The Enormous Price You Pay for Having an Emergency Fund

Everyone knows you’re supposed to have an emergency fund. You get laid off, break an arm, the refrigerator quits. These things happen, sometimes all at the same time, and so personal finance experts recommend having up to six months living expenses set aside in cash.

But isn’t this advice only for people grinding it out, working and living paycheck to paycheck? In that situation having cash tucked away is smart. There’s no need to slip into debt paying unexpected bills with a credit...

KEEP READING

By Chris Reining / 0 Comments

The One Question Successful Investors Always Ask Themselves

Imagine taking a six-hour flight from New York to Los Angeles, but right before taking off you learn the airline has a new policy: Reclining your seat is negotiable.

This poses two questions: First, how much are you (the recliner) willing to pay the person behind you (the reclinee) in order to push your seat back four inches? Second, what does your legroom cost the reclinee?

Researchers ran an experiment and found that recliners were only willing to pay about $12...

KEEP READING

By Chris Reining / 3 Comments

30 Hard-Learned Money and Life Lessons

I’m turning 40 this month, which got me thinking: why not share how to make the most of your 30s.

What qualifies me to do this? I spent most of my younger years horsing around, focusing on the wrong things. And isn’t that the very worst thing about a life, wasting it?

Today, sitting here typing this, what I’m most proud of is the life I’ve created. It took years to build, much like anything worth doing in life, which reminds me,...

KEEP READING

By Chris Reining / 8 Comments

The Market Is Scary but Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Be Scared

When you’re about to do something for the first time it’s scary because it’s unfamiliar.

A few years ago I was asked to be a guest on a popular podcast and because you’ve never been a guest on a popular podcast your gut reaction is to say no.

This is just your brain telling you that you’ve never done this thing before, and then it crafts seemingly rational excuses for why you can’t do the thing.

But if there’s one lesson I’ve learned over the...

KEEP READING

By Chris Reining / 6 Comments

An Experiment Generating Passive Income with Real Estate

People are always asking me if real estate or stocks are a “better” investment.

If you only look at returns you’ll discover stocks crush real estate. But people don’t always invest for returns, they might invest for monthly cash flow, a big reason to invest in real estate.

But when I think about real estate I imagine driving around town collecting rent checks, getting calls about leaky faucets, needing to replace ancient furnaces.

Plus, you...

KEEP READING

By Chris Reining / 2 Comments