the government pays me

End Of Year Tax Planning

Many of us wait until the last minute on April 15th to file our income tax returns.  It’s an overly complex process, it’s unpleasant, and reminds us just how much of our money we give to the government every year.  In our last minute haste it is easy to miss …

Making Money Off Your Emergency Fund

Having an emergency fund of 6 to 9 months of basic expenses is a major step on the path to becoming wealthy.  Of course saving this money up is difficult to begin with, but once it is there the temptation to DO SOMETHING with it is large; especially in a …

Investing Strategy

While I follow the Dave Ramsey “baby step” plan to get towards financial freedom, Dave consistently quotes 12% as an expected long term rate of return for stock mutual funds. While I agree that an investing strategy focusing on stock mutual funds over the long term is the way to …