Category: Basics

Taxes are very daunting the first time you encounter them, and can be confusing even for those who deal with them all the time. This post is meant to clear… Read more »

Ah, compounding. Perhaps the most well known quote about compounding is an apocryphal one attributed to Albert Einstein. “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.” -[Almost certainly not]… Read more »

Efficient markets. Business schools spend entire semesters trying to teach their undergrads to understand this concept, and they still mostly fail. But I’m going to teach it to you here…. Read more »

Understanding the risk vs. return trade-off is something that takes people in finance entire careers. It is an always developing understanding. To see some beautiful thoughts developed over some of… Read more »

To many, when they think of bonds, they think of what a retired person’s portfolio is made of. Safe, boring, perhaps low return. What’s important to understand is what a… Read more »

Most people have heard of a fund. Mutual fund is the most common kind, exchange traded funds (ETF, for short) are close behind. What you want to understand about a… Read more »

A lot of people get intimidated talking about stocks, but I’ve found that most people fundamentally know what a stock is: a fractional ownership in a company. Things start to… Read more »

By the time people get into their 20s and 30s and have figured out how to live within their means, they usually arrive at a daunting question: Where should I… Read more »

It seems obvious to the point of absurdity when you spell it out, but there are two things you can do with your income; spend it or save it. For… Read more »

Everyone knows what to do with money — you invest it. Few people sit back to ask the question ‘Why?’. As will be a recurring theme in the basics series, it… Read more »