We’re half way through the year. It’s a great time to do a mid-year checkup of your financial situation. Here are a few of the topics that I like to revisit in the summer to make sure that we are on track! 1. Asset allocation rebalancing. Have you rebalanced your portfolio lately? With the decline […]
I just moved some of our portfolio to cash. There’s a chance that we may need to access it during the upcoming year and I wanted a way to maximize the return, but avoid any risk so I have the appropriate amount of money all year. I asked on Twitter if anyone had done something […]
After going back and forth about selling my car, I finally said goodbye to the car last week. It was a little sad, because I loved that car! But since the kids didn’t fit, it truly wasn’t working. Here’s a recap of the sale process and a summary of what worked and what didn’t. Getting […]
I’ve been running the numbers like crazy and I’ve determined that it will be worth it to jump through hoops to rearrange our finances to refinance. If you are considering a refinance, see when it makes sense to refinance. I’ve calculated a minimum gain of $12,000 over the next 5 years less any opportunity costs […]
Analyzing Our Energy Use
Posted byWe’ve been focusing on reducing our energy bill lately. For example, my husband has been looking into switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs. In addition, our energy company is very proactive in sending us monthly mailers with tips and tricks to reducing energy consumption. See previous articles Ten Easy Energy Savings Tips and Energy Savings […]
Are You Considering a Refinance?
Posted byPhotography by: bookish in north park We’re considering refinancing our house. It’s been two years since we refinanced our construction loan into our existing mortgage and rates are lower now than the interest rate we got two years ago. If you are considering refinancing, here are some situations where it might make sense to refinance.
After my husband read our net worth update, he asked why our portfolio was declining and if contributions wouldn’t offset the declines. I explained that we had reduced our savings contributions significantly in the last few years, which alarmed him. Actually, the strategy I came up with is anything but alarming. Here’s an example of […]
Leaving Money on the Table…. On Purpose!
Posted byIt’s not possible to do everything. In every area of life, we’re forced to prioritize and skip doing those things that fall at the bottom of our list. This includes financial strategies. I find that I’m eliminating more items each year, essentially leaving money on the table! In balancing our life mix I showed how […]