Family Finances

Investing Family Money Can Be A Stressful Full-Time Job

I finally understand why I haven’t been able to shake the niggling stress I’ve been feeling lately. Despite writing less, doing fewer business deals, and exercising more, I still feel this gnawing pressure because I’m responsible for investing my immediate family’s money. When you invest family money, family money always feels more important compared to

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How Landlords Can Create Teachable Moments For Their Kids

I have a love-hate relationship with owning real estate because something always comes up. The more physical rental properties you own, the more problems you will have as a landlord. In June 2022, I decided to rent out a fully remodeled single-family home I had purchased in 2019 to a second family. We had originally

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Rolling Over Leftover 529 Funds Into A Roth IRA: Who Really Benefits?

A 529 plan is one of the best generational wealth transfer vehicles. Instead of just giving our kids or grandchildren money, it’s way better to give them the gift of education. Thanks to the SECURE Act 2.0, we will be able to roll over leftover 529 funds to a Roth IRA without taxes or penalties.

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How To Develop A Better Personality To Get Into An Elite University

Want to get into an elite university? Develop a better personality so you can receive a higher personality score during the admissions process. In the Supreme Court case regarding using race-conscious admissions (affirmative action) at Harvard University and UNC, we learn Harvard assigns a personality score to every applicant. By assigning a lower personality score

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Where Are All The Adult Athletes? Sports And Your Career

For over 20 years, I’ve been a tennis club member. Player levels range from beginner to ex-professionals. Everybody gets along and rallies around a sport they enjoy, no matter their level of wealth. But I just realized something odd. And the realization wouldn’t have come had I not become a father. After three years of

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When To Play The Status Game Again: Money, Fame, And Impact

Since 2012, I have tried hard to stop playing the status game. After all, leaving my job in banking meant losing status at age 34 when folks are usually coming into their own. After my career was over, I turned down multiple TV show appearances, podcast interviews, and speaking gigs. To be able to just

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Conduct A Regret Minimization Exercise To Help You Move Forward

One of the main reasons why I wrote my WSJ bestseller, Buy This, Not That was to help readers feel less regret by making wiser choices. Regret is one of the worst feelings, especially if it is a type of regret that could have been prevented through knowledge. The easiest way to stop saying, “If

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Overcoming The Trough Of Sorrow: Defeating An Emptiness Inside

Here in the San Francisco tech startup scene, we have a term called “the trough of sorrow.” The trough of sorrow refers to the sadness that comes after a setback or a big win. After a setback, you’re tasked with finding product-market fit to survive given your company has a limited runway of cash. You

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Vacation Property Comparison: Single-Family Mansion Vs. Resort Condo

If you’re in the market for a vacation property you will likely have to decide between purchasing a single-family home or a condo. However, what if you have enough money to buy a single-family mansion for $10+ million versus a condo at a luxury resort for $500,000+? I used to think a single-family mansion for

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