Good morning, money nerds, and welcome to another week of Apex Money. As always, we’ve collected some of our favorite stories from the world of personal finance to share with you. Let’s get started.
How rich Americans live off their paper wealth. [The Wall Street Journal] — “Rising stocks and rock-bottom interest rates have delivered a big perk to rich Americans: cheap loans that they can use to fund their lifestyles while minimizing their tax bills…For borrowers, the calculation is clear: If an asset appreciates faster than the interest rate on the loan, they come out ahead.” This is the basic idea behind why I’m in the process of taking out a $480,000 mortgage at 2.625%.
How to be poor and happy. [Wellcome Collection] — “Is Aristotle’s version of happiness possible when you are poor? As an educated man of his time, the philosopher had little understanding of the lives of people less privileged than him, and it shows in his definition of what it means to be happy.”
How to remember what you read. [Farnam Street] — “Books don’t enter our lives against a blank slate. Each time we pick up a book, the content has to compete with what we already think we know. Making room for the book, and the potential wisdom it contains, requires you to question and reflect as you read.” This is a great piece. I’ve bookmarked it to re-read at regular intervals.
Lastly, today’s video feature from The Financial Diet features four scripts to follow in order to increase your income. (Note: To skip all the ads and self-promotion, start watching at the 1:30 point.)
I’m a vocal advocate of managing your career like a business, and learning to ask for a raise is a key component of doing that. This video can help you develop a plan to earn more at your current job. Love it!
And that’s all for Monday. I’ll be back tomorrow with more links to share. See you then.