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Alright. I finally broke down and bought into Bitcoin earlier in the year. My journey into cryptocurrencies was far from smooth. I’m now speculating the cryptocurrency through direct ownership using Coinbase Pro and through the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), and I can confidently say that I now know how to speculate in the space reasonably well.
My Initial Problem with Coinbase
At first, I wanted to buy bitcoins directly through Coinbase but then I ran into an issue with their ID verification. Signing up an account and linking my bank account was easy enough through Coinbase.com, but my ID verification would fail for some reason. The process wasn’t complicated at all either. You take a picture of the front and back of your driver’s license, and another through your website with your face and a piece of paper stating the date and that you are trading through Coinbase.
The process is similar to depositing a check electronically, so it’s not exactly rocket science. I reached out to customer service through their messaging system, but the representative was unhelpful. He misunderstood my issue with the ID verification process and just forwarded his canned response on the need to verify my ID.
I then got sidetracked for a few weeks, and the delay turned out to be pretty costly. When I first decided to finally buy, Bitcoins were priced at roughly $35,000 a coin. By the time I first got exposure, the price already zoomed up to like $45,000, which was basically 30% more expensive.
And I didn’t even get started until I totally abandoned the idea of direct ownership. [ continue reading… ]
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with clothing for most of my life. In my younger years, I used to love clothes. I’d buy whatever struck my fancy, regardless of the cost.
As I got older, I started wearing jeans, t-shirts, and boots. I never shopped for new clothes and had no desire to. The thought of spending my hard-earned money on new clothes was repulsive. Then I got a job as an insurance agent and had to start dressing more professionally. At first, leaving my comfy jeans and t-shirts was awkward. But after a while, I began to gain a sense of confidence from wearing nicer clothes.
From that moment on, I realized something: wearing the right type of clothing can positively impact your life. When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, it shows. Your confidence increases, and other people start to look at you in a different light.
Even though I’ve now realized how impactful the right type of clothing can be to your confidence and career, I still avoid spending a lot of money on it.
Instead, I’ve found several ways to have an amazing wardrobe without breaking the bank. Here are a few tips for you to save too. [ continue reading… ]
I’m a part-time freelance writer and full-time stay-at-home mom. I write to supplement our income and pay off our debt faster. A few months ago, I decided I’d increase my earnings and took on a few more writing commitments. I increased my earnings significantly, but I also increased my time commitment.
While the extra money was nice, was it worth it?
The High Cost of Working More
Isn’t it bizarre that earning more money can end up costing more money?
Ever since I started spending several more hours per day writing articles, I ended up cooking less, cleaning less, spending less time with my daughter, etc. The result was that we ended up paying more money for fast food and took more last-minute and pricey trips to the grocery store (since I didn’t organize my meals). I ended up running the washing machine twice for one load because I’d forget I’d started a load the day before. The list goes on.
So not only was I spending more money and neglecting my duties at home, but I also felt overwhelmed and stressed. I was constantly tired because I worked late into the night and then woke up early to squeeze in more work. [ continue reading… ]
In the not-too-distant past, American workers could count on their employers to take care of them when it came time to retire. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case for the vast majority of us. When it comes to retirement, we’re on our own. The problem is that many of us need to be saved from ourselves.
Poor habits and bad financial decisions are tough enough to deal with when you are gainfully employed, but they can really destroy your retirement dreams. The stock market’s been on fire and everything seems rosy for many people, but good times won’t last forever and we should have the long term in mind at all times. Are you guilty of one of these retirement-killing bad money mindsets? [ continue reading… ]
The pandemic forced many to make hard choices. We’ve been cutting back, and some found that lifestyle deflation isn’t such a bad thing. Much like the financial crisis, frugality made a comeback in many cases and became the new money-stylish thing to do. Instead of showing off gadgets, many of us are telling everyone how savvy and adaptable we’ve been during the lockdown.
But, even as we cut back, selling items to bring in cash or refraining from buying some creature comforts, there are some things that we can’t live without. I saw an article on this subject from U.S. News and World Report’s Rick Newman at Yahoo! Finance, and it listed some things that Americans have a hard time living without: [ continue reading… ]
So now that I’ve owned my home for 10+ years, I’m getting offers left and right for home equity loans. While I am doing my own research, I would be most interested to read your take on them!
Congratulations. Getting offers from lenders to borrow money most certainly means that you don’t need the money. After all, no lender will offer debt to customers who they don’t believe can make the payments. Having said that, a huge influx of cash certainly gets the juices flowing. I can put it all in the market to further my wealth. Or remodel the kitchen remodel. Or get a new car. My home equity is just sitting there doing nothing anyway. Why not take advantage?
But First, What is a Home Equity Loan?
A home equity loan is basically like a mortgage, but people only get one of these loans if they are already borrowing. That’s why these loans are often called a second mortgage. Conceptually, it’s easy for consumers to understand. Their house is already serving as collateral on a loan and they dutifully make payments. Now that their home’s value has gone up, there’s more equity and they can take money out via a second mortgage based on the increased value. [ continue reading… ]
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