One of my favorite ways to spend my free time is curling up in bed with a good romance novel and a warm cup of tea. Bonus points if it’s raining and I have absolutely nothing lined up for me that day! I know many of you ladies enjoy a good spicy read, may it… Read More The post 8 Best Ways To Get Paid To Read Romance Books appeared first on FinSavvy Panda.

In the era of cars being more expensive than ever before, I have one very easy solution for lowering costs: DRIVE NO MORE THAN THE SPEED LIMIT. This might just become my most controversial take yet, based purely on observations while driving through the United States this year. Didn’t matter if I was in a heavily congested thruway or backroads in the Dakotas; the average driver prioritizes speed over all else, and that is burning […]

When most people think about making money, they imagine a life of luxury with a bank balance in the six figures! While this is definitely attainable, it’s important to understand there is a lot of variation when it comes to what “six figures” actually mean. In this post, I show you how much money 6 figures is, along with 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 figures. I will also show you typical jobs that pay […]

I was sitting in the third row of a church in Ohio a few years back, and the pastor got to the offering. And you could feel him brace. He did the thing. You know the thing. The apology before the ask. “I know, I know, the church always wants your money.” Nervous laugh. “Don’t […] The post How to Talk About Money in Church Without Making It Weird appeared first on .

An old man is knocking at my door. At some point, he’ll find a way to get in.  Once he enters, I know he’ll be here to stay. Until then, I’m doing everything in my power to keep him out. Today, some thoughts on that old man, and 5 Practical Tips to address the reality of aging. Getting older is inevitable, so what should we do about it? Today, 5 practical tips for aging.Share on […]

ETFs For Beginners Investing in the stock market is one of the most effective ways to build wealth over time. But picking individual stocks requires extensive research, timing and risk management. Learn why Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) offer a simpler, low-cost alternative for both beginners and experienced investors. Find out exactly what an exchange traded fund is. Learn why index exchange traded funds make the most sense for investors. And, unpack how to invest in ETFs in a few minutes. This article may contain affiliate links which means that – at zero cost to you – I might earn a commission if you sign up or buy through the affiliate link. What is an ETF? An exchange traded fund, or ETF, is an investment fund that trades on a stock exchange, much like an individual stock. Think of an ETF like a fruit basket, with each piece of fruit representing one company’s stock. ETFs can own from hundreds to thousands of individual stocks. What’s great about an ETF is, if one stock tanks, there are many more that might rise or hold steady. Whereas, if you buy one or two stocks and one of them drops in price, your whole (or half) of your investment portfolio declines in value. What’s So Great About Index ETFs Among the most popular ETFs are those that are modeled after popular stock and bond market indexes. But why is investing in index ETFs so popular? On the first day of class in my MBA Finance class, the professor asked who can beat the market by picking and choosing individual stocks (ie active investor). My hand shot up, as I had been a portfolio manager and stock picker for awhile and had performed quite well. Much to my surprise, the professor said that each year, when comparing most stock market indices with comparable actively managed funds, the index funds outperformed the actively managed funds roughly 70% of the time. Now that was several decades ago, but I’ve kept up with the research and index funds continue to outperform actively managed funds. The reason that indices usually beat actively managed funds is because their fees are lower, and they are not plagued by human emotions of fear and greed. It’s tough for a fund which charges a 1.0% management fee to outperform an index fund with a 0.03% management fee. And, for those funds that do outperform the indexes one year, it’s unlikely that they will repeat their outperformance in successive years.

Arlan Hamilton was homeless when she launched a venture capital fund dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech. In 2015, she created Backstage Capital, a venture capital fund that invests in high potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or members of the LGBT community. Today, Backstage Capital has raised more than $7 million and invested in more than 130 startups companies led by underestimated founders.  In this episode of the Journey to Launch podcast, Arlan […]

Psychology of complaining Why do some people complain while others stay silent, even when they’ve been treated unfairly? In this episode of The Complaining Cow Consumer Show on East London Radio presenter Helen Dewdney talks to Chartered Clinical Psychologist Dr Marianne Trent about why many consumers avoid confrontation and how understanding our behaviour can help us become more confident when asserting our rights. Many people avoid complaining because they fear conflict, rejection or not being […]