As some of you might know, I have had a frequent battle with myself about whether or not to pay off my mortgage early. Because I was paying just 2.5% on the mortgage proceeds, it was a very difficult decision to sell off some of my equity holdings and liquidate some of my savings to pay the mortgage out completely. At the beginning of March 2012, I started selling off some stocks and
Read moreTag: Emergency Fund
Build An Emergency Fund Or Pay Down Debt?
How about doing both at the same time Many financial writers will claim that everyone needs to build and emergency fund of some kind that is kept in a liquid vehicle such as a high interest savings account ( I prefer ING DIRECT ) a money-market fund, or some other readily accessible investment like a cashable certificate of deposit. While I am a fan of financial leverage and will swear
Read moreWhere’s Your Opportunity Fund?
The “opportunity fund” is a concept that I have used for many years now and, only recently, did I discover the name for it. Jim at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity coined this term over at his site and it struck a chord with me. What Is An Opportunity Fund? An opportunity fund is simply a stash of money that I set aside for investment opportunities that are almost certain to
Read moreEmergency Fund Cash: How Much Is Enough?
As many regular readers know, I have just become a father for the first time. When my wife and I first found out about the pregnancy, the “financial manager” in me quickly listed the following things off in my head as financial “to do” items: Update estate plan and will Increase life insurance policies Start education savings plan for child Increase monthly expense budget Increase emergency cash fund Where To
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