Down Payment Could Outgrow House: Consider Opportunity Cost
If you bought to buy a $1 million house and put 20% down, your down payment alone would be worth ~$1.6 million in 30 years if invested in the stock market (Yes, accounts for inflation) Always factor in the opportunity cost of your down payment when analyzing buy vs rent https://t.co/oP4VEFuTqC
Save 1‑3% of Home Value Yearly for Repairs
If your roof needs a $45,000 repair 20 years from now, that means you should be saving $2,250/year, or $187.50/month Do you do this? Almost nobody does A shortcut: Save 1%-3% of the price of the house -- PER YEAR -- for...
Local NIMBY Votes Drive Housing Prices Sky‑High
This is why your housing is so expensive Not Blackstone, not "greedy landlords" Just your mom, dad, & neighbors voting for NIMBY local politicians who then prevent housing from being built That's why you pay tens of thousands of dollars more than...
Invest Enough, and Your Portfolio Funds Housing Forever
I want to gently point out that most people do not understand that if you invest enough, your portfolio can pay your housing costs in perpetuity So when I say "renting can be cheaper," they are bewildered "Yes but how will you...
Half of People Don't See 401(k) as Investment
Consider the everyday person's knowledge of money: When I ask them about their investments, roughly 50% do not count their 401(k) as an investment. They think of it as something totally separate
Rent Costs Feel Different than Grocery Savings Paradox
Every dollar I spend on groceries, I save money on eating out: uncontroversial Every dollar I spend on making my own coffee, I save money on buying coffee at a coffee shop: uncontroversial Every dollar I spend on rent, I save money...
Most People Can't Link Actions to Financial Outcomes
Understanding cause & effect is a highly advanced skill for even concepts like personal finances. The majority of people I talk to cannot connect their individual behavior with their financial financial status Government-level c&e is so abstract, it’s virtually impossible...
Stop Obsessing over Tiny Financial Details
Also doesn't matter: - Switching savings account to get an extra 0.05% interest - Agonizing over the cost of daily coffee - Tracking 50+ line items in a budget
Wealthy Critics Face Naïve “Just Pay More” Replies
When I post that wealthy people like me should pay higher taxes, I receive hundreds of comments saying, “You know you can just pay the government more, right??” So it’s comforting to see that billionaires like @TomSteyer also get the same...
