The Dark Dirty Secret of Microinvesting

Microinvesting makes the stock market more accessible to everyone, but that may not be best for everyone.

If you haven't yet learned about microinvesting you should check it out. But beware of apps that charge you money. Investing in the stock market is already risky. Why pay fees if you don't need to? Microinvesting consists of depositing small amounts of money into an investing account. That's the short explanation but there's a little more to it. Depending on which microinvesting tool you use you may get to decide where the money is invested. There are some pros and cons to microinvesting.

Wish I had Known about Tiny Budgeting Years Ago

Tiny Budgeting is a free money management strategy for freelancers and contract workers. It works!

I've read my share of financial advice books. They all tell you to "set up a monthly budget". I know how to do a budget. What I always want to know is how to make my dollars stretch farther. Finally, after years of reading stupid lists of "ways to save money" I've found something that makes a lot of sense. It's called Tiny Budgeting and it's a way for anyone of any income level to take small but meticulous steps toward controlling their finances.

The Small Investor's Dilemma

Where do we go from here? Our portfolio is growing but what should we do now?

I've been following the economic news closely for several months. I think can sum it up succinctly like this: the RETAIL APOCALYPSE is here, hey lots of jobs, We're all doomed to recession!, hey lots of jobs, these jobs suck they don't pay anything, we just passed $15/hour minimum wage, what happened to the jobs?, oh, jobs. Have I missed anything? The economy has never looked like this. And no one knows how to understand it.

Climate Change Will Be the Biggest Economic Disruptor

Scientists predict that climate change will lead to more wars. We must create a happier, safer future for all.

In my history classes when we studied the Second World War I remember looking at pictures of all the devastated cities. War destroys everything it touches: lives, cities, wildlife, even the forests. After the First World War northern France was marred by a huge ruined landscape. Whole towns and forests had been wiped off the map. There are places in France today that are still too toxic for people to live in them.

What are the Best Industries to Invest In?

Global warming will destroy many industries. I think solar energy is a safe investment for the long term.

Looking forward a few years or decades I think we may be looking at significant changes in a few major industries.  As a small investor I feel like flotsam and jetsam being tossed around in a storm.  The big decisions about the success of companies are made by the corporate investors, the big fund managers who buy up the shares and sit on the boards of directors.  And the worst kinds of investors are these "activist" investor guys who demand that companies make changes in the name of "profitability".  They are just highway robbers looking for quick infusions of cash.

So I Was Wrong about Bitcoin

Bitcoin has survived many challenges but investors continue to lose money in it.

When I wrote about the possible failure of Bitcoin early last year a lot of changes were still in the queue.  I think I was correct to be a little anxious.  Without some words of caution investors won't pay attention to what is happening behind the scenes in the Bitcoin world.  For example, we finally experienced that fork which led to the creation of Bitcoin Cash.  And for some Bitcoin holders it was like money magically appeared in their hands because they got to keep their Bitcoin as well as start out with Bitcoin Cash.  Another fork is planned for November.  I wonder if it will go the same way.

Good Financial Advice Really Isn't Hard to Come By

Good financial advice is all around us. Why don't we practice it more often? What are we missing?

My great-grandmother, God rest her soul, lived through the Great Depression. When I was growing up whenever I found a penny or a nickel she would say to me, "a penny saved is a penny earned". According to this phrases site the expression goes back at least to the 1600s in the form "a penny spared is twice got". It's useful advice even after 300 years. If you don't waste your money you don't need to replace it as quickly.

Who Should Build all the Infrastructure We Need?

Thousands of Latin Americans want to work in the U.S. We should hire them.

We need to rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, and water system networks. We need to hire more construction workers for a wide array of projects. And we need to train new electricians and other skilled workers. There's just one problem: almost no one wants these old school jobs. That's the impression I get from articles about skilled labor shortage from 2016. If this country is really going to invest in its infrastructure, who will do all the work? Is this guaranteed lifetime income for the small pool of laborers willing to do these jobs?