Personal Finance & Financial Independence
3(ish) Articles, Curated Daily
“Work hard and you too can achieve the American Dream” would be commonly accepted advice across the country, that good, old fashioned, Puritan work ethic. If only life was really that simple. In reality, many of the hardest working people you encounter will likely never get ahead in life. There are many reasons, both personal and societal that undermine this reality which I won’t get into here (otherwise this intro might never end).
So, how do you really get ahead in life? Yes, hard work is required. However, while necessary, hard work by itself is not sufficient. You need to work hard at the right things. Today’s first article looks at how her parents were able to achieve their American Dream by working both hard and smart.
Hard workers are not hard to come by, but hard work is not enough now and has never been enough in the past. Truth is, America has never cared that much about hard work. Why do we keep perpetuating this myth?
You won the lottery, the startup you work at just IPO’d, you helped a certain “friend” dispose of some merchandise that fell off a truck. Whatever the reason, you suddenly find yourself sitting on a stack of cash. So what should you do?
Not all lumps are created equal If you have ever asked the question how should I invest a lump sum of money the answer for me is “it depends.” That’s not very sexy as the world wants straight answers in nice easy categories.
I’ve never paid much attention to Dave Ramsey, probably the most popular personal finance “celebrity” in the country. In general, I find his advice to lean a tad conservative for my tastes, but I certainly understand his appeal if you find yourself drowning in debt. If you’re new to personal finance, his baby steps are a great starting point and our last article outlines how you can jump from Baby Steps to FIRE.
