.The Ten Commandments Of Personal Finance
From The Retirement Manifesto By fritz@theretirementmanifesto.com

Is it possible that there are some basic principles upon which your personal finance journey should be built? It turns out there are. I’ll warn you in advance – you may not like some of them. Just as THE Ten Commandments guide us away from our personal nature which is sometimes tempted to do things which seem fun at the time, but lead to long term harm, these “Personal Finance Commandments” can guide you away from doing things which will bring harm to your long term financial goals.

In full transparency, I didn’t come up with the original list. That honor goes to this article from MoneyStepper, which I just read tonight. I liked the concept and the guidelines presented so much, I’ve decided to build on the original article with original thoughts of my own, including the “10 Commandments” title.

.How to Find Your Money ‘Why’

By Katherine Fusco

There are lots of reasons to spend money, some good, some bad, most compelling. Of course, this is by design. Not spending money, though… that’s a trickier thing. The reasons not to spend—or to save, if you’d like to put it more positively—are often vague, rooted in a fuzzy sense of what one should do.

When people are tired or temptations are especially aggressive (hello, holiday season!), the vague I should pay off my debt crumbles in the face of beautiful store displays or delicious scents wafting from strategically open bakery doors.

.Risk Is What You Don’t See

Jan 14, 2020 by Morgan Housel

Harry Houdini was more than an escape artist. Anything that made people gasp interested him and was something he would try. One of his famous tricks was letting big men punch him in the gut as hard as they could. Houdini – an amateur boxer before becoming a magician – said he could flex his muscles in a way that could absorb any blow. The stunt matched what people loved about his escapes: the idea that his body could conquer physics.

One day in 1926 Houdini was resting in his dressing room after a performance when a group of students from McGill came in to visit. One of the students, Jocelyn Gordon Whitehead, asked, “Is it true, Mr. Houdini, that you can resist the hardest blows struck to the abdomen?”

Without warning he then began slamming his fist into Houdini.

.5 Ways To Cash In on Your Spare Change

Jennifer Taylor Fri, April 22, 2022

You’ve been collecting spare change for quite some time now, and your piggy bank is about to bust. The time has come to empty it, but first you want to decide how to put your savings to good use.

After spending months — or even years — collecting these coins, you want to do something meaningful with the money. Here are five ideas to consider as the best use for your spare change.

.How to Make Better Financial Decisions

By Barbara O’Neill

A key financial decision people struggle to make is how to allocate savings for multiple financial goals. Do you save for several goals at the same time or fund them one-by-one in a series of steps? Basically, there are two ways to approach financial goal-setting:

Concurrently: Saving for two or more financial goals at the same time.

Sequentially: Saving for one financial goal at a time in a series of steps.

Each method has its pros and cons. Here's how to decide which method is best for you.

.Financial Gurus: Who Are They and What Can They Teach Us?

Wed, April 20, 2022, Top 10 Financial Gurus to Learn From

By Eric Whiteside Updated April 20, 2022 Reviewed By Thomas Brock

Learn more about investing by reviewing lessons from major financial advisors

History's most famous financial advisors are known for very different reasons. They include successful investors who share their knowledge with the masses, television celebrities who write books, and criminals who stole millions of dollars. Ten of the most famous financial advisors are discussed below.

.How Financial Literacy Changes Once You’re Retired

John Csiszar Wed, April 20, 2022

Financial literacy covers a wide range of topics, from budgeting and saving to investing and planning for retirement. Once you retire, however, financial literacy broadens to include scenarios that may not have been as relevant during your working life. For example, income typically drops in retirement, while expenses may remain the same or even rise, depending on the type of lifestyle you lead and the condition of your general health.

Financial Literacy Month is a great time for both seniors and those about to retire to review their planning and make sure they're prepared for the changes encountered in retirement. Here are seven topics that are important to understand if you want to avoid any financial landmines in retirement.

.5 Pieces Of Money Advice That No Longer Apply (And Updated Advice)

Tue, April 19, 2022

The world has changed A LOT in the past two years, and money advice that worked in 1978 doesn't work today. So here are five pieces of advice I think we all need to say goodbye to, and what to do instead.

1. Old School Money Tip: Always share your money with a married partner.

Common financial advice says that splitting bank accounts, investments accounts, and every day spending 50/50 with your spouse is the only way to go. The thinking is that shared accounts provide greater transparency and that once you're officially married, you stop being separate financial entities and become one. You should be working together on all financial goals and joint finances allows that.

.What Happens to Your Mortgage When You Die?

Mark Henricks Mon, April 18, 2022

If you die owing money on a mortgage, the mortgage remains in force. If you have a co-signer, the co-signer may still be obligated to pay back the loan. A spouse or other family member who inherits a house generally has the right to take over the payments and keep the home. Alternatively, terms of a will may direct that the estate’s assets be used to pay off the mortgage, and sometimes a life insurance policy will pay off the mortgage if the original borrower dies. If no one will assume the mortgage and there is no provision to pay it off, the lender may foreclose on the property and sell it. A financial advisor can help you deal with mortgage challenges during the estate planning process.

.The 11 Most Extravagant, Exclusive and Surprising Credit Card Perks

Don't miss out on these impressive credit card perks.

Cameron Huddleston Life and Money Columnist Jun 3, 2019

Cash back, free hotel stays and flights are among the more common perks of having a rewards credit card. Certainly, these perks are great — and an easy way to have your credit cards work for you. However, some high-end cards dole out benefits that make you truly feel like a VIP.

To qualify for some of these perks, though, you need to get an excellent credit score. You might also have to pay steep annual credit card fees. Fortunately, not all rewards credit cards come with fees or are quite so exclusive.

.The Top Purchases You Should Always Make With a Credit Card

Don't miss out on the perks of using your card in smart ways.

By John Csiszar Apr 18, 2022 Get Credit Advice

Some financial advisors suggest that consumers should never buy anything with a credit card and should only use cash for purchases. The philosophy behind this advice does have some merit, but for those that use credit responsibly, there’s a whole host of benefits. In fact, for some types of purchases, failure to use a credit card can actually be a mistake, as you’d be forsaking various forms of protection and benefits.

Although the caveat is always there that you must use your credit responsibly, here’s a list of purchases that you should always consider making with a credit card.