienced skiers headed into the backcountry near the Stevens Pass resort in Washington State to look for untracked powder. It was a beautiful day, and everyone expected to have a great time skiing...
Let Go of the Money Worries
How many times have you had a conversation when you or the other person said something like: “I’m so worried about the stock market.” “I’m so worried about retirement.” “I’m so worried about the value of my home.” Assuming you...
When Assessing Investment Advice, Consider the Source
It can be very difficult to separate the good advice from the questionable and the questionable from the downright irresponsible. Unfortunately, good advice doesn’t always walk around wearing a sign, but there are some red flags to help you avoid...
It’s a Must-Have Book, Even if You Never Read It
I confess that for a stretch of time, I convinced myself that having The Economist lying around would make me smarter, even if I never picked it up. Just by being in the same room, I’d somehow learn by osmosis...
