It’s probably the single most important mathematical concept to understand about investing. The effect compounding interest or a rate of return has on your money over time. It’s important because it can significantly change your perspective on how much money you invest, where you invest and how soon you should start. When I was […]
I just spent $2,500 on my 7-year-old GMC Sierra with 173k miles on it to fix some major front-end components on the truck and I am loving it. Actually, to be exact the bill came to $2,561.09. OK, maybe loving it is a bit overzealous, $2,500 does set me back a bit. However, if you’re […]
For most the term investing can often conjure up images of complex algebraic math equations – i.e. the jargon feels too complex to understand. Navigating all the different options and opinions can feel like you’re walking through a maze. You’re not sure which way to go. The reality is investing and the retirement planning […]
I am often asked about the Filling The Pig mantra “Creating a Lifestyle of Opportunities”, what does it mean? The dictionary defines Lifestyle and Opportunities like this. Lifestyle – the way in which a person or group lives. Opportunity (plural opportunities), – a set of circumstances that makes something possible. From an FTP perspective […]
Who has the best identity theft protection services? I have written previously about my experiences with credit card fraud and provided my recommendations on how you can actively monitor your credit card transactions by lowering your transaction threshold to receive email alerts. Although credit card fraud is one area of concern when you think about […]
Do you find understanding the math associated with investing complicated or maybe a bit “fuzzy”? A bit like understanding algebra or geometry back in high school for the first time. If you’re like most individuals understanding the relationship between the money you have, investing it and then determining how much money you can make can […]
The time value of opportunity is the ability to recognize money saving or money making opportunities (events) that will benefit you over the course of a lifetime. The key word being recognize. For example, in relationship to vehicle insurance. Most think of vehicle insurance as a single annual occurrence. You pay your premium every year […]
Do you want to learn a simple way to start investing? Here is one perspective on how to think about investing. I call it the “Bucket Strategy” If you’re new to investing or considering the possibility of starting, one of the most challenging aspects of the world of investing is to be able to […]
Guest Post Provided by: Andrew Altman w/ Slick Bucks Automated investing solutions can invest small amounts of money for you at a time. From very small investments that trickle out of your account to investments that round up all of your transactions (thereby investing your spare change), these apps make it easier for you to […]
Think Different About Your Money. The journey to financial independence is seldom a direct path. Everyone’s circumstances are different – their needs, wants, and goals. In addition, there are a host of opinions, perspectives, and insights that can influence which path to take. However, the questions are often the same. How to pay off debt? […]
Have you thought about becoming an author? Is writing a book on your bucket list? Are you wondering how to self-publish and eBook? When I initially came up with the idea of writing an eBook series and creating a personal finance blog, I must say I wasn’t sure what to expect, or how far […]
What is an Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)? ETF is an acronym for Exchange-Traded Fund and is another type of investment vehicle or security. ETFs were created in the early ’90s as a means of providing investors with the ability to purchase a set of “pooled” investment resources – like stocks and bonds. In […]
Technology is great, isn’t it? We listen to music on our smartphones, stream HD movies over the Internet to our TV, and now Uber and Google are testing driverless cars. And when it comes to personal finance, there are smartphone apps to help you track your expenses, online budgeting tools so you can link […]
If you’re interested in trading stocks and earning dividends. Then it’s important you understand what DRIP means in relationship to stocks. DRIP is an acronym for Dividend Reinvestment Plan. DRIP is a plan offered by some corporations that allow shareholders of their stock to reinvest the dividends earned into purchasing […]
Are you struggling with debt? Not sure how to take the first step and manage your way out. Here are three steps you can take to stop procrastinating and create your plan for success. Sandbags I hate cleaning the shower! I despise it. The strong smell of bathroom cleaner The […]
I was fortunate to participate in a Crowdfire Stories podcast called Learning About Money Doesn’t Have to Be Scary. I had the opportunity to talk about the reasons I started Filling The Pig, my seven months of blogging experience and my perspectives on personal finance. You can listen to the full interview below and learn more […]
.. A target date fund is a mutual fund that has been created with the specific goal of providing an investment portfolio. The portfolio is based on how long you have until retirement. Target date funds typically contain an assortment of stocks and fixed income securities, like bonds. These types of funds use a […]
Who is Morningstar? Morningstar is a highly respected independent research firm based out of Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in 1984. Morningstar provides a host of investment products and services available for both novice and experienced investors. Their Morningstar rating scale is a popular method for evaluating mutual funds. […]
Guest Contribution by Patricia Sanders, a regular contributor at wiki.debtcc.com Sacrifice. You’ll come across this term a lot of time with regards to paying off debt. But how far should you go? How much should you sacrifice when paying off credit card debt? Should you give up everything just to save money and pay off […]
We all love to spend money. It makes us feel good, it’s fun, makes us feel confident and even empowered. Of course, the challenge is making sure we are spending the money on the right things and for the right reasons. As it relates to our finances and as discussed […]
Does the world of investing sometimes seem like a Rubik’s Cube? Simple Investing is the third eBook in the Filling The Pig personal finance series of books. It provides the next step for creating financial independence by teaching you how to make sense of the investment landscape, so you can make more money with […]
Mutual Funds can be a challenge to understand and research simply because there are so many. How to Research a Mutual Fund is a short video that will provide you with seven key variables to use to initially evaluate a mutual fund. This video uses the Dividend Growth Fund (PRDGX) managed by T. Rowe […]
Max the golden retriever turned 6 on June 28th, we have been through a lot together. Check out the short video when he was 8 weeks old and then his pics through the years. ______________ Max @ 8 Weeks Even at a young age he made sure everyone knew who owned the love […]
It’s not rocket science. However, you do need to understand how the Snowball Method works to pay off debt fast. Download the FTP Workbook and use the simple debt worksheet to start paying off your debt. If you have researched the Internet you’re probably aware of all the different methods and recommendations to pay off […]
Successful money management is about eliminating debt and saving cash. But it’s not always about the money. When you take control of your finances you create a Lifestyle of Opportunities. What is a Lifestyle of Opportunities? Watch the video to learn more. Note: set your video quality to 720p for best viewing. Related Posts: 11 […]
I was having lunch with a friend of mine the other day and we were discussing my next book Filling The Pig – Simple Investing. We were discussing the subject of how much money you need to have to start investing, specifically in stocks. His perception was that you needed a good chunk of […]
Do you know what a dividend is? A dividend is a distribution of a company’s profits to shareholders of their stock. Dividend payments are a means of rewarding investors for their ownership in the company. If you own shares of ABC Company stock and ABC Company makes a profit the […]
What is a 401(k)? 401(k) plans are employer-sponsored plans that provide their employees with the opportunity to save for retirement. If you contribute to a plan your contributions are generally tax-deferred until you decide to withdraw the funds at retirement. Your 401(k) plan is a retirement plan that is qualified […]
If you loan your cousin Gertrude $10 on January 1st and told her she would have to pay you back $11 on December 31st you might call this loan an IOU. That’s what a bond is, an IOU. Bonds are sold by corporations, municipalities and the U.S. government as a means of […]
Who really likes to budget their money? Budgeting sucks! However, consider these 3 reasons you should budget your money. According to a recent Gallup Poll, only 30 percent of adults polled actually budget their money. For most budgeting ranks right up there with root canals, doing their own taxes and colonoscopies. And it’s no […]
