I’ll begin by warning you that this is one of those investing topics, I will claim to have very little understanding of. I thought I might learn a little bit about it through the process of writing this piece. Perhaps you will learn a little too. The yield of bond rates has become inverted recently for the first time in since 2007. This means that … Continue reading Inverted Bond Yield – Harbinger of Recession?
Reaching financial independence & retiring early (FIRE) leads to all kinds of interesting reactions from people I meet. Some want to learn how you did it, others are puzzled over how it could be done, but most are just happy for you. Yesterday someone said simply, “I want to live your life!” Related: Funniest Reactions to FIRE Related: Odd Comments & Snappy Remarks Not all … Continue reading Another Odd Reaction To FIRE
We built our house 10 years ago this year. We broke ground in March 2009 and moved in on Halloween Day. Construction followed about a year of planning – including finding the right lot and selecting a builder. Building a house is no small project. You pay a definite premium for getting things ‘just the way you want’ and have to make thousands of decisions. … Continue reading Building The Perfect Nest
There is very little I can add to this remarkable story but it made me smile … According to the New York Post, Art Mason, who lives here in the Twin Cities, is retiring from his job working the McDonald’s Drive-Thru at age 89. He started working there 30 years ago after being retired just 3 months from the factory job that he worked at … Continue reading FIRE Station Fun – Man Retires From McDonald’s at Age 88
Having just turned our income tax paperwork over to our accountant, I thought it might be good time to put in a plug for Health Savings Accounts – my favorite, tax-advantaged place to invest money right now. You might be puzzled by the thought that a Health Savings Account is a great ‘investment’ vehicle, but that’s really how you might start thinking about them. If … Continue reading Investing In Health Savings Accounts
Some friends I play softball with in the summer got together for our ‘Winter Meeting’ the other night. We don’t talk too much softball, but enjoy a few beers and catch up on what’s happened in our lives since last August when we played our last game. This year, we started chatting about getting our income taxes pulled together. Some guys had already filed their … Continue reading Taxes – Too Complicated for DIY
The media and politicians love to plant the seeds of discord between generations. Younger generations are alternately presented as either victims of the current power structure, and/or helplessly unprepared or unwilling to live in the “real world “. I have found that nothing is further from the truth. Younger generations tend to be smarter, more diligent, and better prepared for the futures than the generations … Continue reading Millennials May Prove To Be The Best Generation With Their Finances
At MegaCorp, I worked with a Finance Director who use to quip that “good numbers make good meetings”. He was right – when sales and profits are up, meetings and decisions come easy. It’s a good time! While we have always been long-term investors, the living is easy when the market and our portfolio are growing as well. While we are only two months into … Continue reading Early 2019 Bounce In The Market
We’re having a very snowy month in Minnesota. We’ve gotten over two and a half feet in the last couple weeks and have cracked the list of the State’s ‘Top Ten Snowiest Months’. This is still with 8 days left in the month and two snow systems lined up to come through in the next week with more wintery fun. Flashback: Frosty, Frigid Fun – … Continue reading Plowing Through Time Wasters
When I was a kid, I enjoyed many beautiful summer days inside watching game shows and sitcom reruns. I watched so much TV, my older brothers would joke that I had a ‘TV tan’. While I played organized sports – baseball, football, and basketball – I was more the indoor-sy kind of kid and happy to plop down in front of the screen. I guess … Continue reading The Sun Always Shines on TV
MrFireStation 