Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Uncategorized”
*Special thanks to reader MF, who graciously corrected an error on my part in the original post. The article has been updated and the error corrected as of 10/15/19. A consistent question I get from new investors is whether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds are the optimal vehicles for investments in taxable brokerage accounts. This post is an attempt …
There’s an old adage that gets trotted out at every elementary school fundraiser: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Today I’d like to explore some of the consequences, both financial and non-monetary, of ignorance in my life through some illustrative case studies. Case #1: Failing To Contribute To A Roth IRA During Internship The Roth IRA was established …
I’ve been inspired by my fellow physician finance bloggers lately. The Frugal Physician announced that despite recently graduating residency and paying off her student loans, she was cutting back to four days a week in the clinic. Her post dovetailed with a guest post at Physician on Fire by Dr. Dawn Baker (of Practice Balance and Stealth Wealth Family blogs) …
Taking a dump is one of the most satisfying activities one can aspire to in middle age. And yet, this is not a Beavis and Butthead post I refer to the ability to eliminate, for lack of a better term, the “life clutter” that obstructs productivity and happiness. Perhaps it derives from the sobering reality that there are likely more …
I was recently reminded that art is more than a shared cultural obsession. Like many families, we have developed a shared admiration of the brilliant songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, Hamilton. We’ve not seen it, but the score is sufficiently catchy and the lyrics are so deft and clever that it has captivated us in a delight that knows no …
Like many docs, I took all the accelerated classes our high school offered. I remain in touch with several close friends from those days. Some stay with me for our shared values, others for our shared history. At the wedding of one such friend, I had the opportunity a few years back to reconnect with the class gunner. For those …
Have I Lost The X Factor? A favorite WCI post describes the X factor, a perfect storm of innate qualities, experience and self-discipline that lead to wealth-building behavior. Those who possess it often have certain traits in common, which may include: Laser focus on goals. Ability to sacrifice and delay gratification translating to the ability to save aggressively. Reaction to …
My parents are immigrants. Both learned English as a second language. This naturally leads to moments where a specific heartfelt sentiment takes an unexpected turn as the mental prose is converted from one language to another with an incomplete grasp of the subtleties of the non-native vocabulary. Dad studied electrical engineering but pursued a career in business. Consequently his technical …
Burger Time The Atlantic prides itself on provocative writing that skewers and roasts the sacred cows of the elite progressive class. While some journalists overdo it to the point of inducing iconoclast fatigue, the most deft inflict psychic wounds that cause the reader to reconsider vulnerabilities in their thought processes. Daniel Markovits, a Yale Law Professor whose book is excerpted …
This morning I was getting my lazy butt back into the swing of cycling when I noticed a chunk of rock sliding down a hillside next to the road. It was a fist-sized chunk, and did not threaten to strike me, but it focused my attention on something I seldom consider, the geologic time scale. Rocks like this scatter alongside …