by Stoffel | Aug 13, 2026 | Financial Literacy
Most people have a general sense of where they stand financially. They know roughly what they earn, roughly what they spend, and roughly what they have put aside. Roughly, though, is not a plan. And it is not enough to build a financial life that gives you real...
by Stoffel | Aug 6, 2026 | Financial Literacy
Say you retire with a portfolio of 1,000,000. In year one, you withdraw 4 percent of it or 40,000. In year two, you do not recalculate 4 percent of whatever the portfolio has grown or shrunk to. You take the previous year’s amount, 40,000, and adjust it for inflation....
by Stoffel | Jul 30, 2026 | Financial Literacy
Two people earn exactly the same salary. One retires at 55. The other is still working at 70. Ask most people why, and they will guess investment returns — a better fund, a smarter broker, a lucky stock pick. They would be wrong almost every time. The real difference...
by Stoffel | Jul 23, 2026 | Financial Literacy
Every insurance salesperson earns a commission. That is not a criticism – it is a structural fact. What it means for you is that no insurance recommendation is ever truly neutral. The advisor across the table has an incentive to sell you more coverage, more...
by Stoffel | Jul 16, 2026 | Financial Literacy
Ask most people what they earn each month and they will tell you to the last digit. Ask them what they are worth and you will get a shrug, a guess, or a long pause. That gap is worth paying attention to, because income and net worth are not the same thing, and only...
by Stoffel | Jul 2, 2026 | Financial Literacy
You get the raise. You have been working toward it for two years, and it finally comes through. For a week or two, it feels like breathing room. Then, gradually, the breathing room fills up. The slightly nicer apartment. The restaurant that was previously a...
