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The Complicated Math Behind the True Cost of Owning a Manhattan Co-op Apartment
The mess of federal, state, and city tax laws make calculating the cost of ownership of a Manhattan co-op very complicated. This post goes through the math with my own personal example, showing that my original annual cost of $50,183 is more like $31,010 after accounting for everything. Read more
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Finance Basics: The Investment and Savings Accounts I’ll Use This Year
There are plenty of accounts I’ve seen recommended for tax advantages or other benefits, such as: 401ks, IRAs, FSAs, HSAs, DCFSAs, 529s, Whole Life Policies, and Emergency Funds. This post covers which ones I do and don’t use, and why. It also serves as a template for others with similar finances to me. Read more
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How I Negotiate for Free Money and Discounts
Many people just accept the initial dollar value they are given when making a transaction, be it an item’s cost, a loan’s rate, or a salary. The reality is, you can often ask to be given more money, or to pay less. This post covers my successes and lessons learned from negotiating. Read more
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The Profitable Intersection of Work and Personal Travel
Travelling for work offers ample opportunities to earn a little profit for oneself (within policy!). Many workplaces also have benefits for personal travel. Here’s how I take advantage of both. Read more
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The Five Figure Tax Mistakes my Friends and I Have Made, and How to Avoid Them
Tax mistakes can be expensive, and the goal of this post is to help you avoid them. It summarizes real examples of common filing time mistakes, as well as year-round mistakes that show up at filing time. Read more
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Why I Don’t Have an Emergency Fund
Emergency funds are an important safety net for many people, but they also have an opportunity cost of missed investment gains. This post covers my alternative setup that gives me access to money in an emergency, without having to keep the funds in cash. Read more