Category: Personal Finance

Time And The Value of Money

Time And The Value of Money

Is saving money a good thing? Most people would say yes, and many will wonder why you are asking such a stupid question. Saving money is essential for building wealth and protecting us from catastrophe. But as with all things, nothing in life can be defined in absolutes. Even the act of saving money can be detrimental under some circumstances. How is this so?

The value of money to you in the present will not be the same as its value in the future. We all know the concept of compound interest and how powerful it is for growing your wealth. For compounding to take full effect, it needs time, and a lot of it. We are encouraged to save and invest as early as possible to reap the benefits of compound interest. Continue Reading

Life Problems and Money Problems

Life Problems and Money Problems

A common cause of relationship and family problems is money. Even if you get along well with others, friction can still exist if there is a financial aspect to an issue (more often due to lack of money). In fact, a lot of issues in the world are money problems.

But there are problems that are not about money. If you or a loved one got afflicted with a disease that has no cure, no amount of money can afford you the medicine, as it doesn’t exist (yet). Once you lose your family or friends, they cannot be brought back regardless of your wealth. If your relationship with someone reaches a breaking point, money alone cannot get it back to the way it were. Continue Reading

Your most powerful investment

Your most powerful investment

When we think of investments, we usually think of stocks, bonds, or real estate. Personal finance media often focus on these popular asset types. They teach us to maximize our retirement funds, invest in low-cost index funds, diversify with bond funds, and buy rental houses.

While these are all good advice and it certainly helped a lot of people improve their financial standing, I think it overlooks a very important asset. One that can yield great returns when utilized properly, can improve your lifestyle, and more importantly, one that you already own! Continue Reading

The True Cost of Things

The True Cost of Things

When we acquire things, mostly by buying or when someone gives it to us, we associate this object by its cost. “This costs half my monthly salary“, or “This looks cheap!”. While this may seem obvious from our perspective, in reality, this is only a part of its true cost.

There is an excellent article from Raptitude about this, titled Everything Must Be Paid for Twice. The author said that the first price is what we pay to gain possession of something. Once we obtain it, we must also then pay a second price, which is the effort needed to utilize and reap the benefits of that thing. Continue Reading

Managed investments are alright!

Managed investments are alright!

“Why did you get that VUL? They are inefficient! Just buy Term Insurance and invest the difference!“. This was me years ago after I found out that a friend just purchased a Variable Universal Life Insurance from a big insurance company. I then went on a tirade about the insurance fees, agent commission, and managed fund expenses. I continued on about why it is a bad idea to mix insurance and investments.

Was I trying to help? My intentions were good: I wanted my friend to have the best insurance and investment set up. Paying unnecessary fees is a big no-no from my perspective. Continue Reading