Smart Moves = Financial Freedom

Overcoming Fear On Your Path To Financial Independence

Investing

There are three key obstacles to becoming financially independent. 1) You have to earn significant amounts of money. 2) You have to save a large portion of what you earn. 3) You have to invest wisely. When it comes to challenge three–investing–one element holds most of us back the most. Fear. Fear of losing money. […]

One Psychological Trap That Investors (And Everyone) Should Avoid Like The Plague

Mindset

Not long ago, I wrote about my biggest investment mistakes so far. I realized this might have created the impression that I was kicking myself over and over for investments that, in particular, I had considered but failed to make. Yes, buying Microsoft at 16 in February 2009 would have left me a lot better […]

My Biggest Investment Mistakes, By Far

Investing

I have been investing since 1991. Yep, since I was 18 years old. I got an IRA that year and funded it with a small amount money. I had no idea what I was doing. None. I didn’t know what a mutual fund was. I hardly knew what a stock was. In truth, the only […]

Are You Hyper Wealthy, But Highly Empty…..?

Heart

I recently wrote about leverage as the key to generating significant wealth. I stand by every word in that post. It’s true. Without some form of leverage–such as huge amounts of attention, participating in large dollar flows, an insanely popular product, working for an unusually successful and competitive institution, or the combination of time and […]

Personal Capital – The One FREE Portfolio Management Tool You Should Be Using In 2018

Investing

The Personal Capital Dashboard The Mighty Investor trifecta is to earn money, save as much as possible, and invest wisely. Each of these three factors is crucial to achieving financial independence. Without Earnings, you are dead in the water. Without Savings, you never develop the seed capital to start building assets. And without quality Investments, […]

The Biggest Mistake You May Be Making With Your Finances–Without Ever Realizing It

Mindset

I have been passionately interested in personal finance for a very long time. I know. It’s kind of boring when a 22-year-old reads tons of books on investing, then gets a job at a financial institution at 23, and just keeps reading, investing, saving, and working at the puzzle of financial independence. Dry as paint. […]

To Achieve Serious Wealth You Need One Thing More Than Anything Else

Financial Independence

Making money isn’t everything, but it helps in many areas of life. Like paying medical bills, having a nice home, paying for your kids’ college education, enjoying a nice vacation, or not experiencing financial stress in old age. There’s a funny thing. There are certain rules to money. And there is one rule that rules […]

Why I’m Ditching Lending Club….

Investing

I have invested with Lending Club for four years. My returns have been decent. About 8 percent in mid-grade quality loans. (For those unfamiliar with Lending Club, the company serves as a platform allowing investors to make unsecured consumer finance loans to individuals.) However, I have decided to liquidate my accounts — one a regular […]

Doing Things Differently On The Way To Financial Independence

Mindset

Doing Things Differently En Route To Financial Independence.....

Here is a great quote from about going your own way and doing things differently on the route to financial independence. “You can’t worry about deviating from social norms, because the norm is to be two paychecks from broke.” ~ MJ Demarco So true! Try to buy social status, and you’ll end up broke….

What’s The One Thing That All Early Retirees Have In Common?

Mindset

I’ve been reading books and blogs about personal finance for years. The advice and perspective runs the gamut. Some are extreme savers. Some are real estate gurus. And some just want to travel. But there is one thing all people who hit financial independence early in life have in common. They Have An Intense Focus […]