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Investing

Simple, no-nonsense investing strategies that work for real people — without the jargon or the stress.

$40 Trillion Is a Number You Can't Picture — Here's the Part That Shows Up in Your Rent
🎯 Budgeting📈 Investing

$40 Trillion Is a Number You Can't Picture — Here's the Part That Shows Up in Your Rent

US government debt crossed $40 trillion on August 19 — doubled since 2017, and two years ahead of what the CBO projected. Divide it by the population and you get $117,000 "per person," which is the most misleading number in the whole conversation: you don't owe it, and nobody will ever bill you. What the debt does do is set the floor under every rate you're quoted — here's what one percentage point costs on a $400,000 mortgage, why the 2032 Social Security date matters more to a 30-year-old than the headline number does, and four moves that make sense no matter what Congress does.

August 22, 2026 · 7 min readRead more →
Private Equity and Crypto Are Coming to Your 401(k). Here's How to Tell If Yours Is Affected
📈 Investing

Private Equity and Crypto Are Coming to Your 401(k). Here's How to Tell If Yours Is Affected

A Labor Department proposal issued in March opened the door for 401(k) plans to hold private equity, real estate and crypto — and the most likely way it reaches your account isn't a form you sign, but a quiet change inside the target-date fund you already own. Nothing has been forced into anyone's account yet, but the products are built and the decision is being made a level above you. Here's the ten-minute check on your own plan, and the three numbers that decide whether it's a reasonable deal.

August 16, 2026 · 7 min readRead more →
Your Bronze Plan Just Became a Retirement Account (And Nobody Told You)
📈 Investing🎯 Budgeting

Your Bronze Plan Just Became a Retirement Account (And Nobody Told You)

On January 1, every ACA Bronze and catastrophic plan quietly became HSA-eligible — the biggest change to health savings accounts in nearly two decades, and almost nobody was told. If you buy your own insurance, you just got access to the only account that's tax-free going in, while it grows, and coming out. Here's how to check your plan and the move that turns it into a retirement account.

August 14, 2026 · 7 min readRead more →
Trump Accounts vs. a 529 vs. a Custodial Roth: Where Should Your Kid's Money Actually Go?
📈 Investing

Trump Accounts vs. a 529 vs. a Custodial Roth: Where Should Your Kid's Money Actually Go?

Trump Accounts launched July 4 with a free $1,000 attached — and every guide so far explains how to open one rather than whether you should actually fund it. Here's the honest three-way comparison against a 529 and a custodial Roth, including the tax detail buried under the launch coverage: Trump Account growth is taxed as ordinary income even when it pays tuition, while a 529 comes out tax-free. Take the $1,000 — then read this before you redirect your monthly savings.

July 31, 2026 · 7 min readRead more →
My 2007 Acura TSX Is the Best Investment I've Made (Here's the Math)
📈 Investing🎯 Budgeting🌴 Lifestyle

My 2007 Acura TSX Is the Best Investment I've Made (Here's the Math)

I bought my Acura TSX new in 2007 and never replaced it — and that one boring decision saved an estimated $52,000–$76,000 versus cycling through new cars. A car is a depreciating asset, but the money I never sank into one could be worth around $142,000 today if invested in an S&P 500 index fund. Here's the full breakdown.

June 28, 2026 · 9 min readRead more →