Money and Inspiration
Welcome to a space where personal finance meets real life. Whether you are just starting out, trying to get out of debt, or building toward something bigger, this is a place to learn budgeting, saving and investing in plain language. I have spent more than twenty-five years in finance. I sit in a chief financial officer’s chair today, I was a licensed loan officer, and I own rental property in two states. What I write here is what I have actually done.
Money is not only about dollars and cents. It is about peace of mind, and about hope during hard times. I know something about hard times. My family has lived through years that no amount of planning could have prepared us for, and what I learned in them is the reason this site is not only about money. No matter where you are starting from, your journey begins here. Let’s take that first step together.
Choose your path below.
MANAGE MONEY
BUILDING WEALTH
INSPIRATION
Recent Posts
Blessings Come From the Worst of Times
Welcome to the Inspiration side of this site. I shared the short version of my story in the ABOUT section. I am 58 years old so there are a lot of stories to my life but this story is THE…
Roth IRA vs Roth 401(k): The Six Differences That Actually Matter
Yes both of these accounts carry the name ‘Roth’ and both carry the same promise. You pay your tax on the way in meaning you are funding these accounts with after tax dollars. When you make a qualified withdrawal later,…
Weekly Notes — September 5, 2026
It is Friday night and I am working to get this post published. Tomorrow is the start of all the big college football games. I am excited to watch my Georgia Bulldogs. They are mine…… not because I graduated from…
Weekly Notes — August 29, 2026
Why Nvidia fell and then rose an hour later Nvidia earnings came out Wednesday afternoon, after the market closed. The numbers were good. Sales were $96.2 billion, more than double what they were a year ago, and higher than what…
Accessible Wealth vs. Retirement Accounts: When You Can Use the Money, and What It Costs to Use It
Most retirement advice is about one thing: how much to save. Save more. Contribute more. Get the match. All of that is sound and good advice and things I talk about on this site. But it addresses only half of…
When Should You Actually Take Social Security?
The question people ask about Social Security is how the program works. The question that actually needs answering is when should you file for benefits. That decision has three realistic answers. You can file at 62, which is the earliest…