This entry will "defend" the topic I have now officially chosen for my blog: working on my finances. I'm not going to go into every sort of detail here, but let's just say I realize that I am not 21 anymore, and that had I started some serious savings back then, I'd be in greater shape now. And for some strange reason, I'm starting to love money. Is that such a bad thing?
This blog is not about debt, as I am thankful I don't have multitudes of credit cards or a nasty shopholics addiction. However, I am now addicted to following my 401(k) and my ROTH IRA around almost daily, and I've taken to reading how-to finance/investment books, and so I want to know how to realistically (not on a rock-star's salary) keep my IRA and retirement accounts filling up, test the stocks/bonds markets, all the while handling a mortgage, car payments, school loans, and the always frustrating house repair without pulling my hair out.
I think I have a plan: keep reading and researching, mostly with investments and retirements, while trying to figure out how to pay off student loans/mortgage without losing hundreds of thousands in dollars in interest and fees. And what about financing a vacation in here somewhere? Everybody needs to take a vacation once in a while.
So here are some specific topics I'll attempt to discuss as the weeks progress:
- 1. How I'll invest (do I use a broker?);
- What to pay off first, and when (car, house, student loan);
- How much will home repairs get me in this market (is it even worth it to try?);
- How much money do I have to start with to do something with the stock market or the bonds market?; and
- How much do we really need to know to be financially successful?
I'm sure more ideas will come my way. I plan on using Money and Smart Money magazines; the The Motley Fool website; USAA, my investments and insurance group, for advice and help from a financial planner; The Wall Street Journal; and a myriad of other sources to really give me sound beginnings here. I also hope to take "lifelong learning" classes through Fairfax County Continuing education (pretty reasonable fees!) on investing, financial planning, etc. I don't know if I can start those classes before this semester ends, but a plan is better than nothing, right?
2 comments:
I responded to your first post with my URL. Well if you had to study the subject of finance there would be no better market to study than in Northern Virginia. I look forward to your research and i hope to gather some insight on the subject. Who knows your research could be very beneficial to myself and others.
Ben
I responded to your first post with my URL. Well if you had to study the subject of finance there would be no better market to study than in Northern Virginia. I look forward to your research and i hope to gather some insight on the subject. Who knows your research could be very beneficial to myself and others.
Ben
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