📈Money Moves

If you want something, you’ll eliminate all possible excuses. If you don’t, you’ll find any excuse. Every decision in life works out this way. We have a choice to move forward or stop ourselves. We are the only ones in our way and when it comes to our perception about money and our ultimate fantasy […]

I suspect the housing bubble will become even hotter in the U.S. in 2022 once countries ease on restrictions, lockdowns, mandates, and increase spending limits for foreigners. Why do I believe the market will soon become a sauna? Believe it or not, American land, not real estate, is one of the cheapest in the world.

How would you describe the last year and half in the markets? (Besides Black Friday) Frothy, over-concentrated, speculative, peculiar, exuberant, possibly volatile? It’s important to keep in mind during any massive bull rally, especially with the one we have lived through for 13+ years till today, a prudent investor should never mix skills with momentum,

As a personal finance guru, one of my biggest worries coming out of the pandemic is that Americans will sabotage themselves financially. If you could afford to spend precious time working from home, saving, cooking, and being with family throughout the pandemic till today, it’s highly likely you are also in a better financial position

Although I’m too young to recollect on the Dotcom bubble, as a 20-year-old personal finance blogger and connoisseur, this tumultuous time in the markets has fascinated me and brought about a bit of skepticism for the horizon. I hope to never encounter a bubble at this magnitude in my lifetime but lately I’ve been increasingly

The clock is always ticking, especially in the markets. Time is our most precious resource because it is one of the few things that cannot be replenished or saved. If I had a superpower, it would be to teleport back into the past 7 years ago and quit social media earlier. It was the worst

I hope most would agree that the most logical time to flee to the Bahamas is during post-peak times when school is in session, rates are low, airports are empty, no holidays around the corner, and when a Nor’easter is brewing up north. Same goes for retirees. When the market is at its peak, the

The beauty about investing is that no one really knows anything. No matter how many guides, formulas, tabs, tools, terminals, charts, degrees, colleagues, subscriptions, mentors, one may possibly have at their disposal, it is extremely rare for investors to consistently beat the market. It seems like an overstatement to say investors don’t know anything but

Many are convinced once they hit a certain net-worth, they have made it and life is complete. Though if you’ve uncovered the hidden truth yet, that day never arrives for a good reason. There will always be more to do and the more you attain, the more you want. As with many things in life,

The main reason 401(k) contributors propose a Roth IRA conversion is to limit their tax liability in retirement. The only problem is, the conversion process costs more headaches and tax implications in the end, unless you are unemployed or in a low marginal tax bracket. A 401(k) and Roth IRA are both tax-advantaged investment saving

We all know the financial system makes more off of us than we can even fathom. By simply depositing a few dollars into a savings account and earning 2 cents each year, commercial banks go ahead and invest our deposits and make a handsome return trailing the S&P 500. Since the influence of the Robber

We can’t stop talking about inflation since we can’t run away from it. The only good thing is that it’s better than deflation and is erasing debt. Until the Fed begins pulling back their QE stimulus and increases interest rates which is reported to roll out later this year, toilet paper will continue to be

From inflation to supply bottlenecks, vaccination rates to weather forecasts, frothy stock prices to SeekingAlpha’s estimates, you name it, everything seems like a valuable indispensable indicator these days. What’s certain is uncertainty and there’s too much we cannot control. There’s a saying in investing and in life that goes something like this: “When you know

It’s no surprise homeowners are wealthier than renters but did you know they are actually less happier, healthier, and more stressed as well? If you had the choice to own a second home, most of us would say of course! 2 is better than one! Duh! More land, space, freedom, and stuff to store. Yet

While millions of students postponed or canceled their plans for attending college due to the economic financial constraints of the pandemic these past 2 years, countless universities have hit the jackpot once again with billions of dollars in endowment gains. Some weren’t so lucky and ended up going bankrupt having to shut down but the

When I stumbled into Sephora for the first time last year, I distinctly noticed the discriminatory price disparity on gender labeled products. A cosmetics shop wouldn’t be a typical place to compare male vs female products but somehow I saw the largest difference in pricing right there! At least makeup is finally being normalized across

Unfortunately not many people can say they have more than they know what to do with. Predominantly the top 10% and above stash the most cash since they know cash is king after all. The top 1% have a whooping $4.7 trillion currently in the bank since buying another beach home and investing in an

Getting rich is arguably the easy part. Keeping it is the challenge. You only have 3 options with your money. Save, invest or everyone’s favorite, spend it! Unfortunately in a world where we must fend for ourselves, spending cannot go on 24/7 although it seems like it is. Although these obvious restrictions have to be

I can feel it already… Put your thumbs down. This is going to take a lot of convincing for a majority of readers, specifically Millennials and men. What if I told you the recommended, safest, and no-fail proof emergency fund amount is equivalent to saving 6–12 months of expenses? (Absolute shock around the room) You

If you were one out of the million retail traders that was bored out of your mind at the start of this year, you’re not alone. We all did something in the last year and a half that we regret. At least in this situation, gambling on Robinhood can be considered education. Although the Robinhood

As economic mobility, housing and educational affordability, and the wealth gap have greatly widened in the past few decades, so has CEO-to-worker pay by unforeseen staggering amounts. Logically, it makes sense that a CEO would earn more than the rest who work for them. Yet to the point where it takes the average employee 10

I always wondered how celebrities look like a million bucks every time they take 2 steps into their Escalade and 2 steps back home. Not to mention the hefty transportation and security costs per week can easily add up to more than the average American’s total mortgage payment per year. In addition to the immense

I find most people are either a fan of art or hate it. If you’re in the middle, you must be an artist yourself. After all, there are endless styles, genres, and interpretations of art. What you consider a masterpiece, I may consider garbage and vice versa. But in terms of artwork in the investing

Unfortunately politics has to be intertwined into everything these days including the markets. Surprisingly one of the reasons why Americans vote for a certain party is due to their anticipated portfolio returns! Is that one of your reasons? Nevertheless, you’ll soon find out whether or not it actually matters. From masks to Big Tech, there’s

More time = more wealth? It does in fact work and the easiest way to do so with the least amount of effort. Someone who has worked in the industry for over 30 years naturally has accumulated more overtime than one starting out. It’s nothing to be shamed of, just facts. To be able to

Thanks to inflation, $3m is the new $1m. The dollar is eroding our purchasing power and it costs more to buy less. Although the current labor shortage is enticing companies to boost bonuses, salaries and add additional short life-time perks to attract skilled professionals, overall wages are still stagnant and inflation is eating into them.

You would think when one is insured, they are protected against whatever they paid to protect themselves against. After all, that is the sole purpose of insurance. An insurance policy is a contract between the insurance company and the insurer to cover any damage, loss, liability, harm or anything else that could possibly go wrong.

Too cool for the market? There’s no other demographic that is captivated by saga and suspense more than gullible attention-seeking teenagers. At the start of this year as the GameStop trading frenzy unraveled, teens, including myself, became more involved in the investing world. We had extra time on our hands and wanted to better ourselves

More risk = more reward is a common principle that tends to apply to most actions taken in the marketplace. The stock market is where you make decisions based on calculating future bets and expectations. It shouldn’t be treated like a gabling game rather an opportunity to build your future. Yet finding more reward while

One-hit wonder careers have mostly been concentrated within the sports, entertainment, fashion and real estate industries since they became popular and a part everyone’s world in some shape or form. There is a fake promise and drive that leads overly optimistic professionals and high school graduates into these arenas with little to no educational or

We live in an age where ‘Keeping Up With The Joneses’ is the norm and we cannot stop. We forget about what we have and focus on what others have that we don’t. There is an abundance of choices, options, templates, and free trials that bombard some and lead others to stay powerful and not

These days, good luck finding a home without an agent by your side.  The moment you visit Zillow, there will be 10 sneaking into your DMs within the next minute pestering you until you answer their questionnaire. There’s no getting around the home buying process anymore in the dark. In the past a.k.a pre-covid, for

Can you guess the top 1% net worth for a 20 year old? $120k That is equivalent to the top 20% income for an adult. With more graduates taking on hefty loans with no guaranteed job after college, hearing that amount might sting. How about this instead. Did you know the average net worth for

If you don’t know what and how to invest anymore, you’re not alone. Younger investors are growing increasingly wary of the market as various indicators from quantitive easing to the real estate market are cooling off. With majority of companies in correction territory facing 10–20% declines, are we in the midst of a bubble that

You don’t have to be Musk or Cuban to push Bitcoin to an all-time high or get attention on CNBC. All you need is a decent presence online, good timing and patience to make your mark on the markets. Whatever your motive may be to sway these overheated, exuberant frothy markets in the direction you

Buy and hold is a classic strategy that doesn’t disappoint. It is part of a strategic passive investment thesis that is reliable, cost and time efficient and ultimately effective. Day traders don’t know what they are missing out on. The only major downside that most investors, specifically youngsters cannot fathom is having to adopt extended

This is impossible to believe but the U.S. is the second most affordable country in the world. Thanks to the pandemic, the average median home price in 2021 bumped up to $374,900. This is the largest jump in 11 years and a 16.3% rise from a year ago. At this point it seems like the

According to retirees, not fresh grads or Millennials ready to tackle the FIRE movement, retirement is in fact the scariest moment of one’s existence. As a college student, I can only say so much about retirement yet through my research, discussions with young and old retirees and planning for it myself (don’t judge), I’ve learned

Relying on someone for your income is a dangerous move that more often than not can lead to bankruptcy. Most divorces cause one partner to profit immensely off of the other since prenups aren’t widely considered. Nothing lasts forever and nor should the expectation that your spouse or parent can provide for you. It’s the

The other day I was surprised when I was left without a car. It was due for its yearly check-up and I felt lonely and completely lost. The fact that I didn’t know what to do with myself with no car in NYC for 6 hours was a problem in itself. Pre-pandemic, cars were scarce

The U.S. Open tennis tournament is by far my favorite event of the year and frankly the only one I end up attending. As a personal finance enthusiast, paying for experiences is harder than anything because there’s no immediate reward to certify I got my money’s worth. Granted this is no way to live and

As Benjamin Franklin pronounced, “The Only Two Certainties In Life Are Death And Taxes”. I’m going to argue 3. Dealing with mortality is dreadful. Taxes are annoying. And uncertainty is inevitable. These are the 3 unfortunate certainties of life we must get used to. History is a helpful predictor of future performance yet past performance

Over time any true asset slowly rises in value and there’s no investment that isn’t somewhat volatile. Ideally within one’s portfolio, most investors want to take the least amount of risk for more reward. That is clearly hard to do especially if you are trying to beat the market versus trail it which there’s nothing

Is this good or bad news? The amount of taxes Americans have paid this past year is at an all-time low. It is positive news in a sense that Americans seem to be more financially literate and clever in their ways of saving money yet dangerous as our country is in dire constraints in terms

There are endless worries in life and they never leave. We complain and ruminate over things that don’t make sense and when it comes to deciding things that are in our control, we make poor decisions and put ourselves into more trouble. Having nothing to worry about is a blissful feeling we believe can only

The easiest excuse to make is more money = more happiness. For the most part that is a lazy uneducated statement. There’s no doubt a base level of security will keep you sane, financially stable and allow you to live a fruitful life yet after a set point, no amount of goods will fill any

We seem to only hear and idolize the classic rags to riches stories which end up hurting our chances and focus. In the media, it’s sensation around JLO coming from the Bronx to global superstar, in the athletics world, Cristiano Rinaldo growing up in the slums and now soccer powerhouse and in the startup world,

What’s fascinating about the wealthy is that most of them are open to revealing their secrets, strategies, life lessons and habits all over the internet. According to research, the wealthier one is, the less likely they are to use social media, even for marketing efforts and leveraging their brand yet they are still open about

As a 20 year old personal finance advocate and connoisseur, I breathe, sleep and ponder money.  Not in an addictive way, rather in an enjoyable and inspirational way. Although I’m only two decades old, I already had to make quite a few life-changing decisions that coincidentally all involved finances to sway the main decision. Thankfully

Real estate is a robust investment choice that offers a plethora of opportunities to strengthen and diversify one’s portfolio. Along with stocks, it is the most concentrated asset class amongst millionaires and beyond. Compared to securities or fixed-income via the secondary market, real estate comes in different shapes and sizes. Ever since I signed the

The pay gap is stark and irresponsible. Let me cut to the chase. The rags to riches story isn’t all that common. Americans are obsessed and too hopeful about rising the ranks which is damaging their future. I know it sounds harsh but it’s reality. This pervasive wealth fantasy is abundant in Americans’ lives filled

Throughout history, social mobility has been a pervasive issue yet rare occurrence. In America, the wealthiest nation in the world, the top 1% own more wealth than the bottom 50%. They profit off of every possible decline and are hesitant when things are stable. They are beyond greedy when folks are fearful and scared to

And no. Majority of the buyers aren’t the ones you only hear of in the media. Real estate is having its best year yet. The median home price in the U.S. has skyrocketed to a new record up 22.9% from the prior year to $363,300. With limited inventory and ravenous demand, at this point in

As females, we are naturally more risk-averse than males and tend to shy away from speculative investments that have no justification for their price.  Fortunately, our conservatism through passive investing comes in handy since it ends up returning us more in the long-run. Although men make up 90% of portfolio managers in the world since

There are several possessions such as assets and valuables we purchase in life without question almost regardless of price. Majority of people don’t understand why until they become adults or deal with aging parents. The sad truth is that we don’t change until we are forced to when it’s typically too late. Without these investments

You can fake it on jewelry, clothing, food, vacations, cars and virtually anything except for property. Yes, you can take out a 30-year fixed mortgage and put down only 5% on an Upper West side penthouse, but on paper, it doesn’t mean you own it. A quick way to tell if someone is truly wealthy

Exclusivity and scarcity will forever be in demand. We are allured by prestige, image, and praise. We want more of it and it can never be enough. The problem is there’s always something we don’t have. Since birth, we craved attention from everyone. We want to be told we are the cutest baby in the

Money is everyone’s best friend. You’re lying if it wasn’t. Even wealthier countries are happier and healthier. Below a base level income of roughly $70k per year, financial freedom, flexibility, safety and happiness are directly correlated to the number in the bank account. Past that point, it’s more dependent on the work you put in

The wealthy crave security, rich crave luxury, and the poor crave image. There’s nothing more valuable and enticing than scarcity and pleasure. We are all humans and want to feel good. From babies to Harvey Weinstein, we all find pleasure in different activities and materialistic items. Consequently, with a higher net worth, the options get

The recommended 20 minute wait time to confirm no reaction to the vaccine could be the most anticipatory, exhilarating and liberating moment we’ve ever witnessed. It’s the same feeling dogs have when they see and vividly smell a juicy plate of food but are stuck in their play pen. In the meantime after receiving my

The ideal investments offer sizable adjustable return and scalable impact. Only caveat: They rarely exist. These days investors are pouring more money into ESG (environmentally social governance) funds striving to leave a mark on their investments believing in funds that eliminate fossil fuels, combat climate change and promote diversity yet these managers selfishly expect a

The best way to learn and get better at something is by following in the footsteps of those who’ve walked the walk. Yet most copy not apply. No matter how meticulously a novice golfer follows Tiger’s path from birth to PGA champion, they still wouldn’t be where Tiger’s at. Not even close. It’s impossible. Even

Two decades on earth has taught and tested me more than anticipated yet I’m truly grateful for every experience I’ve been offered, rejected from and struggled through. Wouldn’t life be boring if we already knew what we were capable of? Some say life is about trying to figure out something and realizing there’s nothing to

The most basic way to attain wealth is by waiting for it to grow. This requires no upfront experience, age limit, knowledge or wasted time. Just extreme patience. Now don’t get me wrong, waiting for money to fall from trees will keep you waiting forever. In the market, waiting is your best friend as time