Since 2009, Kevin Mercadante has been sharing his journey from a washed-up mortgage loan officer emerging from the Financial Meltdown as a contract/self-employed “slash worker” – accountant/blogger/freelance blog writer – on OutofYourRut.com. He offers career strategies, from dealing with under-employment to transitioning into self-employment, and provides “Alt-retirement strategies” for the vast majority who won’t retire to the beach as millionaires.
He also frequently discusses the big-picture trends that are putting the squeeze on the bottom 90%, offering workarounds and expense cutting tips to help readers carve out more money to save in their budgets – a.k.a., breaking the “savings barrier” and transitioning from debtor to saver.
Kevin has a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from Montclair State University.
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or financial institution. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Copilot is financial management and budgeting tool designed to help iOS users to master their financial lives. If you’ve been looking to get better control of your financing across multiple accounts, Copilot may be the right choice for you. It gives you the ability to track your spending, create budgets, and have more control over your financial destiny.
Long-term investors understand the importance of diversification, including the need to spread capital beyond US markets. Two popular international stock funds include Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) and Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF (VEU). The question is, which is the better international ETF for your portfolio - VXUS vs. VEU?
Hulu is one of the most popular streaming services on the market. The growing interest in Hulu might make buying its stock seem like a winning proposition, but for one not-so-small complication, there’s no way to buy it outright. That said, there are a couple of ways to leverage the Hulu surge.
If you’re looking to quickly purchase a life insurance policy with a relatively low death benefit, Globe Life Insurance is worth checking out. That’s the exact type of policy they specialize in. They offer an all-online approval process for both adults and children, often with no requirement for a medical exam.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, Litecoin, the blockchain, wallets, exchanges - how do you keep track of your crypto? Increasingly, crypto portfolio trackers appear to be the solution. What are the best crypto portfolio trackers? We answer that question and let you know why they’re becoming increasingly important to crypto investors.
Coast FIRE is one of the more interesting versions of FIRE, aka Financial Independence, Retire Early. With Coast FIRE, you build a portfolio early in life that can grow enough to fund your retirement, then live your life - or coast - until the big day arrives. That’s where this FIRE flavor gets its name.
Buying company stock as a Christmas or birthday gift for your child won’t match the sizzle of some hot new toy. But the gift of stock is an opportunity to change the child’s future direction. If they don’t “get it” now, they almost certainly will in a few years.
If you’re concerned about saving money - and who isn’t - GetUpside is an app that enables you to take advantage of cash rewards offers available with gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and restaurants. The company advertises cash back rewards as high as $0.25 per gallon on gas and 45% on other purchases. Find out more in our GetUpside review.
If you’ve never been a regular saver but you’ve decided that now is the time, you may be wondering how much money you should save each month? This article explores two of the most common savings strategies. The one you choose will depend upon how much you need to save and how quickly you need to do it.
Mainvest offers investors an opportunity to spread their wings by investing in small, local businesses for as little as $100. Mainvest uses a crowdfunded investment model in which investors provide financing for small businesses in exchange for regular interest income. This Mainvest review covers the basics; key features, how to sign up, and the pros and cons.
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) are two of the largest and most popular investment funds in America. Each ETF is used to represent the general US stock market in a portfolio. But in a head-to-head comparison (VOO vs. VTI), is one better than the other?
Like the other FIRE versions, Lean FIRE relies heavily on the safe withdrawal rate and building an extensive portfolio. But the main difference is that this version of FIR has a much stronger emphasis on frugality. Lean FIRE works incredibly well for people who can live on less than the average person does.
