Simplifying finance for everyone!
The American Dream was never really the dream of Americans. It was developed inside the marketing departments of corporations and sold to the American public wrapped in a flag and false emotions. Buy the house. Then buy the bigger house. Finance the new car. Replace the perfectly good phone. Fill the house with stuff. Keep … Read more
Starting a Roth IRA late is still better than never starting at all. If you are 40, 45, 50, or older and have not started investing for retirement, stop comparing yourself with someone who started at 21. Starting earlier is better. More years means more time for your money to grow. That is simple math. … Read more
Set it and forget it investing should actually be simple enough to forget. Our normal Simple Finance Bytes portfolio uses just two investments—90% VTI and 10% VBIL—but even that requires some basic portfolio management. If you want the absolute simplest setup we would recommend, there is another option: one low-cost target-date fund for your long-term … Read more
The Fidelity Rewards Visa is easy to recommend to someone who wants one main card without turning rewards into a hobby. It earns unlimited 2% cash back on eligible purchases when rewards are deposited into an eligible Fidelity account. There is no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and no rotating category calendar. Fidelity is … Read more
A job loss financial plan is not something you build after the bad news arrives. By then, the decisions are already harder, more expensive, and made under pressure. The right time to build the plan is now, when nothing is wrong. Here is what that plan looks like. Want more amazing money saving tips and … Read more
Market volatility is loud right now. The headlines are dramatic, the numbers are moving fast, and if you’ve been checking your portfolio more than usual, you’re not alone. If you want straightforward investing guidance delivered straight to your inbox every month, sign up for the Simple Finance Bytes newsletter. Here’s the thing — the right … Read more
Market drops happened this week. The Dow fell over 1,000 points on Wednesday. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq followed. If you checked your account and felt your stomach drop along with it, you are not alone. Nearly three quarters of Americans already felt negative about the economy before this week started. Here is what a … Read more
Smart money moves this weekend are not complicated. The U.S. and Iran are at war, oil markets are reacting, and your phone is full of news that is designed to make you anxious. None of that changes what the right financial response looks like. It is the same thing it always is — calm, practical, … Read more
War investing decisions made in the next 48 hours will either cost you significantly or cost you nothing, depending on what you do. Markets opened Monday down. Your portfolio is red. Your phone has been buzzing with alerts since Sunday night, and every headline is designed to make you feel like you need to act … Read more
Right now, a lot of people are looking at their investment accounts and feeling uneasy. The market has been choppy. The news is loud. And the instinct to pause contributions, wait for things to settle down, and keep investing once everything feels safer is completely understandable. It is also one of the most expensive financial … Read more