The fear is palpable. I read it in your emails and I see it in your Twitters. The stock market has plunged (as I write this, two days in a row) and your retirement money is getting sucked dry. If you own a house, it’s probably worth less than it was a few years ago. Finally, your debt payments are taking up a large amount of your monthly income. It’s enough to make your head spin!

Given that nearly every class of investment seems to be going down, what is the best way to invest your money (for the long and short term) to buck the trend? In this post, I break down how to invest your money during this downturn, based on how long your investment horizon is. (more…)

Much has been said about the $700 billion bailout. Our financial news is filled with complex terms like “credit default swaps” and “collateralized debt obligations.” Instead of overwhelming you with financial terminology and fear, this blog post is designed to help you figure out what you can do with your money to help solve the credit crisis…yourself.

This is a long post, but I urge you to take the time to read it if you want to know how you can help stop the credit crisis. (more…)

What do you really want out of life? I’m willing to bet that your goals include a form of “spend more quality time with my family” and “Have more days when I am truly happy.”

We all have goals, dreams, and hopes, but all too often they’re quashed as we join the rat race to make more money, to then spend that money, which means we have to make more money, to spend more money…an infinite treadmill that, judging by many of the statistics I’ve read recently, some of us are never able to get off of. (more…)

I bought a new car on Saturday. Even though I have railed against buying new cars in the past because of depreciation, and even though that money would have been better spent in an investment… I bought the car instead.

I know the financial facts that most people don’t – that less money spent on a new car can add up to millions over a lifetime. (That blog entry was how I talked myself out of buying a Mercedes SLK 350. Instead, I bought a Miata.)

Let’s get real, though. The $33,000 I spent on the Miata (after sales tax) could be invested. At 10%, it would return $275/month, every month for the rest of my life. Instead, I own a depreciating asset that will last me probably about 8 years before it will need be replaced.

I also bought a lot of art recently. I went for high-quality art from known artists, and bought at auction, so my costs were significantly reduced over paying retail at a gallery. Still, I spent $12,000 on art. Assuming it appreciates at 1% per year (art, thankfully, unlike cars, does appreciate a bit), I’m “only” passing up $90/month, every month, for the rest of my life.

Doing the math, I could have had $365/month, every month, for the rest of my life, but I gave it all up. Why? (more…)

For most of us, having a million dollars liquid — that is, available for our use at any time, and easily convertible into cash — is the stuff of pure fantasy. But after talking to a few of my friends about decisions they were making, I was able to easily articulate one way we can all have $1 million in cash — liquid, available cash — in our lifetimes.

No, this isn’t some “get rich quick” scheme, and it doesn’t require anything illegal or immoral. It’s actually quite simple. The one catch is that it’s easier to do earlier in your life. But it’s something anyone can do, and is easily within the range of most Americans. You have to follow some rules to make this work. But once you do, you’ll be a millionaire.

What is the decision? (more…)