Jacob Schroeder

Are You Financially Resilient?

A young woman in the Land of Oz asks her way to Kansas. “If I were you,” she is unhelpfully told, “I wouldn’t start from Oz.” But if Oz is where you are, you have no choice; from there is where you start. That is how it is with many financial hardships. We must startContinue reading “Are You Financially Resilient?”

Stories That Make You Rich or Go Broke

Why do you make certain decisions? How can you make better ones? Perhaps, you need a better story. I think finance is synonymous with storytelling. Wall Street publishes more stories than the publishing industry. Exhibit A is the GameStop saga, where a group of day traders bid up the beleaguered video game retailer’s stock priceContinue reading “Stories That Make You Rich or Go Broke”

One Question to Improve Your Money Habits

Goodbye, dear reader. Scientists have announced a previously undetected asteroid is on a collision course with Earth. It will strike within minutes and wipe out all life on the planet. Take the short time you have left to first hug your loved ones. Then, since you’re a person who understands the importance of good moneyContinue reading “One Question to Improve Your Money Habits”

The Power of Framing in Money, Life

In a consumerist culture, happiness is closely associated with wealth. The more you earn, the more you can buy, the happier you will feel. Yet, there is a reason why studies show older adults are happier, and it’s not from accumulating massive levels of wealth. The secret is found in a quote attributed to RomanContinue reading “The Power of Framing in Money, Life”

Managing Your Personality in Your Portfolio

Whether we can admit it or not, the way we invest is heavily influenced by our personalities. As I struggle with the hardest Dry January in history, I’ve thought a lot about people I’ve known who could freely indulge in alcohol or drugs yet still meet all life’s obligations. They always made it to theContinue reading “Managing Your Personality in Your Portfolio”

What You Appreciate, Appreciates

A fundamental principle for growing wealth, love, happiness — everything — lives in a remote corner of India. More than 40 years ago, a humble farmer named Jadav Payeng started to plant trees on a desolate river island. Known as “The Forest Man of India,” he planted tens of thousands of trees — bamboo, cottonwoodContinue reading “What You Appreciate, Appreciates”

A Lesson to Remember in a Year to Forget

The Chicxulub asteroid had a diameter of possibly 50 miles, or maybe as little as seven. So, the equivalent distance of a nice day drive or morning jog. We will likely never know with certainty. What we do know is its impact on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula was powerful enough to trigger the extinction of 75%Continue reading “A Lesson to Remember in a Year to Forget”

Supercharging Your Financial Bullshit Detector

Please excuse the language. To me, the hardest part of writing isn’t the writing. It’s the editing. Specifically, the cutting. My ego believes every word is divine while my brain says most are crap. Deep down I know my work improves when I get the red pen and, as Stephen King incites, “kill my darlings.”Continue reading “Supercharging Your Financial Bullshit Detector”

Do Your Financial Goals Match Your Values?

Tony Hsieh, who tragically passed away last week, was all of us – someone who wanted to know how to live a happy, meaningful life during his short time on Earth. A concern for happiness was a major reason why the former Zappos CEO focused on transforming work culture. Happy workers made happy customers. ButContinue reading “Do Your Financial Goals Match Your Values?”