JLCollinsnh

The Simple Path to Wealth

  • Stock Series
  • Homeownership
  • Case Studies
  • Stuff I recommend
  • Books
  • Interviews
  • About

Go ahead, make my day…

Self portrait

Or maybe Clint Eastwood

Back in 2011 I received this email:

“Apreciado Jim:

Un real . You are over the top for a blog and I am blown away with all of the great stuff that you have on the site.

Are you getting funded properly? I want this to go viral.

You hit the heart of many people Jim. How can you take this Galactic?

Best,

Dave”

Holy smokes, Dave!  Thanks for the exceedingly kind words, and the permission to use your message in this post.

I have been basking in the glow ever since.

Dave is a business pal of mine from a previous life.  He is a senior international executive with a major US based company.  He was born and raised in Colombia and he knows I’ve been trying to learn Spanish.  Hence his intro in the email.

He is a guy for whom I have great respect and coming from him such kind words carry much weight.  I didn’t even know he was reading this stuff.  That got me thinking.

One of the odd things about blogging is it’s like talking to yourself.  I get some nice feedback in the comments occasionally  but sometimes I wonder what, if any, readership it’s getting.  Wordpress allows me to see how many people visit and what articles they click on.   That number has been growing nicely.  Those who choose to comment are a tiny minority.  Of the others, I’m left to wonder if their reaction is like Dave’s or if they read a few lines and thought, “What a bozo!” before moving on.

Hopefully, more of you cast your vote with Dave.  If so you might be interested in some of the answers to his questions:

The good news is that, while the costs have grown with the blog, it is now making enough money from the ads you see here to cover them. But remember, as I say in on the Disclaimer page:

“…most of these (ads) are automatically generated. They do not necessarily reflect my opinion or carry my recommendation. If you want to know what I think about any particular company or product, please use the search function. If I have written about it, you’ll find my unvarnished opinion in one of the posts.”

Converting some of this material into a book is a work in progress. The blog is a nice discipline to keep writing in a way I never would otherwise.  Seems publishing a book has also gotten far easier, as this guy describes:

http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2012/01/self-publishing-your-own-book-is-the-new-business-card/

Finally, to Dave’s point, it would be great to see this blog it go viral!  If you are willing to help….

  • Anytime you see an entry that might appeal to your friends and associates, please send out an email with a link.
  • Encourage them to subscribe.  It’s free!  You, too, and all your family.
  • Please comment on the blog entries and click on the button that sends you emails when other comments are posted.
  • If you have a blog and think something here would be of interest to your readers, by all means please link to it.
Psst.  Pass it on.
So go ahead, make my day!

Important Resources

  • Talent Stacker is a resource that I learned about through my work with Jonathan and Brad at ChooseFI, and first heard about Salesforce as a career option in an episode where we featured Bradley Rice on the Podcast. In that episode, Bradley shared how he reached FI quickly thanks to his huge paychecks and discipline in keeping his expenses low. Jonathan teamed up with Bradley to build Talent Stacker, and they have helped more than 1,000 students from all walks of life complete the program and land jobs like clockwork, earning double or even triple their old salaries using a Salesforce certification to break into a no-code tech career.
  • Credit Cards are like chain saws. Incredibly useful. Incredibly dangerous. Resolve to pay in full each month and never carry a balance. Do that and they can be great tools. Here are some of the very best for travel hacking, cash back and small business rewards.
  • Personal Capital is a free tool to manage and evaluate your investments. With great visuals you can track your net worth, asset allocation, and portfolio performance, including costs. At a glance you'll see what's working and what you might want to change. Here's my full review.
  • Betterment is my recommendation for hands-off investors who prefer a DIFM (Do It For Me) approach. It is also a great tool for reaching short-term savings goals. Here is my Betterment Review
  • NewRetirement offers cool tools to help guide you in answering the question: Do I have enough money to retire? And getting started is free. Sign up and you will be offered two paths into their retirement planner. I was also on their podcast and you can check that out here:Video version, Podcast version.
  • Tuft & Needle (T&N) helps me sleep at night. They are a very cool company with a great product. Here’s my review of what we are currently sleeping on: Our Walnut Frame and Mint Mattress.
  • Vanguard.com

Comments

  1. Panos Regoukos says

    February 14, 2012 at 4:07 am

    Well, this fisherman who make us admire his thought, is an egoistic and ego centered person, who is useful only to him shelf and totally usefulness for the other people . Because, the purpose of life is not sitting and fishing all the time but contributing to the society. It is different to become a fisherman AFTER doing business, thus giving to society, than being in the first place. At last, what do you propose? To sit and fish all day, without any interest in other people, without the obligation to contribute?

    Reply
    • Rodent says

      May 31, 2012 at 8:16 pm

      Panos, you seem to have a European attitude. As a long time immigrant in the US from Europe I can tell you that I used to think the same way. What I think now is society should not compel anyone to do anything if it does no harm. If there is societal pressure to do “good” then the act of doing that “good” loses the heart part – it’s not genuine. A financially independent person has a lot of free time which can be put to very direct good.

      Reply
      • Chrima says

        June 21, 2013 at 6:29 pm

        Europe consists of so many countries with so many diffrent cultures and views. To say that that view is european is just… weird to me as a Swede.

        Reply
    • Paris Parsa says

      September 18, 2013 at 11:49 pm

      Panos:

      As a person who lived in three different continents and has many European families, I can also feel the European attitude in your comment.

      The thing is, I believe your judgment is very one sided. Not everyone has to follow the same system, you know!
      To me, Jim’s posts and life lessons are much better that all the useless history I have learnt in school. You can not tell that because that history teacher was called a “teacher”, she contributed more to society than Jim ( the writer of this blog) . Life is so diverse and so complicated that many so called “real” jobs are a lot more useless than a profound man that is passing his knowledge forward through this blog.
      This blog has been my guide through life and I deeply appreciate the time the writer invests in writing it. It certainly contributed to making mine and my family’s life better.
      Thank you Jim and I would gladly share your blog and wisdom with people I know and I think, nothing is wrong with monetizing you blog. After all, you spent tons of hours on creating it. you deserve it. Good luck .
      Dr. Paris Parsa.

      Reply
  2. jlcollinsnh says

    February 14, 2012 at 8:27 am

    Hello Panos, and welcome.

    while I appreciate your comment I’m not sure I entirely understand it. Unless perhaps you are referring to my last line in this post?:

    “As individuals we only have one obligation to society: To make sure we, and our children, are not a burden to others. The rest is our personal choice.”

    https://jlcollinsnh.com/2012/02/08/how-to-give-like-a-billionaire/

    If that is the case, to answer your question, what I propose is that each individual has the right to live his life however he chooses regardless of what others think and that no one and no society has the right to compel him to do otherwise. Even if that choice is to sit and fish all day.

    Societies that choose to compel their people in a certain direction, no matter how noble it may seem, set upon an evil path.

    This is not to suggest that all people should or will choose to sit and fish all day. Humans tend to be more driven than that. But I would suggest that “contributing” is in itself not something we should set on a pedestal:

    “I want you to know that everything I did, I did for my country.”
    Pol Pot

    “I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator.”
    Adolf Hitler

    Reply
  3. vinoexpressions says

    March 18, 2012 at 11:24 am

    Interesting stories…..enjoy hearing them. I’m currently faced with the prospect of purchasing fractional ownership of property from a friend – basically a month a year – but need to listen to the hard realities of what can happen before plunging in. Love your imagery and stories. Keep it going!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      March 18, 2012 at 12:12 pm

      thanks Vino….

      glad you are enjoying the blog.

      BTW, I posted a link to yours in the comments section here:

      http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/17/boxed-wine-not-just-for-your-alcoholic-aunt-anymore/

      Cheers!

      Reply
      • jlcollinsnh says

        March 18, 2012 at 7:07 pm

        and for what it’s worth, I’d avoid any factional ownership plan. great way to lose money and your friend.

        Reply
        • Tom Mullen says

          September 19, 2013 at 4:29 am

          Wow – I only saw your comment now – many months later! But wise words – I decided to avoid fractional ownership, and happily so.

          Reply
          • jlcollinsnh says

            September 19, 2013 at 7:57 am

            Well, you’ve been busy traveling the world guzzling fine wines!

            Good call on the property, I’d say.

  4. Mike says

    May 28, 2012 at 1:51 am

    Nice to see a fellow English major pulling their weight…

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      May 28, 2012 at 3:41 am

      Well, we can’t all be scarecrows….

      Reply
  5. Rodent says

    May 31, 2012 at 8:12 pm

    Great blog! I found you through MMM whom in turn I found via ERE. I especially enjoyed your series on investing and I’ve forwarded it to a couple friends.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      May 31, 2012 at 8:17 pm

      glad you’ve enjoyed it, Rodent…

      and thanks for the kind words. But what I really appricaite is you passing the blog along to your pals!

      Reply
  6. Jacque Small (@jacquebig) says

    June 7, 2012 at 11:00 am

    Hi Jim,

    I like what you have to say and would love to help you go viral. My current focus in life is supporting people to let go of their emotional baggage so they can have better relationships and live into a magical life. Which you are evidently doing — living life on your terms.

    The biggest group of people that I communicate are those going through divorce.

    One of the big challenges of divorce and even retirement is being able to live life on less money. I would love to share your perspective with my readers to give them an idea of how to do it differently. I think it is part of changing our mindset (what you offer) and letting go of the fear of not having enough (what I offer).

    I have just wrtiten a book Divine Divorce (the hard way and it will be a very good book) and I am learning their is an easy way. In the future I will take the easy way. So I encourage you keep writing and take the easy way.

    Hugs,
    Jacque
    http://www.yourdivinedivorce.com

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      June 7, 2012 at 12:08 pm

      Welcome Jacque….

      Thanks for stopping by. Good to hear you like what you are reading here. By all means, feel free to share it with your readers.

      I just got back from poking around your blog. Good stuff on an important subject. Money and post-divorce life are certainly closely linked. Thanks for including the link. Great site.

      Congratulations on the book! Cool beans!

      and I’m intrigued with your speaking. that’s something I’ve done in the past related mostly to sales and business topics. It is something I’ve been considering offering again tied to the blog topics. Is it a big part of your business?

      Hugs to you, too!

      Jim

      Reply
  7. David ATL says

    June 23, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    Hi Jim, I am yet another that has found you through MMM.

    Last week I started reading my way through your blog this past week. I appreciate the perspective of someone who discovered and executive this path about two decades before me.

    Sorry to nitpick but having returned from a business trip to Bogota yesterday, I could not hold off from making one request: unless your friend Dave is from the capital of South Carolina, please correct the spelling of this great country to “Colombia”. I’m sure Dave will appreciate it, as will anyone you meet in your trips to South America.

    Bien viaje!
    Saludos,
    David

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      June 23, 2012 at 4:39 pm

      Done, and thanks!

      Reply
  8. Michelle says

    May 28, 2013 at 12:25 am

    I’m one of those that read but hardly comments. The only reason for this is that I know so little that I could hardly say anything that would be a worthwhile contribution, unlike so many of the folks that do comment. I learn so much from your posts, as well as many of the comments, and you are really making an impact on my life, financially as well as in other areas. Thank you for doing what you do!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      May 28, 2013 at 1:03 am

      Well I’m glad you chose to, Michelle.

      You have indeed, Made my day. 😉

      Reply
  9. Niraj says

    July 23, 2013 at 3:44 pm

    I also stumbled over to your blog from MMM, which I discovered through ERE. Great writing. I am a fellow follower to the principle of Pay yourself First. I retired 2 years ago at a ripe age of 58 when work became too burocratic.

    Keep up the good work.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 23, 2013 at 7:45 pm

      Welcome Niraj…

      and congrats! It’s nice to be able to step away when you decide the time has come.

      I’m always amazed at people who say they love their job and so needn’t have F-you money. Things changes and our needs and wants evolve.

      Thanks for reading.

      Reply
      • stan says

        August 5, 2013 at 11:36 am

        Hi Jim,

        I am new to your website, but very interested in your ideas. I have a very similar perspective and a similar investment strategy. One missing link is info on people who recently “retired” or declared FI in their 40s or 50s such as Niraj above. What is he doing now? How much are his monthly expenses? What is his source of income? What are the pros of taking the leap? What are the cons? (You get the picture.) It would be cool to have a section/tab on your website for these stories/updates. Just a suggestion. Keep up the great info!

        Reply
        • jlcollinsnh says

          August 6, 2013 at 12:20 am

          Welcome Stan…

          glad you enjoy it.

          Interesting idea! But as I mentioned in the most recent post I’m off to Ecuador and will be focused on the book when I return. But maybe someday.

          Meanwhile perhaps Niraj will check back in with an update.

          Reply
          • stan says

            August 7, 2013 at 6:22 am

            Do you mind if I reply to Niraj’s post and ask him?

          • jlcollinsnh says

            August 7, 2013 at 5:52 pm

            Go for it!

    • stan says

      August 8, 2013 at 11:48 am

      Niraj,

      I noticed your post above about retiring at 58. Congrats! One piece of this FI puzzle that is missing for me is hearing from others who have achieved FI and are retired prior to 60 yes old. I am curious about what they do now (more than “whatever I want to”) and how much it is costing them to live, what they are doing for healthcare, and if they are enjoying their new found freedom. (See my post to Jim below.) Since there is not a forum for this info that I know of, I wanted to ask you to see if you will share some info on how you are managing and what you do day-to-day. thanks!

      Reply
      • Mark A. says

        November 24, 2013 at 1:51 pm

        There is a free app in the Apple App Store called Early-Retirement Forum that links to a whole community of early retirees sharing their experiences. It’s fun reading to do (after JlCollinsnh!).

        Reply
    • stan says

      August 8, 2013 at 11:50 am

      Not sure why my reply did not post below Niraj, but see message to you below.

      Reply
  10. Danielle says

    September 18, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Jim
    another reader that usually does not leave comments…Just to let you know that I enjoy your blog and it has helped me tremendously get on the path of financial independence. From “The importance of FU money’, to the letter to your daughter on Father’s Day–I love your down to earth explanations of all things financial and otherwise.
    I know there are many more people out there that share my situation–we click, but don’t leave messages. We read voraciously and follow your blog and the recommended links.
    Please keep it up, it is appreciated!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      September 18, 2013 at 10:10 pm

      Thank you so much for commenting, Danielle.

      You made my day!!

      Reply
  11. Bill G. says

    December 22, 2013 at 7:01 pm

    Hi Jim,

    Been reading youf Blog for a while and find it quite enlightening. Interested in when you plan on posting your 2014 best guess opinions on the market, and economic thoughts on how the economy may do.

    Merry Christmas & Happy New Year wishes to you and to your family.
    Bill G.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      January 3, 2014 at 9:17 am

      Hi Bill…

      Thanks for your kind words and wishes!

      Sorry for the delay in responding. We spent the holidays in Guatemala and I am just now catching up. And warming up in the middle of another NH blizzard. 😉

      Here’s my New Year’s predictions:
      https://jlcollinsnh.com/2014/01/01/1st-annual-louis-rukeyser-memorial-market-prediction-contest-2013-results-and-your-chance-to-enter-for-2014/

      Have a wonderful 2014!

      Reply
  12. bikerMike says

    December 23, 2013 at 6:24 pm

    Jim,

    I recently discovered your blog and have spent the last few weeks catching up with your posts. I’d like to thank you for the motivation you provided us to renew our drive to be FI and the changes you inspired us to make:
    I’ve transfered my ROTH IRA accounts over to Vanguard – something that I’ve thought of in the past but didn’t motivate for a meager improvement of .2% ER.
    I’ve transfered my mothers IRA (I administer for her) saving .55% ER.
    I’ve kicked up our 401k contributions after learning about IRA conversion ladders and SEPP distributions. (Previously I thought that money was off limites until 59.5)
    And most importantly, we’ve taken a step back to evaluate if we were on track with our FI goals. We had been on “cruise” for awhile and although we’ve always lived below our means and saved/invested the extra, our expenses were starting to trend in a bad direction. Hopefully in 6 or 7 years we’ll be making the “difficult” decision of whether we want to continue working or start ticking down the list of adventures that I’ve been keeping in my head.

    At work I nag the new college hires to ensure they are starting 401k contributions within their first few paychecks, which is what someone did for me and I will forever be grateful. I’m excited that I can share your blog with them as well so that they can start their financial education at the same time.

    Happy Holidays,
    Mike

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      January 3, 2014 at 9:22 am

      Welcome Mike…

      As I said to Bill above, sorry for the delay in responding. We just got back from Guatemala and a wonderful holiday there.

      Glad to hear you’ve found value here and it sounds like you are making some great moves!

      Good on ya for encouraging the youngsters. The power of compounding over time is nothing short of stunning. Starting early makes everything easier and more powerful.

      Thanks for sharing the blog.

      Have a great 2014!

      Reply
  13. Diane says

    February 16, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    If I were still teaching (at-risk high school students) I would be using your blog in my classroom. Although I was an English teacher, it was clear to me that my (mostly poor) students needed financial education as much, or more than, they needed to read classic literature. In addition, it was easy to teach as they were interested in improving their socioeconomic status. I was talking one day to an administrator and I suggested that if the district decided to provide a financial education to students, that they focus on a teacher with excellent credit rather than just considering a math instructor. I know very few teachers with a sound understanding of personal finance.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      February 16, 2014 at 9:37 pm

      Thank you, Diane.

      I recently had a comment from a teacher in the UK telling me he is using this blog in his class. His comment, like yours, made my day.

      I agree, being financially educated in our modern world is critically important. As is literature. Fortunately we can have both!

      Reply
  14. Katie says

    June 25, 2014 at 9:37 pm

    I stumbled across your blog after reading mrmoneymustache. I have really enjoyed your articles on investing. While I am still a year away from having the extra income to put into investments – I am preparing myself by doing as much research as I can ahead of time. I know I will refer back to your site when I actually go to pull the trigger. I just wanted to say thanks for everything that you share and “make your day” 🙂

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      June 26, 2014 at 6:20 pm

      Why thank you, Katie…

      and good for you in laying the groundwork!

      Oh, and you can consider my day officially made! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Teri says

    July 29, 2014 at 11:44 pm

    I just wanted to tell you Jim how much I appreciate everything you have done here.

    Your clear thinking has helped me, my extended family, friends and colleagues so much with many questions. You are seriously kind and brilliant!

    I rarely comment online (not so reticent in person heh heh) but I just had to say thank you so much.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 30, 2014 at 11:43 am

      Thank you, Teri!

      I very much appreciate you taking the time to tell me. As it happens, your comment arrived at a very dark time and considerably brightened my day.

      Were you the one who passed this blog on to your extended family, friends and colleagues?

      Reply
      • Teri says

        July 30, 2014 at 9:57 pm

        Yes.

        I have been sending links as conversations arise. Especially to younger ones since you explain things so clearly which will help them for a lifetime.

        I am sorry to hear about that darkness. My thoughts are with you.

        Reply
  16. pail n says

    September 18, 2014 at 5:40 pm

    Hi Jim,
    I also just wanted to drop u a line saying how much I’ve enjoyed reading ur blog n stock series in particular. Only recently discovered MMM and from him, you. Keep up the good work.
    Paul

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      September 23, 2014 at 11:11 am

      Hi Paul…

      Thanks so much for checking in and letting me know. I appreciate it!

      Reply
  17. Mitch says

    March 15, 2015 at 12:00 pm

    Hello.

    I was Googling key words to decide whether I should roll over my previous 401 k to my new company. I ended up at your blog. It was a conversation about a FI lawyer asking you for advice. I loved your response and I have been hooked reading all day. Just thought you should know I don’t get side tracked very easily so you have some great stuff here. I’m 43, make about 130k per year, became debt free (other than mortgage) about 4 mo ago. I can’t even contain my excitement on how free I feel. I don’t think people understand, but you do. First post ever on the internet. Keep it up. I love to read this stuff.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      March 15, 2015 at 12:50 pm

      Hi Mitch…

      Glad you found your way here, and thanks for the very kind words.

      I don’t recall the conversation with the FI lawyer, but I’m delighted it got you hooked. 😉

      Reply
  18. Jim Homan says

    August 5, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    Jim,

    I have followed your advice to the letter and I’m now retired. I went to a social security presentation last week and the financial adviser talked about Structured Cash Flow investments (http://structuredcashflows.com/). However, one website advises against them because some have not paid as agreed (http://vernonlitigation.com/structured-cash-flows-does-everyone-win-except-the-investor/).

    What is your opinion on these options? Thank you very much.

    Jim Homan
    Richland, WA

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      August 5, 2015 at 4:24 pm

      Hi Jim…

      Congratulations on your retirement.

      I’m not terribly familiar with structured cash flows, but from what I gather they prey upon 1st people who desperately need cash and who are induced to sell their pension or settlement payments for a lump sum of cash and 2nd those who buy them looking for higher interest rates.

      Your second link points out that these are often challenged and the buyer is faced with losing their investment and income stream.

      The sales people pushing them, as in the presentation you attended, are the only ones likely to benefit.

      Not for me. 😉

      Reply
  19. Cynthia says

    September 19, 2015 at 9:41 pm

    Jim,

    Thank you for so generously and articulately sharing your insights. A little about me… My husband and I are approaching the end of our military careers. I go over 20 years in Feb and become retirement eligible and my husband crossed that threshold several months ago. We are undecided on the exact date(s) of our retirement, but are positioned to fund our current lifestyle with only our military pensions. We also have about $500k in TSP accounts and $250 in Roth IRAs (Vanguard). I have been pretty complacent with these investments because frankly they are not a part of our spend plan. Reading through your material, however, has left me wondering if we are too conservative. Currently, we are at 20% G Fund, 40% C Fund, 15 S, Fund and 24% I Fund. Based on what I’ve read so far I expect you’d recommend 100% C Fund. Not sure I can get my husband on board with that just yet. And a happy husband is worth more that the additional returns. I may work on it, though. Given our very generous, very secure pensions it seems to me that we can afford to be aggressive in our investments.

    Oh, we also have two rental properties. One is paid off and the other loses a small amount in terms of cash flow, but makes it up at tax time. We aren’t prepared to sell, though, since it’s a great location close to the Pentagon – and we may return.

    No question here, really, I just wanted to let you know that your work has really resonated with me and how much I appreciate your efforts. As I think more about how to train my 9 year old daughter in all things financial I expect to be spending more time with your posts about your daughter.

    Thanks, Jim, for putting such top notch and thought-provoking material out for all to see. You’ve made a real difference for me and I wanted you to know.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      September 21, 2015 at 10:54 am

      Thank you, Cynthia…

      I’m delighted to hear it and very much appreciate you letting me know!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Simple Path to Wealth Book by JL Collins

Important Resources

  • Talent Stacker or My Review
  • Recommended Credit Cards
  • Personal Capital or My Review
  • Betterment or My Review
  • NewRetirement
  • Tuft & Needle or My Review
  • Vanguard.com

More Helpful Links

  • My Manifesto
  • Financial Calculators
  • Ask Jlcollinsnh

Subscribe to New Posts

Follow JLCollinsNH on TwitterJLCollinsNH On Twitter

  • Latest
  • Popular
  • Comments
  • When Your Country Becomes a Global Outcast When Your Country Becomes a Global Outcast
  • Staying the Course in War-Time Staying the Course in War-Time
  • Pathfinders update from Hh Pathfinders update from Hh
  • A New Chapter for Chautauqua A New Chapter for Chautauqua
  • Season’s Greetings!! Season’s Greetings!!
  • Fun with numbers: Historic Stock Market Returns Fun with numbers: Historic Stock Market Returns
  • Let’s talk about what’s up with Bonds, and what ever else you’d like to ask me Let’s talk about what’s up with Bonds, and what ever else you’d like to ask me
  • Today Week Month All
  • Stocks — Part 1:  There’s a major market crash coming!!!!  and Dr. Lo can’t save you. Stocks -- Part 1: There's a major market crash coming!!!! and Dr. Lo can't save you.
  • Why your house is a terrible investment Why your house is a terrible investment
  • How I failed my daughter and a simple path to wealth How I failed my daughter and a simple path to wealth
  • Stocks — Part VI:  Portfolio ideas to build and keep your wealth Stocks -- Part VI: Portfolio ideas to build and keep your wealth
  • Stocks — Part II:  The Market Always Goes Up Stocks -- Part II: The Market Always Goes Up
  • Why you need F-you money Why you need F-you money
  • Stocks — Part V:    Keeping it simple, considerations and tools Stocks -- Part V: Keeping it simple, considerations and tools
  • Today Week Month All
  • When Your Country Becomes a Global Outcast When Your Country Becomes a Global Outcast
  • Staying the Course in War-Time Staying the Course in War-Time
  • How I failed my daughter and a simple path to wealth How I failed my daughter and a simple path to wealth
  • VITA, income taxes and the IRS VITA, income taxes and the IRS
Ajax spinner
Categories
  • Annual Louis Rukeyser Memorial Market Prediction Contest
  • Business
  • The Book: The Simple Path To Wealth
  • Cars and Motorcycles
  • Case Studies
  • Chautauqua
  • Education
  • Guest Posts
  • Homeownership
  • How I Lost Money in Real Estate before it was Fashionable
  • Life
  • Money
  • Q/A Posts
  • Random cool things that catch my eye
  • Stock Investing Series
  • Stuff I Recommend
  • Travels

Archives

  • ► 2023 (3)
    • ► January (3)
      • When Your Country Becomes a Global Outcast
      • Staying the Course in War-Time
      • Pathfinders update from Hh
  • ► 2022 (12)
    • ► December (3)
      • A New Chapter for Chautauqua
      • Season's Greetings!!
      • Fun with numbers: Historic Stock Market Returns
    • ► October (1)
      • Let’s talk about what’s up with Bonds, and what ever else you’d like to ask me
    • ► August (1)
      • The Price of Security
    • ► July (1)
      • Case Study #17: Buying into the market right before a Bear
    • ► June (1)
      • Case Study #16: Helping dad with an inheritance
    • ► May (1)
      • Just inked a contract for my next book, and I want you to be a part of it!
    • ► April (1)
      • The Dinky Diner
    • ► March (1)
      • Chautauqua: A terrible business model
    • ► February (2)
      • Chautauqua is back for 2022!
      • JLCollinsnh.com Enters New Era
  • ► 2021 (14)
    • ► December (1)
      • Season's Greetings!!
    • ► November (2)
      • The new book is out!
      • Are bonds done?
    • ► October (1)
      • Guess what I just finally read for the first time...
    • ► September (1)
      • The negligence that led me to DIY investing
    • ► August (3)
      • Chainsaws and Credit Cards
      • Part XXXVI: Estate Planning 101 -- The Simple Path to an Estate Plan
      • The Simple Path to a Lucrative Career
    • ► July (1)
      • Help Wanted: a new book
    • ► June (1)
      • The Top 9 (Bad) Arguments Against Bitcoin
    • ► May (2)
      • Collins on Crypto
      • The Alfred Hitchcock Path to FI
    • ► April (1)
      • Time to sell?
    • ► February (1)
      • Mariah International: All that glitters…
  • ► 2020 (11)
    • ► December (1)
      • Season's Greetings!!
    • ► June (1)
      • How to give when you have a business
    • ► April (4)
      • Investing with Vanguard for Europeans: 2020 update
      • Part XVII-B: ETF vs. Mutual Fund -- What's the difference?
      • Reviewing the comments on my post of April 1st
      • Why I will no longer be writing this blog
    • ► March (4)
      • My move from VMMXX to VBTLX
      • COVID-19: The unvarnished truth from Doc G.
      • Chautauqua sits out 2020
      • Taking advantage of Mr. Bear
    • ► February (1)
      • Mr. Bear, Podcasts, a good book and why I should be in 100% stocks
  • ► 2019 (11)
    • ► November (4)
      • How we bought our new car
      • The House Hacking Strategy
      • What does buying a new car really cost over the years?
      • Why we bought a brand new car
    • ► August (1)
      • A Guided Meditation for When the Stock Market Is Dropping
    • ► June (2)
      • 7 Days in Heaven: or Why Slowing Down Will Get You There Sooner
      • Quit Like a Millionaire
    • ► March (1)
      • Stocks -- Part XXXV: Investing for Seven Generations
    • ► February (1)
      • Chautauqua 2019 - UK & Portugal - Tickets Now Available
    • ► January (2)
      • Mr. Bogle passes
      • "I wanted the unreasonable"
  • ► 2018 (16)
    • ► December (1)
      • Happy Holidays! and a bit on Mr. Market
    • ► November (3)
      • Truly Passive Real Estate Investing
      • Car Talk: An update on Steve and looking at Leafs
      • Chautauqua 2018 Greece: A week for the gods!
    • ► October (1)
      • On Twitter, gone for Chautauqua and dark on comments till November
    • ► September (2)
      • What we own and why we own it: 2018
      • Tuft & Needle: Our Walnut Frame and Mint Mattress
    • ► August (1)
      • Kibanda Part 5: Pretty, and pretty much done
    • ► June (3)
      • Stocks--Part XXXIV: How to unload your unwanted stocks and funds
      • Tracking your holdings
      • Stocks -- Part XXXIII: Optimism
    • ► May (2)
      • Kibanda Part 4: Quicksand!
      • My Talk at Google, Playing with FIRE and other Chautauqua connections
    • ► March (1)
      • Stocks -- Part XXXII: Why you should not be in the stock market
    • ► February (1)
      • Chautauqua 2018: Mt. Olympus, Greece
    • ► January (1)
      • An International Portfolio from The Escape Artist
  • ► 2017 (15)
    • ► December (2)
      • The Bond Experiment: Return to VBTLX
      • How to Invest in Bitcoin like Benjamin Graham
    • ► October (1)
      • Kibanda Part 3: Running the numbers
    • ► September (1)
      • Sleeping soundly thru a market crash: The Wasting Asset Retirement Model
    • ► August (2)
      • Stocks -- Part XXXI: Too hot. Too cold. Not pure enough.
      • Kibanda, Part 2: Negotiating the deal
    • ► July (2)
      • Time Machine and the future returns for stocks
      • Kibanda: Mr. Anti-house buys his dream house
    • ► June (2)
      • Is there an interior designer in the house?
      • The Simple Path to Wealth goes Audio!
    • ► May (1)
      • Life on the Beach
    • ► April (1)
      • Sell! Sell!! Sell!!! Sell?
    • ► March (1)
      • Vicki comes to Chautauqua: United Kingdom
    • ► January (2)
      • Chautauqua - Ecuador 2017 open for reservations
      • Chautauqua - United Kingdom: August 2017
  • ► 2016 (22)
    • ► December (3)
      • Season's Greetings and other cool stuff
      • Angel Investing, or Angel Philanthropy?
      • Mr. Bogle and me
    • ► November (1)
      • Where did you learn about money?
    • ► October (2)
      • Buy Your Freedom; Rent the Rest
      • So, what do you drive?
    • ► September (2)
      • Stocks -- Part XXX: jlcollinsnh vs. Vanguard
      • A visit to the Frugalwoods
    • ► August (1)
      • What the naysayers are missing
    • ► July (1)
      • Reviews of The Simple Path to Wealth; gone for summer
    • ► June (2)
      • The Simple Path to Wealth is now Published!
      • A peek into The Simple Path to Wealth
    • ► May (1)
      • It's better in the wind. Still.
    • ► April (3)
      • Cool things to check out while I'm gone
      • Stocks — Part XXIX: How to save money for college. Or not.
      • Help Wanted: The Book
    • ► March (1)
      • F-You Money: John Goodman v. jlcollinsnh
    • ► February (2)
      • Q&A - V: The Women of Amphissa
      • jlcollinsnh gets a new suit
    • ► January (3)
      • Chautauqua 2015 Reviews, 2016 registration open
      • Case Study #15: The Scavenger Life -- Freedom first, then Financial Independence
      • 3rd Annual (2015) Louis Rukeyser Memorial Market Prediction Contest results, and my forecast for 2016
  • ► 2015 (18)
    • ► December (2)
      • Q&A - IV: Strawberry Patch
      • Seasons Greetings! and other cool stuff
    • ► October (2)
      • Personal Capital; and how to unload your unwanted stocks and funds
      • Stockchoker: A look back at what your investment might have been
    • ► September (2)
      • Case Study #14: To Dream the Impossible Dream (and then realize it)
      • Hotel Living
    • ► August (1)
      • Mr. Market's Wild Ride
    • ► June (4)
      • Gone for Summer, an important note on comments and random cool stuff that caught my eye
      • Around the world with an Aussie Biker
      • Case Study #13: The Power of Flexibility
      • Stocks — Part VIII: The 401(k), 403(b), TSP, IRA & Roth Buckets
    • ► March (2)
      • Stocks -- Part XXVIII: Debt - The Unacceptable Burden
      • Chautauqua October 2015: Times Two!
    • ► February (2)
      • YNAB: Best Place to Work Ever?
      • Case Study #12: Escaping a soul-crushing job before you're 70
    • ► January (3)
      • Case Study #11: John, a small business owner in transition
      • Trish and Stan take an Intrepid Sailing Voyage
      • 2014 Annual Louis Rukeyser Memorial Market Prediction Contest results, and my forecast for 2015
  • ► 2014 (29)
    • ► December (2)
      • Diamonds and Happy Holidays!
      • Micro-Lending with Kiva
    • ► November (3)
      • Chautauqua February 7-14, 2015: Escape from Winter
      • Stocks -- Part XXVII: Why I Don’t Like Dollar Cost Averaging
      • Jack Bogle and the Presidential Medal of Freedom
    • ► October (3)
      • Tuft & Needle: A better path to sleep
      • Nightmare on Wall Street: Will the Blood Bath Continue?
      • Help Wanted
    • ► September (1)
      • Chautauqua 2014: Lightning strikes again!
    • ► August (2)
      • Stocks -- Part XXVI: Pulling the 4%
      • Stocks -- Part XXV: HSAs, more than just a way to pay your medical bills.
    • ► July (3)
      • Stocks -- Part XXIV: RMDs, the ugly surprise at the end of the tax-deferred rainbow
      • Summer travels, writing, reading and other amusements
      • Moto X, my new Republic Wireless Phone
    • ► June (1)
      • Stocks -- Part XXIII: Selecting your asset allocation
    • ► May (1)
      • Stocks -- Part XXII: Stepping away from REITs
    • ► April (3)
      • Q&A III: Vamos
      • Q&A II: Salamat
      • Q&A I: Gaijin Shogun
    • ► March (2)
      • Top 10 posts
      • Cafe No Se
    • ► February (4)
      • Chautauqua 2014 preview, closing up for travel and other random cool things that caught my eye of late.
      • Case Study #10: Should Josiah buy his parents a house?
      • Case Study #9: Lars -- maximizing some good fortune and considering "dollar cost averaging"
      • Case Study #8: Ron's mother - she's doin' all right!
    • ► January (4)
      • roundup: Some random cool things
      • Stocks — Part XXI: Investing with Vanguard for Europeans
      • Case Study #7: What it looks like when everything financial goes wrong
      • 1st Annual Louis Rukeyser Memorial Market Prediction Contest 2013 results, and my forecast for 2014
  • ► 2013 (41)
    • ► December (4)
      • Closing up for the Holidays, see you in 2014
      • Betterment: a simpler path to wealth
      • Case Study 6: Helping an ill and elderly parent
      • Stocks -- Part XX: Early Retirement Withdrawal Strategies and Roth Conversion Ladders from a Mad Fientist
    • ► November (3)
      • Death, Taxes, Estate Plans, Probate and Prob8
      • Case Study #5: Zero to 2.6 million in 25 years
      • Case Study #4: Using the 4% rule and asset allocations.
    • ► October (3)
      • Republic Wireless and my $19 per month phone plan
      • Case Study #3: Let's get Tom to Latin America!
      • The Stock Series gets its own page
    • ► September (2)
      • Case Study #2: Joe -- off to a fast start!
      • Chautauqua 2013: A Week of Dreams
    • ► August (1)
      • Closing up shop plus an opening at Chautauqua, my new podcast, phone, book and other random cool stuff
    • ► July (1)
      • They Will Kill You For Your Shoes!
    • ► June (4)
      • Stocks -- Part VIII-b: Should you avoid your company's 401k?
      • Shilpan's Seven Habits to Live More with Less
      • Stocks -- Part XIX: How to think about money
      • My path for my kid -- the first 10 years
    • ► May (5)
      • Why your house is a terrible investment
      • Stocks — Part XVIII: Investing in a raging bull
      • Dining with the Ghosts of Sarah Bernhardt and Alfons Mucha
      • How we finally got the house sold
      • Stocks — Part XVII: What if you can't buy VTSAX? Or even Vanguard?
    • ► April (4)
      • Greetings from Prague & a computer question
      • Swimming with Tigers, a 2nd chance on the Chautauqua, a financial article gets it wrong and I'm off to Prague
      • Storage, Moving and Movers
      • Homeless, and a bit on the strategy of dollar cost averaging
    • ► March (4)
      • Wild Turkeys, Motorcycles, Dining Room Sets & Greed
      • Roots v. Wings: considering home ownership
      • How about that stock market?!
      • The Blog has New Clothes
    • ► February (5)
      • Meet Mr. Money Mustache, JD Roth, Cheryl Reed & me for a Chautauqua in Ecuador
      • High School Poetry, Carnival, cool ads and random pictures that caught my eye
      • Consignment Shops: Best business model ever?
      • Cafes
      • Stocks -- Part XVI: Index Funds are really just for lazy people, right?
    • ► January (5)
      • Social Security: How secure and when to take it
      • Fighting giraffes, surreal landscapes, dancing with unicorns and restoring a Vanagon
      • My plan for 2013
      • VITA, income taxes and the IRS
      • How to be a stock market guru and get on MSNBC
  • ► 2012 (53)
    • ► December (6)
      • See you next year....until then: The Origin of Life, Life on Other Worlds, Mechanical Graveyards, Great Art, Alternative Lifestyles and Finding Freedom
      • Stocks -- Part XV: Target Retirement Funds, the simplest path to wealth of all
      • Stocks -- Part XIV: Deflation, the ugly escort of Depressions.
      • Stocks Part XIV: Deflation, the ugly escort of Depressions.
      • Stocks -- Part XIII: The 4% rule, withdrawal rates and how much can I spend anyway?
      • How I learned to stop worrying about the Fiscal Cliff and you can too.
    • ► November (2)
      • Rent v. owning: A couple of case studies in Ecuador
      • So, what does a month in Ecuador cost anyway?
    • ► October (4)
      • See you in December....
      • Meet me in Ecuador?
      • The Podcast: You can hear me now.
      • Stocks -- Part XII: Bonds
    • ► September (6)
      • Stocks -- Part XI: International Funds
      • The Smoother Path to Wealth
      • Case Study #I: Putting the Simple Path to Wealth into Action
      • Tales of Bolivia: Calle de las Brujas
      • Stocks -- Part X: What if Vanguard gets Nuked?
      • Travels in South America: It was the best of times....
    • ► August (1)
      • Home again
    • ► June (4)
      • Yellow Fever, closing up shop for the summer and heading to Peru y Bolivia
      • I could not have said it better myself...
      • Stocks -- Part IX: Why I don't like investment advisors
      • Happy Birthday, jlcollinsnh; and thanks for the gift Mr. MM!
    • ► May (6)
      • Stocks -- Part VIII: The 401K, 403b, TSP, IRA & Roth Buckets
      • Mr. Money Mustache
      • The College Conundrum
      • Stocks -- Part VII: Can everyone really retire a millionaire?
      • Stocks -- Part VI: Portfolio ideas to build and keep your wealth
      • Stocks -- Part V: Keeping it simple, considerations and tools
    • ► April (6)
      • Stocks -- Part IV: The Big Ugly Event, Deflation and a bit on Inflation
      • Stocks -- Part III: Most people lose money in the market.
      • Stocks -- Part II: The Market Always Goes Up
      • Stocks -- Part 1: There's a major market crash coming!!!! and Dr. Lo can't save you.
      • You can eat my Vindaloo, mega lottery, Blondie, Noa, Israel Kamakawiwo 'Ole, art, film and a ride on the Space Shuttle
      • Where in the world are you?
    • ► March (7)
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part V: Sold! and the taxman cometh.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part IV: I become a Landlord.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part III: The Battle is Joined.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part II: The Limits of the Law.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part I: Impossibly Naive.
      • You, too, can be conned
      • Armageddon and the value of practical skills
    • ► February (6)
      • Rent v. Owning Your Home, opportunity cost and running some numbers
      • The Casanova Kid, a Shit Knife, a Good Book, Having No Regrets, Dark Matter and a bit of Magic
      • What Poker, Basketball and Mike Whitaker taught me about Luck
      • How to Give like a Billionaire
      • Go ahead, make my day
      • Muk Finds Success in Tahiti
    • ► January (5)
      • Travels with "Esperando un Camino"
      • Beanie Babies, Naked Barbie, American Pickers and Old Coots
      • Selling the House and Adventures in Staging
      • The bashing of Index Funds, Jack Bogle and a Jedi dog trick
      • Magic Beans
  • ► 2011 (22)
    • ► December (1)
      • Dividend Growth Investing
    • ► November (2)
      • The Mummy's head, Particle Physics and "Knocking on Heaven's Door"
      • "It's Better in the Wind" or why I ride a motorcycle
    • ► October (1)
      • Lazy Days and School Days
    • ► July (2)
      • The road to Zanzibar sometimes goes thru Ecuador...
      • Johnny wins the lotto and heads to Paris
    • ► June (16)
      • Chainsaws, Elm Trees and paying for College
      • Stuff I’ve failed at: the early years
      • Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat
      • The. Worst. Used. Car. Ever.
      • Top Ten reasons your future is so bright it hurts my eyes to look at it
      • The Most Dangerous Words Your Customer Can Say
      • How not to drown in The Sea of Assholes
      • What we own and why we own it
      • The Ten Sales Commandments
      • My ever so formal and oh so dry CV
      • How I failed my daughter and a simple path to wealth
      • The Myth of Motivation
      • Why you need F-you money
      • My short attention span
      • Why I can’t pick winning stocks, and you can’t either
      • The Monk and the Minister

© Copyright 2022 jlcollinsnh.com Privacy Policy Disclaimers