About Me Stories
Ex-Firefighter, soon to be nomad, and ready for new ideas and stories
Thanks for taking the time to read my “about me” story. I consider it a privilege whenever someone takes time to read something I have written, and it is a privilege I don’t take lightly.
I have been on Medium, technically, since 2018, but I didn’t write my first piece until December of 2019. After that I got on a bit of a streak through the earlier portion of 2020, churning out about 1.5 stories per day for a while.
Finally, in August, I hit the burn out point, right before my wife and I took a month vacation in…
Bite-Sized Finance
Turn saving money and investing into an automatic win
How much money are you saving for retirement each month? What about for a new home or large purchase? How about college for the kids? Are you meeting your savings goals, or is that something you just hope to get around to doing sometime soon?
Personally, I like to make any sort of savings and investing decisions as simple as possible and reduce any steps that might keep me from my goals.
If I have to consciously remember (and then actually perform an action) each week or month in order to set aside funds, there is a reasonable chance that…
Bite-Sized Finance
If your employer has a 401(k)-matching program, make sure you participate
What if someone wanted to give you free money? Would you take it? The answer to that question should be obvious — “Heck Yeah!”
Especially if all you had to do to earn it was to save some of your own money. Really, that is a win-win scenario. And that scenario is what many employers offer in the form of a 401(k) (or 403(b) or 457) retirement savings matching plan.
Some employers will offer to match your contributions to your own retirement savings plan up to a set dollar amount or a percentage of your salary. …
Bite-Sized Finance
What is Bite-Size Finance? And how does it apply to me?
Americans (and others) are financially illiterate. That isn’t meant to be an insult or slur, and don’t just take my word for it. Here are some studies that look at the impact of financial literacy (or lack thereof), and more pointedly how affects from Covid-19 impacted those with less financial savviness.
So, why is that? Or perhaps more importantly, how can we change that for the better? My guess at why so many are financially illiterate is that personal finance can be a very complex subject matter, with confusing and conflicting approaches, and that some people simply find it boring…
Music | Inspiration
It’s not healthy to persistently obsess over things we cannot control. Let’s listen to a little music instead
As the US is on the eve of inauguration of its next president it feels a little bit like we are all collectively holding our breath. On one hand it is a new beginning; a much needed one seemingly. But the counterpoint is that, realistically, not a lot will change all at once here in the United States.
The Trump presidency, as ugly and awful as it was, unfortunately is just emblematic of the current world we live in. …
You don’t need a budget to start saving, but you need one to know when you can quit!
A critical step to gaining financial freedom is establishing a budget. Notice I didn’t say “first” step here, and that is intentional. There are two other steps that you can do today, without having a budget, that will build a valuable foundation for savings.
Those are to contribute to your employer’s 401(k) (or equivalent plan), specifically maxing out any employer matching funds as soon as possible. If there is no employer matching, at least put something into your retirement account, even if it is only $10 / month to start.
I go into much more detail in this article about…
Finance
Newsflash: there is no “right” way to save your money; well-intentioned advice can be a deterrent to action
Okay, so you have increased the amount of money you are contributing to your retirement plan to start off 2021 the right way — right? (If not, start with this article and come back.) Now you might be thinking, “What’s next?”
That’s an easy one: start putting a little money in an after-tax investment account.
What? Did you hear correctly? This in no way follows the “traditional savings ladder” model that so many financial “experts” say is the only way to set up your savings. …
Finance
Ten minutes right now will pay dividends all year long!
So how are your new year’s resolutions going so far? It is only January 11, so you are probably still sticking with most of what you resolved to do all year long at this point. But, according to US News, most of us will fail to follow through on our resolutions, typically by the second week of February.
And that might be okay. Sometimes lifestyle changes take a while to stick permanently, and sometimes our good intentions can add up over time to incremental changes that make us better in the long run. …
Finance
Great ways to kick-start your savings without an employer-sponsored plan
If your employer offers a tax-deferred retirement plan like a 401(k), 403(b) or 457 Plan, then great for you. Even better if the employer will match some of your contributions!
For you the game plan is pretty straightforward, just contribute to the plan — at least up to the employer’s match to begin with and increase contributions whenever possible until you have maxed out your yearly amount.
For people without an employer-sponsored plan it takes a little bit more work, but it is completely doable to set yourself up with a retirement savings plan that capitalizes on tax breaks much…
We walk a fine line. Where will you land?
The line that separates patriotism and nationalism can be paper-thin, to the point of being invisible at times. And I believe we have all now borne witness to the danger that lurks at that intersection of ideals.
I think even as a kid I was wary of the concept of being “overly” patriotic. We are told over and over again about how the United States was the best country in the world, reinforced by reason after reason for our superiority over all the “lesser” countries.
Even then something to me felt off. I knew all the validations for that feeling…
Timothy Key
Retired from fire service after 26 years. Writer and consultant. I believe compassion, grace and gratitude are contagious and should be spread liberally.
