Almost one year ago, we purchased our long-term family home. It was a major milestone and the accomplishment of my biggest personal goal. I wrote at the time that I believed the endowment effect impacted the seller and how we negotiated a fairer price. I also disclosed how we used a HELOC and a 401k…

I always know I’ve written something good when I get hate mail. I have received numerous emails, tweets, comments, and responses about my post on 401k loans. All of them contain a twinge of mansplaining and are variations on a similar theme. “But Blair, aren’t you paying back the loan with after-tax dollars that will…

I am overdue for an update on my house purchase and house sale journey. In my defense, it’s been a slow process. But today, I’ve been thinking about all the costs of home ownership that get overlooked. Especially as they are staring me straight in the eye, from my banking app. First, we started sleeping…

I’ve written a lot about how being a financial advisor is the best career in the world. And it is, for me. Lately, I’ve come to realize that it takes a certain temperament and skill set to enjoy the work. This is not a job you can leave at the office at night or on…

This week, I joined Ben Carlson on his weekly, live YouTube show, Portfolio Rescue, to answer questions from two listeners. I discussed my defense of the 401k loan and gave examples of when using a 401k might make sense. The second question was about contributing to a 401k versus investing in multi-family real estate. These…

Happy International Women’s Day! March 8 has become a global day of recognition of the women’s rights movement bringing attention to gender equity, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. It is even a national holiday in many countries. New Book Announcement This year, I am excited to announce that I contributed a chapter…

Today is my 40th birthday. The ‘BIG 4-0’  is what they called it when I was growing up, although today that level of intensity seems to have been pushed back a decade. Nevertheless, it feels like a big milestone and seems an opportune time to take stock of my accomplishments so far and to determine…

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It has all the good characteristics of Christmas – family, food, tradition, and celebration – with none of the stress – gift buying, gift wrapping, house decorating, and toys that require ‘moderate assembly’. I also love the idea of a day dedicated to being grateful. Gratitude is scientifically shown to…

I’ve been too busy to write lately, and I miss writing. All at once, five new families are coming on board as clients, and a few more are close to making a decision. We are holding year-end tax planning meetings with clients. Often these meetings result in action to be taken, such as opening new…