When I was a kid, I’d ask my parents about money and was always told – “don’t worry about it.”
Money was something for adults. Kids had to focus on school.
I diligently focused on school, did my part, and turned out fine through dumb luck and an aversion to risk.
With kids of my own, I’ve decided that we should talk about money to demystify it. To treat it for what it is, a tool, and not pack it with all the emotion so many people associated with money. We don’t get emotional about hammers and whether we have enough nails, why should we pack so much into dollars?
Why don’t we talk about money? [moneytalks101 on substack] – “Numerous studies show Americans would rather discuss anything but money, including marital problems, mental illness, drug addiction, race, politics, sex and religion. Yet, according to one study, 90 percent of Americans are stressed about their financial well-being.
Truth and transparency are our best tools for overcoming what society has deemed a sore subject. Before fixing any problem, we must face it. That gets easier with time and intentionality. This project is proof.”
FWIW, Bruno Mars is better.
Why I Sold Our Target Date Retirement Funds [The Retirement Manifesto] – “I’m a big fan of target date retirement funds and have had them in my 401(k) for years. During my working years, while I was still accumulating for retirement, they made a lot of sense. They automatically rebalance, they offer instant diversification, and they become more conservative as retirement approaches. But now that I’m retired, they have some flaws.” Target date funds are great until they’re not. And it’s important to know when that is (for Fritz, it was when he retired).
And this last one is short:
Why now is the the time [Intentional Wisdom] – “Whatever it is you think you’d regret not doing, take action to get it done – TODAY. Life is ephemeral. The people we love are here for a shorter time than we recognize. So take some action. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Enjoy the weekend!