My buddy Steve called me three weeks ago, all excited because his insurance guy showed him this fabulous “can’t lose” financial product. Market returns when things go up, zero losses when they crash, and tax-free money forever. I pressed him for what it was called. He said, “IUL something.” Did he even know how it […]
Credit Rating vs. Credit Score – I Learned the Hard Way These Aren’t the Same Thing
So last month I’m at the bank trying to get a loan for a car, and the loan officer said, “You look like you have good credit, but let me check your credit rating.” I’m like, “Wait, isn’t that the same thing?” The silence was brutal. She just looked at me for like three seconds. […]
Accrual Accounting vs Cash Accounting: What My CPA Never Told Me Until Tax Season
Three years ago, I started my freelance consulting business in my basement. Super excited, making good money, like a real entrepreneur. And then April came and my accountant Lind,a hit me with a question that caused me to realize I had not an effing clue about what I was doing. “Are you using cash or […]
Credit Cards Explained: What My Uncle Learned the Hard Way
When my uncle got his first credit card in ‘89, he was over the moon. He thought he’d hit the jackpot, as he thought he had gotten free money to spend on freebies. Six months later, he’s underwater on debts, paying interest that seems to multiply like rabbits. It took him almost four years to […]
Top Dividend Stocks for 2026 (Without the Empty Promises)
My neighbor Chuck retired three years ago with a portfolio that gives him about $3,000 per month in dividends. Not bad for a guy who spent his life working as an electrician. Last week over beers, he lightheartedly said, “I wish I had started to buy dividend stocks when I was your age rather than […]
