When it comes to important financial decisions, why is it that sometimes we are able to move quickly, while at other times we feel stuck, unable to take action? To help answer this question, I'd like to share an experience I had a while back, at the doctor's office. Dr. R., as I'll call him, is a [...]
Starbucks or Dunkin’?
A common expression is that “there are two kinds of people in the world...” There are Republicans and Democrats. Right-brained and left-brained. Yankees fans and Red Sox fans. And, of course, Starbucks people and Dunkin' Donuts people. In Boston, where Dunkin' was founded, this is a particularly [...]
A four-part litmus test
Investing doesn't need to be nearly as complicated as Wall Street makes it out to be. In fact, the basic principles are really very straightforward. And, while there are a thousand different ways to evaluate investments, I recommend starting with just four: 1. Funds with low costs, [...]
A vitamin supplement for your portfolio
Living in Boston — where it's not uncommon to see some snow still left on the ground in April — people can be prone to their fair share of complaining. Myself included. And so it wasn't surprising when a recent discussion with my friend David ended up on the topic of the weather. By way of [...]
Why Bill Gates does the dishes at his house – and you should too
A little bit of knowledge, as they say, can be a dangerous thing. Or, in my case, dangerous to one's marriage. First, some background: when I was in college, one of the first classes I took was Economics 101. And in that class, one of the first concepts we learned was something called “comparative [...]