This year I have decided to give my nieces and nephews cash to invest in growth and dividend ETFs. I will be granting them $500 with the intent that they open a brokerage account, deposit the money and buy shares that I recommend to them. Of course, it’s their money and they can spend it…
Category: Money Culture
My 11th Year Kiva.org Anniversary
My anniversary with Kiva was actually in February but I’m moving it to December because it’s easier to do a year end summary at the end of the calendar year than February. I have now loaned out money to hundreds of people in 48 countries. As of today, Kiva has a limit of 71 countries…
What Happened To Black Friday?
I had two Thanksgiving celebrations this week, one on Thursday and one on Friday for different parts of the family. In years past, part of the discussion around the dinner table were things people intended to buy on Black Friday. I remember some family members saying they were getting up at 4 am to go…
Early Signs of Credit & Banking Crisis?
One of the observations I’ve made over the years is how banks change my credit limits on my credit cards from time to time. What I’ve discovered is when banks are feeling stressed they start cutting credit lines or start asking how much people are earning to adjust those credit lines. I’ve written posts about…
Crazy 401k Enrollment Rules, Why?
As part of onboarding my new job, I was eager to get my 401k setup so I can get back to reducing my income to avoid another horrible tax situation but was shocked to learn that I would have to wait 30 days to enroll or maybe 60 or 90 days. People weren’t sure what…
50 Year Mortgages?
The big news today was the administration’s announcement for a 50 year mortgage in the marketplace. It seems insane to me but I wanted to double checked my gut instinct and asked AI if 50 year mortgages are a good idea. A 50-year mortgage is an ultra-long-term home loan that spreads repayment over half a…
Here Is Why Inflation Terrifies Me
The delayed inflation report came out today and, in my opinion, it had bad news for everyone. But what caught my eye were two headlines on CNBC (links below). Inflation at 3 Percent The first article on CNBC has the inflation breakdown but the headline is that inflation for September came in at 3 percent….
New 401K Investment Rules – Gambling Allowed
The administration signed a new rule around alternative investments in 401k’s today. The summary is below and I asked AI to give me a risk matrix for anyone considering adding speculation to your 401k. Key Developments President Trump signed an executive order on August 7, 2025, aimed at allowing alternative assets—such as cryptocurrencies, private equity,…
Insurance Inflation Is Insane!
I got an email notice from my insurance company that they will now start charging a $5 fee for using credit card to pay my insurance premiums which I do because the whole thing is automated and I don’t want to write checks or pay bills online. They even charge $5 for using a debit…
Money Gods
Do you know your historical money gods? Let’s take a look. Background: Plutus (or Ploutos) was the son of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. He was often depicted as blind, symbolizing the indiscriminate nature of wealth distribution. Worship: Highly revered in Hindu tradition; worshiped during Diwali, the festival of lights, to bring prosperity to…