How pros think about home equity (and why they sleep better) Here’s what seasoned finance folks do differently with home equity: they treat it like a tool, not an ATM. The point isn’t “how do I slash my monthly payment…
No, one hot CPI print doesn’t handcuff the Fed No, one hot CPI print doesn’t handcuff the Fed. It grabs headlines, sure, and it definitely rattles the front end of the curve for a few sessions. But the FOMC doesn’t…
No, the 4% rule isn’t autopilot, especially with steady 3% inflation The 4% rule has great PR. Bill Bengen’s 1994 paper showed that a retiree starting at 4%, then adjusting that dollar amount for inflation each year, survived every 30-year…
From juggling bills to an actual plan you can live with Picture your month before you set priorities right now, in a rate-cut year: a couple of high-APR cards you “chip away at,” a random extra $200 tossed at the…
What pros wish everyone knew before using a house to kill debt Here’s the uncomfortable truth up front: when you use your house to kill debt, you didn’t make it disappear, you moved it, usually onto a 15-30 year clock.…
From rent panic to plan: what rate cuts could mean for your budget From rent panic to plan isn’t a slogan, it’s a shift you can feel in your shoulders. I’ve watched too many people (and yes, I’ve done it…
What pros do in the first 48 hours CFO hat on. When income stops or gets shaky, the job in the first two days is simple: stabilize cash, buy time, and protect the roof over your head. Not perfect. Not…
How the pros actually prep for rate cuts when jobs get shaky Here’s the quiet difference I see in the folks who survive these cycles with their P&L intact: they don’t try to be the cleverest forecaster in the room…
No, the Fed doesn’t set your mortgage rate No, the Fed doesn’t set your mortgage rate. I know it feels that way, Fed headlines hit your phone, rates move, and everyone at the barbecue repeats the same line: “I’m waiting…
What the pros wish everyone knew about rent inflation Here’s the one thing that keeps tripping people up on rent inflation: the CPI shelter line isn’t your Zillow listing, it’s your lease renewal. The Bureau of Labor Statistics builds CPI…