This is a first-person account of financial choices and results. I am an environmental professional, not a licensed financial adviser. The writing is for education and discussion, not individualized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice.
My reporting standards
- Dollar amounts: Public figures are rounded to the nearest $100, including payments and transaction amounts. Estimates are identified as estimates.
- Income: The year-by-year earnings series comes from my Social Security record and represents individual Social Security-taxed earnings, not combined household pay or an inflation-adjusted series.
- Balances: Account values are snapshots from particular dates; they will change. Account balances are not the same as investment performance.
- Returns: If I describe a return, I identify the account, date and period, and whether a figure is annualized, cumulative, or simply an account-value change when known.
- Sources and uncertainty: Some older family expenses, investment contributions, and dates are based on my recollection. Those should not be mistaken for audited records.
- Net worth: Investments, home equity, other assets, and liabilities are distinct. House estimates are not appraisals, and home equity is not immediately spendable cash.
Independence and advertising
I may use Google AdSense to help cover the cost of publishing this site. Advertisements will be identified and are not endorsements by me. Ad placement will not determine whether I praise or criticize an investment or financial strategy.
I don't receive compensation for recommending the funds described in my personal investment history. If that changes, I will add a clear disclosure to the relevant page. I do not ask readers to trade based on my holdings, and performance figures are not forecasts.
I aim to correct substantive errors as they are identified. Readers can contact me through the site's contact page. When a third-party service is used to collect information or display ads, its privacy practices may also apply; please review the site's privacy policy.