Let’s Chat About This Frightening Times Article

Tyler Linsten Not Sarcasm, Personal Finance

Do I have your attention? Yes, the previous post here was about a scary data breach. No, the blog isn’t pivoting into doomsday-prepping( sorry, Preppers). But given the recent Anchorage earthquake the subject couldn’t be more timely.  There’s not a distinct and direct financial planning angle here, but I can’t get over the headline of this stunning Seattle Times piece out today: You can read all the juicy details for yourself – like how they won’t release all the details of the study for fear of exposing infrastructure vulnerabilities – but it’s kind of shook me to the core when thinking about my own disaster preparedness. Personally, we have some basics on hand but are nowhere near prepared for up to …

Spending Hack: Stop Wasting So Much Damn Food

Tyler Linsten Not Sarcasm, Personal Finance

Click for the personal finance angle, stay for the recipe at the end. via GIPHY Food waste is a huge problem. This piece in the Seattle Times estimates the number to be $1500 per household in the US. I waste more than I’d like, and I bet you do, too. Just like other financial hacks – like opening a high-yield savings account or diverting spending through a cash-back credit card – minimizing a painful line item like food waste can have a big effect on your annual finances. As we know, lower spending equals more savings. And more savings equals more dollars flowing into the Magic Compounding Machine, also known as your long-term investing portfolio. And more money in the …

You Should Probably Do This: Credit Freeze Edition

Tyler Linsten Not Sarcasm, Personal Finance

It’s not often there are financial things basically everyone should do, regardless of their situation. This – a free credit freeze – is one of those things.  Good news! The government has done something to help you, and that would be requiring the three major credit reporting agencies to offer a credit freeze to consumers – FOR FREE. GRATIS. NADA. ZIP. Don’t take my word for it, listen to (or read) the details via NPR here. Unless you expect to be applying for credit tomorrow, it makes sense for anyone with something to lose (this means you and me) to lock down their credit. I’ve done the hard work for you below: Freeze via Equifax Freeze via Experian Freeze via Transunion Don’t forget to …

Stop Throwing Away Free Money, Emergency Savings Edition

Tyler Linsten Investing, Not Sarcasm, Personal Finance

Yeah, you. Knock it off.  If you have any kind of sizable amount of cash saved outside of your retirement accounts, and many people do, then you’re probably passing up a nice chunk of change by letting it sit idle, earning little-to-nothing in interest. It’s understandable. You just accumulated it in a checking or savings account at your favorite bank, and it’s annoying to open new accounts. Inflation has been pretty low so you’re not too worried about earning nothing. And pretty much everything is better than opening a bank account. But now you can be paid handsomely all year for a few minutes of your time today. Seemingly overnight, we’re back to a more “normal” interest rate environment. The …