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Not-so-Dumb-Guy Stock Market Math
The concept I'm sharing here is technically wrong, but I think it actually yields a better way to think about saving and investing in the...

Nicholas Pihl
May 14, 20243 min read
A Good, Easy Decision for RSUs
One of the biggest mistakes I see among people who have RSUs (Restricted Stock Units) as part of their compensation packages is that they...

Nicholas Pihl
May 14, 20244 min read
What does good health look like to you?
I heard this question recently at a Tony Robbins seminar, and found it intriguing. Partly because I hadn't thought about it very much,...

Nicholas Pihl
Apr 3, 20244 min read
Dumb-Guy Mortgage Math
I was playing around with this mortgage calculator tool to see what happens to my mortgage payments when I put more down. You've probably...

Nicholas Pihl
Apr 3, 20242 min read
Should I really use a debit card instead of a credit card, like Dave Ramsey says?
This fall, I started an experiment where I stopped using my credit card, opting instead to pay for everything with a debit card. I'd been...

Nicholas Pihl
Feb 29, 20243 min read


What does the president mean for the market?
If you're like me, you're thinking, "an election year? Already? Didn't we just have one of those?" Maybe it comes from living so long in...

Nicholas Pihl
Jan 3, 20243 min read
A Better Way to Do Charitable Giving
If you regularly donate to charity and have a taxable investment portfolio (like a brokerage account), you might be missing out on a...

Nicholas Pihl
Nov 30, 20233 min read
Year End Gifts (non-charitable)
One situation I see fairly often is an aging grandparent making annual gifts to get money out of their taxable estate. This is a pretty...

Nicholas Pihl
Nov 29, 20235 min read
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is simple, but spiritual. You don't have to have a perfect life, or even a particularly good life. The point is to...

Nicholas Pihl
Nov 22, 20232 min read


The case for working part-time
Retirement can feel like an "all-or-nothing" decision. As a result, preparing for retirement not only means being ready financially, but...

Nicholas Pihl
Oct 25, 20233 min read


What to do when an investment underperforms (this one's for you, small cap value investors)
The following graph summarizes US market performance year-to-date. Positive performance has largely been driven by large, growthy...

Nicholas Pihl
Oct 10, 20236 min read


Yields Gone Wild
Yields on a 10 year Treasury Bond have risen rapidly over the last 22 months, and currently sit near 4.75%, compared with 1.8% at the...

Nicholas Pihl
Oct 4, 20233 min read


Two Tax Changes That May Surprise You:
Two Tax Changes That Will Surprise Most of You: Some of you may have heard if you have high income (defined as wages >$145,000 per year),...

Nicholas Pihl
Sep 18, 20233 min read


A Common 401k Mistake to Watch Out For (and How to Fix It)
In 2023 you can contribute $22,500 to your 401k, plus $7,500 of catch-up contributions if you're over 50. So, if you're under 50, you can...

Nicholas Pihl
Sep 18, 20232 min read


Do Higher Mortgage Rates Mean the Housing Market Is Going to Crash?
As interest rates have risen, there's been more discussion of what these rates will do to housing prices. After all, higher interest...

Nicholas Pihl
Sep 1, 20232 min read


Retiree Risk Checklist
My experience has been that there are often important risks or planning needs that most retirees simply aren't aware of. Nevertheless, if...

Nicholas Pihl
Sep 1, 20231 min read


Why it pays big to work part time before retiring
I just met with a client couple in their 60s who have "almost enough" money to retire. Try as I might when crunching the numbers, I just...

Nicholas Pihl
Aug 23, 20232 min read


How to Find Connection and Purpose in Retirement
Spiritual leader Richard Rohr talks about a life lived in 2 halves. Both of them are necessary. One isn't better than the other, and they...

Nicholas Pihl
Aug 22, 20233 min read


The "No Plan," Plan
Here's a question I get asked from time to time, "Why do I need a a plan? If I’m 65, expecting to die at 85, why can’t I just put...

Nicholas Pihl
Aug 10, 20234 min read


Passing On Without Leaving a Mess: How to Ease Your Family's Burden by Planning for Your Possessions
When people die, they leave behind a house full of “stuff.” Most of these possessions aren’t valuable or sentimental. There’s just a lot...

Nicholas Pihl
Jul 31, 20234 min read



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