Did you read, listen, or watch the news in the last year? But they shouldn’t. Because — repeat after me — you can’t do anything about any of them. Go on a media fast These events, and others like them, are completely out of our individual control. However, that won’t stop the 24/7 news channels…
Articles by Carl Richards
Carl Richards is a Certified Financial Planner and a columnist for the New York Times, Morningstar magazine and Yahoo Finance. He is author of 2 books, The Behavior Gap & The One-Page Financial Plan. Carl lives with his family in Park City, Utah. You can find his work and sign up for his newsletter (which has an international audience) at www.behaviorgap.com/
Today, I want to talk to you about your worries. After all, who doesn’t love worrying? Thousands of years ago, it was part of what kept humans alive. Is that a lion in the bushes? Was that a tiger? Nine times out of ten, there probably was no large-toothed animal about to pounce. But worrying…
I’m going to assume for a minute that you’re one of the millions of people who have a recurrently frustrating relationship with spending. It probably starts with a commitment to sticking to your budget, and you do for a few days. Then, despite your resolve, you break down, pull out the credit card and do…
For the next few minutes, I want you to focus on the most successful person you know (and yes, it may be you). What makes this individual successful in your mind? Professional accomplishments? Personal wealth? Now, I want you to think of the happiest person you know. Did you come up with the same name?…
I received these two messages within three minutes of each other recently: Several years back I used to mine Bitcoin, and then I sold most of them off for a down payment for our house. I had 400 BTC at one point, which would be worth $14 million today. Needless to say, I am really…
Worrying is a terrible business strategy. In the not-so-distant past, however, it was the only one I knew. For example, each time I wrote this column, I worried that my editor would say, “Sorry, Carl. This just isn’t very good. I’m afraid that’s the end of the Sketch Guy.” Inevitably, of course, I would bring…
A while ago I shared how scared and worried I felt at the thought of losing my wife after her accident. As frightening as that experience was, it also helped me reflect and decide that I didn’t want any more regrets. I thought you might feel the same way, so I asked for your deathbed…
I’ve been a member of a club that I never knew existed until recently. I learned about this club when I read Yvon Chouinard’s book, “Let My People Go Surfing.” “I like to throw myself passionately into a sport or activity until I reach about an 80 percent proficiency level,” Chouinard says. “To go beyond that…
You want to know the #1 rule of personal finance for couples? Spouses almost never agree on the definition of “financial security.” Even the simple act of talking about what to do with extra money can cause conflict in relationships. Why? Because at the core of these discussions are deeply-held values about what security (or…
A couple of years ago a guy made headlines because he was caught using a lowly flip phone. In a world of gold iPhones and palm-size phablets, it does seem a little odd that someone would still use such a low-tech device. But it was the identity of the person using the phone that got…