Personal Finance

The personal finance category includes the usual topics that a certified financial planner would study and then provide advice on (planning, statements, time value of money, education funding, investments, retirement, income tax, etc.

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College Costs, Student Debt, and an On-line Education Funding Calculator

Last Update: July 31, 2023 Menu Introduction Costs Have Skyrocketed Reasons why Costs have Skyrocketed Student Debt On-Line Calculator Description On-Line Calculator 3 Calculator Examples Conclusion Introduction Have you ever wondered about how you are going to pay for college for your kids (or yourself)? How much will it cost? How much will you need […]

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401(k) Contribution Calculator

Last Update: April 26, 2023 Menu  Introduction Calculator Description Calculator Example 1 : Semi-Monthly Payment Example 2 : Bi-Weekly Payment Conclusion Appendix 1: Simple Excel Automation Example Introduction  The 401(k) contribution tool embedded in this post computes the percent 401(k) contributions needed to meet a required end-of-year total.            Use the

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Macro-Economics and US Government Economic Policies

Last Update: January 21, 2023  Introduction  This post describes key Macro-Economic concepts like inflation and interest rates and how government fiscal and monetary economic policies influence them. The US Government, through its Fiscal and Monetary policies, has an enormous influence over our ever day lives as it attempts to keep the US economy growing and

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Asset Class Performance

Last Revision: November 20, 2022 Asset Class Performance: Introduction Understanding asset class performance is an important part of assembling the proper investment portfolio mix.  This post analyzes the historical performance of various assets using ETF and Mutual Fund proxies.    Its purpose is to show  the historical ranked returns of several asset classes. the volatility

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Personal Balance Sheet Template Simplified

The Power of Personal Financial Statements

Last Update: November 6, 2022 The Power of Personal Financial Statements This post describes two very important tools that every person should utilize: The personal Balance Sheet (Financial Position) and the personal Income/Expense (Cash Flow) Sheet (or Statement).  You cannot improve your financial situation if you don’t track and measure it.  Recall from my Accounting

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