In a recent survey, 55% of adults believe Social Security won’t be around when they retire, yet 72% say they will need that money in retirement. It’s become very common to believe Social Security is “bankrupt” or even a “ponzi scheme,” when the truth is far from this. Instead, know that Social Security isn’t going […]
Best Financial Life Blog
Best Financial Life Blog
Prepare For Market Crashes
We know we can’t predict the markets and we certainly know we can’t predict crashes, so how do we prepare for something if we don’t know when it will arrive? Like the Boy Scouts, we try to always be prepared. We prepare by investing so that our portfolio is likely to never fall enough to [...]
Of Fried Chicken And Green Beans
Last night, I dreamed I was riding my dog, Lucy, through a small Italian village and came upon something that would completely change my life, reducing stress and increasing happiness: fried chicken growing in stalks like green beans! Like many, I struggle with my diet and being from the South, I truly enjoy most any […]
A Financial Plan Without A Spending Plan Is No Plan At All
We all want to be financially successful and tend to equate this success with our investment portfolios, but a solid investment strategy is only 25% of a solid Financial Plan. Another 25% comes from an area where we often seek to avoid clarity: our spending. This may come from a rooted desire not to limit [...]
Did You Feel That?
A swarm of earthquakes hit Danville recently and at all times of the day and night. But that’s not what I meant. Did you feel the market shake, rattle and roll? Did it feel like a little or a lot? If we could take a poll, we’d find those of you who felt the most [...]
Where To Buy Life Insurance
“This ain’t fun. But you watch me, I’ll get it done.” – Jackie Robinson “Get ‘R Done!” – Larry The Cable Guy Now that we have decided to buy simple, term life insurance, the goal is to “Get ‘R Done!” Term life insurance is a cheap, nearly-commoditized offering that any life insurance firm can offer. But be […]
How Much Life Insurance? (Part 2)
"Fun is like life insurance. The older you get, the more it costs." - Kin Hubbard There are any number of ways to calculate how much life insurance (we’re talking straight term insurance here) you might need, however I tend to use two that provide an upper and lower bound. In this post, we will discuss the lower [...]
How Much Life Insurance? (Part I)
"It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do." - Moliere There are any number of ways to calculate how much life insurance (we’re talking straight term insurance here) you might need, however I tend to use two that provide an upper and lower [...]
Types Of Life Insurance
"Keep it simple, stupid." - Design principle, U.S. Navy Life insurance can be very simple or very complicated. At its base level, you pay a fee, called a premium, each year in exchange for the insurance company paying your beneficiary should you pass away during the term. This very simple, clean transaction is as [...]
Why Life Insurance?
"What, me worry?" - Alfred E. Neuman Many, if not most, of the things we do in our financial lives are for others. We work to provide a service or product that someone else values enough to pay us. We use that money to take care of our families and give to charities. We even [...]