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I have been writing about money for nearly 20 years and believe that personal finance is one of those subjects that is made complicated because it benefits a select few. Our aim is to help make it easier to understand so that regular folks can use what we teach to take control of their money and build wealth.
Good morning Reader! A year ago (Sept 2025), Moody's Mark Zandi said that their data showed the probability of a recession at nearly 50%. But one has not emerged (yet). Remember, we generally consider two quarters of negative GDP "growth" for it to be officially a recession... so we could theoretically be in one and not know it. (GDP grew 2.2% in the 2nd quarter of 2026) Interest rates have been creeping up (though today and tomorrow's Fed meeting is likely to keep rates unchanged). Energy...
Good morning Reader! We had our first cold week in Maryland where temperatures were in the high 30s at night. We live in a home built in the 1980s with an oil furnace that burns #2 heating oil - which is now 124% higher than a year ago. We have a heat pump too, for the shoulder seasons, but the price per kilowatt-hour has jumped too... it's something we'll all have to contend with this winter. Regardless of how you heat your home, if you need help check to see if your state offers any...
Good morning Reader! When it comes to your money and investing, there are three distinct phases - the setup, the accumulation, and then the drawdown. Early in the process, there's a lot of work to set it up. You create a budget, you dial in your spending, and you save and invest your money. Then there's the accumulation phase, the "boring middle," where you simply wait. You make automatic contributions, you go about your life, and you wait until your portfolio hits "the number." Then, of...