Every successful company has a plan with clear short- and long-term goals. If you want to achieve financial success, especially when you're , you need one, too. The first step is figuring out where you stand financially today. From there, you can decide what you want for your future and map out exactly how you'll get there.
After spending my career in behavioral finance, I’ve learned that how I invest my own money is either incredibly straightforward or deeply complex, depending on how you look at it. But my entire approach starts with a single idea: money is always a servant, never a master. For anyone wondering , I believe the first step is to ask a more fundamental question: why are you even saving in the first place?
My childhood home wasn't one of excess. We were on the free lunch program at school, and I have clear memories of huddling around a space heater on cold mornings. This was pretty normal for my neighborhood, so it never felt strange. But we were lucky—our needs were always met, and my parents often gave what little we had to spare to families who had even less. They instilled in me the importance of caring for others, a value I admire more and more as I get older.
My real education in finance came from two people: my father and my first boss, David Swensen. My dad lost his parents young and had to put himself through college and medical school with very little. When some family friends passed, they told him about stocks, and he bought IBM in 1959. Even when life felt like it was taking everything from him, he held onto those shares. He still has them.
It’s one thing to give financial advice, but it’s another to live by it. The way we handle our own money is often a reflection of our earliest experiences, biggest lessons, and personal values. Here’s a look at how two financial professionals, Nina O’Neal and Debbie Freeman, manage their own investments, shaped by their unique life stories.
With major economic news like Initial Claims and Crude Inventories scheduled for release, I knew the morning would be active. On days like this, you’re essentially working against a deadline, trying to get your positions set before the data drops. My focus immediately went to the USD/CAD pair.
When it comes to , price is the variable that can single-handedly veto any deal. You can love a business and admire its management, but if the price isn’t right, you have to walk away. This principle of triangulating between price and value—asking, “What am I getting for what I’m paying?”—is the backbone of any sound investment strategy. At a certain point, even the most incredible business becomes a bad investment if it’s overpriced.
For a long time, real estate has been a reliable way for people to build wealth and generate cash flow. But if you’re just getting started, figuring out how to fund your property investments can feel pretty complicated. If you're new to , the world of finance can seem like a major hurdle.
When you're diving into the world of , it’s easy to get lost. It feels a bit like trying to pick the best car just by looking at the paint job. To really know what you’re getting, you have to look under the hood. That's where metrics come in. They are the gauges and dials that tell you the real story of a Real Estate Investment Trust’s performance, risks, and potential returns.