By Paula Pant
Once upon a time, in southern California in 1994, there lived a man named William Bengen.
He read many claims, widespread at the time, that said that since the markets return at least 7-9 percent compounding rates on average, retirees could withdraw and spend 7 percent of their portfolio.
William had a hunch that this […]
By Paula Pant
J. David Stein used to manage billions of dollars.
As the Chief Investment Strategist at Fund Evaluation Group, LLC, a $33 billon investment advisory firm, Stein developed the group’s investment philosophy and process.
He guided investments for major universities and nonprofits, including the Texas A&M University System and the Sierra Club.
He retired at age […]
By Paula Pant
“I was working at a bus depot,” says Andrew Hallam, describing the summer that changed his life.
“I was 19, and I was saving money for college. It was a night shift, and there was a mechanic there [named Russ]. Everybody said to me — if Russ wants to talk to you about money, […]
By Paula Pant
Jim Collins, also known as popular blogger JLCollins, has been financially independent since 1989.
He achieved this in the simplest way possible: he saved half of his income and invested in index funds. That’s it.
Jim says that if your goal is to build financial freedom, the simplest possible approach is the […]
Written By Paula Pant
Back in March 2015, I had asked new Afford Anything subscribers to answer two questions:
What’s your wildest dream? What’s keeping you from getting there?
After reading through thousands of responses, I heard a theme emerge:
“I don’t know how to invest, and I’m afraid of making expensive mistakes.”
Let’s tackle that today.
As a […]
Written By Paula Pant
Myth: Wealth comes from living below your means.
Fact: Frugality is the first step, not the last.
I’d like to tell you about one of the most interesting couples I know.
They were apartment-dwellers when we met, and I don’t mean the New York City variety. Their dark, musty apartment festered in an area where land is plentiful and square footage is cheap, where apartments […]
Written By Paula Pant
Last year I blindfolded myself, threw darts at a list of stocks, and bought the first 10 that I hit.
I let them ride for a year and showed you the results.
This year I’m embarking on a ploy that’s a tad less crazy, but far more heated:
I’m competing against 19 financial writers in […]
Written By Paula Pant
“A blindfolded monkey throwing darts at a newspaper’s financial pages could beat most experts.”
Princeton professor Burton Malkiel uttered that slam against Wall Street stock traders back in 1973.
He claimed that despite their fancy-pants degrees, professional traders can’t predict the future any better than … well … a blindfolded monkey. His book around that topic became […]
Written By Paula Pant
You’re trapped by debt.
You want to quit your suffocating job.
You feel stuck.
Or not?
Maybe you love your job. You’re debt-free. And you’re just trying to figure out how stay awesome.
Regardless of your situation, there’s a basic formula for taking control of your money.
This is a simple, three-step formula, ideal for people who want to keep […]
Written By Paula Pant
Should you pay cash for a car?
That question isn’t just a hypothetical anymore. We need to buy a car. And that means we need to make a five-figure decision.
It’s been almost two months since Will’s car got stolen, and it’s time to buy a replacement.
His last car, as you may recall, […]
