Ideas on Personal Finance
“My Gamestop shares are down 50%! What should I do?” I was recently asked this question at a pizza party. I gave the only answer a consultant ever gives, “It depends.” “Depends on what?!” the host asked. “On whether you bought Gamestop as an Investment or for Gambling?” Seeing the quizzical look, I decided to … Read more
The American Dream is a long-standing belief that everyone can become successful and move up in life. However, almost two-thirds of Americans think that the American Dream is dead! And this is not just an American phenomenon. Globally, more people are pessimistic about the future than ever before. There are several factors behind this – … Read more
“Why is Finer writing about Gratitude?” you might ask. “Isn’t this is a personal finance blog?” Yes – this is a personal finance blog. But over the years, I have realized that the ‘personal’ aspects of ‘personal finance’ are more important than the ‘finance’ part. The finance part is straightforward and math-driven, whereas the personal … Read more
Around 2011, I first became aware of Amazon – I had recently become an Amazon Prime member and was impressed by Amazon’s fast delivery and customer service. I wondered if I should invest in Amazon stock… Amazon: A very expensive stock The prevailing opinion at that time was that Amazon (around $150 in 2011) was … Read more
Inflation means things get more expensive. We are seeing everything go up in price – from everyday items like groceries to cars and houses. Inflation is like the weather – everyone loves to talk about it, but no one can really do much about it. Governments worldwide, all-powerful central banks, and business leaders are all … Read more
The Millionaire Next Door is a book written by two authors based on their interviews with several millionaires. It details the common traits of millionaires and contains anecdotes from the interviews. Although the book is a bit long and a bit dated, it is a must-read for all personal finance enthusiasts. Many books talk about … Read more
Our Gifting Culture It was late at night. We had just returned from our cousin’s housewarming party when my phone rang. It was my cousin calling. ‘Did we forget something in their house?’ – I wondered as I picked up the phone. “Hey! Can you guys come back again tomorrow afternoon? We need help with … Read more
Rich vs Wealthy: Definition Wealthy and Rich are often used interchangeably, but they represent very different things. There are a lot of rich people but far fewer wealthy people. Rich and Wealthy people both have a lot of money. The difference is that the rich have lots of money, but the wealthy don’t worry about … Read more
We make way less than we realize – if we factor in the expenses related to our job and the actual time we spend on our job. Overworked and Underpaid I used to complain that I was overworked and underpaid. Little did I know how much I was underpaid until I had a conversation with … Read more
A walk amongst the wealthy… A small change in our normal, daily routine can sometimes lead to a big discovery. On an unusually pleasant summer day, MrsFiner and I were taking our usual evening walk. Feeling a bit adventurous, we went farther than we usually do. As we strolled through the new neighborhood, a magnificent … Read more