- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: What grade do you give your personal finance skills?
Posted on 11/22/13 at 8:50 pm to Sternocleidomastoid
Posted on 11/22/13 at 8:50 pm to Sternocleidomastoid
quote:- B+ - I have absolutely zero debt. This may seem odd to have this category as a B with no debt, but I feel I'm a little too anti-debt to warrant an A. I need to learn to be more comfortable with a manageable amount of debt.
Debt
quote:- B - My problem here is consistency. Over an annual period I probably spend about the same amount, but it varies wildly month to month and even week to week. I'll go through a couple weeks in a row or even a month or two where I spend next to nothing, just food and drinks. Then I'll have a week where I randomly decide to buy a new TV, fly to see a friend, get a new suit, etc. I can do it right now cause I make a substantial amount more than I need, but if I ever get to where I need to live month to month off basically what I make it will require more discipline on my part.
Budgeting
quote:- C+ - I could be better about maxing out my IRA and 401K. I do contribute to what the max my company will match, but I rarely max-out my IRA.
Long-term financial planning
quote:- B - I've a 6 month emergency fund that I've never touched before. I bare minimum health insurance but only because I'm 25 and don't know the last time I was ever sick. My investing is pretty well-rounded to minimize risk and I do next to no day-trading, 1 year min hold for most of my stocks.
Risk / Insurance
quote:- A+ - I contribute a substantial amount of my paycheck (over 50% usually) to a group of Index Funds on a cost-average basis. I plan on not touching these for a long time.
Investments
quote:- F - I have absolutely none at the moment. Looking into purchasing some land for development in the Caribbean soon to build a vacation house on that I'll also use for rental purposes.
Real Estate
Posted on 11/22/13 at 9:12 pm to FootballNostradamus
quote:
This may seem odd to have this category as a B with no debt, but I feel I'm a little too anti-debt to warrant an A. I need to learn to be more comfortable with a manageable amount of debt.
IMHO that is a good rating then and you understand why. Not many do.
The Dave Ramsey/no debt crowd should get a B- at best. Not bad at all but what gets people into trouble isn't the debt, it's the spending on unproductive assets.
Posted on 11/25/13 at 10:45 am to FootballNostradamus
quote:
Debt
A-
Just purchased a house, but that is my only debt at the moment(car purchase may be in near/mid future).
quote:
Budgeting
B-
I used to do a better job, but new lady has affected my spending habbits recently. I hope my discipline returns soon.
quote:
Long-term financial planning
B+
I hit my company match maximium for 401k, and hit my Roth every paycheck. I need to increase my income to get closer to the maximums with those accounts. Once my 2013 taxes are figured this year, I should be able to up these contributions.
quote:
Risk / Insurance
B+
My company provides excellent coverage. HI is nearly zero out of pocket for an A+ plan, I also receive a Life policy that cover 85% of mortgage principle that I add to cover the difference. No family to provide for at this time. Very little out of pocket for total debt coverage.
quote:
Investments
B+
I'm leaner right now. I cashed out 30% of holdings in my personal investment account for the down payment on the house. As stated 401k and Roth are receiving contributions 2x a month. I do have solid funds that have performed very well the past few years. 401k was over 28% YTD.
quote:
Real Estate
A
The house I purchased was a double in Uptown New Orleans at a reasonable sub 4.5% rate. It's in a highly desirable neighborhood that should see a continued rise in value. It took 2 days to rent the other side, and I received the asking amount which covers 78% of the entire mortgage payment.
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News