Sushi Money

Okay, let’s be honest. How many of us have little quirks or habits that we use to save money? I was thinking about this the other day while doing a cost-benefit analysis in my head over some purchase. Then I realized I do this everyday almost unconsciously. So I began to wonder- how “normal” is it to think of saving money in various ways as a routine habit or way of life? After all, many of our friends and acquaintances enjoy spending money and living like there’s no tomorrow.

For those of us interested in personal finance and growing our wealth, does frugality just naturally go along with our goals? Or is something we pursue and challenge ourselves about? Somehow I believe we develop our own financial knowledge and strategies because it meets the values that are important to us. And how many of us wish we learned these values, or lessons, at a far earlier time in our lives?

But do you know any people who don’t even seem to care about saving money? I’m not sure I could go that far, it’s more likely that some people are just not aware of why it’s so important, or that they are spending much more of their income than they should.

So after I thought about it a while, I realized I do a lot of things to try and save money. I say “try” because I may not always be saving money, but just believe I am. And I have various habits or quirks that to try and find ways to become more efficient financially. Maybe it’s a disease… the same one that had me running around changing lightbulbs the other day after realizing I didn’t finish all the bulbs in the house last year. By my accounting, it saves us $5-$10 a month on our electricity bill.

So here’s my short list of strategies for saving money at home. These are things I do, or we focus on as a family:

1. Installed and use programmable thermostats for the house… but I still fiddle with the thermostats everyday to optimize the settings if we don’t need the heat or cooling. I even shut doors/vents to rooms that we don’t use, and are colder in winter, and circulate the fans where possible in living spaces.
2. Installed 40 compact flourescent lightbulbs instead of using the traditional incandescent bulbs throughout the house.
3. When putting gas in the car I hold the pump hose up to drain as much gas out of the line as possible… if it’s possible!?
4. Try not to drive excessively fast, but try and maintain constant speeds (a little higher than Grandpa..), and I coast as much as possible, especially going downhill and between stoplights. Also saves on brake wear.
5. Try not to shop for groceries when we’re hungry. I’ve proven that I’ll buy all kinds of useless junk if I’m hungry! We use coupons if it fits our lifestyle, but don’t clip that many. We minimize junk foods, and pre-packaged processed meals.
6. Pay bills online for free instead of using stamps and checks if possible.
7. If we go out for fast food, I’ll order from the value or dollar menu, and often order water instead of soda. But in general we eat out a lot less these days. We splurge on dining out once or twice a month at a decent restaurant.
8. We buy groceries and dry goods in bulk where possible, especially if the item is on sale.
9. Make our own coffee in the morning; having coffee out is a rare treat.
10. Prepare brown bag lunches for work/school, instead of eating out.
11. Eat and stay healthy… avoid the doctor and look for alternative health ideas for common ailments.
12. Use the library for books and videos. Find free recreation and activities for the kids.
13. Use the least expensive cell phone, land-line telephone and internet service plans as possible. But we do have broadband internet- it makes life so much more pleasant. We also keep land-line telephone service because we live in a semi-rural area and it works during electricity outages, or else we’d ditch that too.
14. Avoid bank and credit card fees in all ways possible. Find another bank if the current one charges too many fees.
15. Cut the kids hair at home. Pets are also bathed and groomed at home. Not that kids and pets are the same mind you…
16. Carefully research larger purchases (greater than $50-$100). When ready to buy, we purchase quality items that will last. Often we’ll shop online after finding a lower price, and save on taxes as well.
17. Pay off credit cards each month unless financing a temporary item at very low rates, or 0%. Don’t carry a balance.
18. Do most of our cleaning, landscaping and auto maintenance needs at home when possible.
19. Grow a garden to eat our own vegetables.
20. Don’t shop for more clothing and shoes than absolutely necessary, and purchase items on sale.

Oh… one more I just realized. Use the same old computer until I can’t stand it anymore! I’m typing on my second laptop- the first lasted almost three years. This one has just passed two years and still going strong, but I would really like to get a bigger desktop… some day.

So what things do you do to save money? I’m sure there’s a lot more… does this seem normal to you, or do you live carefree and not worry about it? I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to do that…

Great article out this week from Laura Rowley.  She says Don’t Fiddle Away Your Financial Independence and uses the analogy of the old fable about the Ant and the Grasshopper to describe the current financial challenges we face.  Even more interesting are the comments from many folks across the country.  Real people share their stories and feelings about saving and investing, the economy, bailouts, mortgage and foreclosure issues, etc. 

Maybe for some the difference is easily seen.  But I wonder how many of us have been both at times?  I know I’ve hopped around like a spendthrift Grasshopper many times in my life. The older I become, the more I appreciate the steady, disciplined approach to saving and investing.  

The Ant and the Grasshopper

     In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content.  An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”

“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”

“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “We have got plenty of food at present.”  But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.  When the winter finally came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the Ants distributing corn and grain every day from the stores they had collected in the summer.  Then the Grasshopper knew:

 It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

     Are you a confused investor?  I think we all are sometimes… in the world of money there is always something to learn.  Economics, finance and investing are not static topics, especially as countless laws change every year.  But if the research we read about is true, then as many as half of all Americans find the investing process confusing.   In this Bankrate article, they ask “is the other half lying?“  It’s an excellent point, and probably close to the truth.  Many people don’t realize how complex investing and retirement planning really is, and take much for granted throughout their lives, all the while paying a lot more than they should in fees and other charges.  No surprise, I’ve done the same thing for years.  

     But at some point, in order to acheive any degree of tangible retirement security, you have to start asking questions and begin finding the right answers.  While so many Americans stay confused, guess who benefits?  The financial services industry.  I’m all for businesses making a fair profit, but not at the expense and ignorance of the people the industry supposedly serves!  And who benefts the least?  Those who least understand what they are getting into.  The segment of the population that is at the lowest socio-economic levels.  Is that surprising? Probably not… education is the key to so much in our society, and it’s no different where investing and saving for retirement is concerned.

“In short, it is the lower- to middle-income segment of American society that is in the greatest need of financial planning and investment advice; however, the industry is simply not equipped to deal with this population of underserved people.”  John Grable, Kansas State University

     It’s really all about financial literacy.  Just as reading, writing and arithmetic are the fundamentals at elementary school for our children, financial literacy can serve as leverage for understanding and succeeding in the areas of investing and retirement planning.  Can you do it alone?  Certainly.  But it’s not a simple proposition.  It requires regular education and research, as well as age-old discipline to stay with it.  Some statistics in the article above cite that only 32 percent of investors in America have an IRA.  And only 23 percent have both an IRA and a 401(k)!   According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), the Individual Retirement Account is the single most popular retirement savings vehicle in the country.  Just not enough people are using one, or starting soon enough if they do!  

     When you look at the numbers, it’s actually somewhat scary.  People are starting to realize that they must take charge of their financial future, but we’re not saving nearly enough.  It takes a great many years to accumulate sufficient retirement assets to provide a self-sustaining source of income.  Social Security is counted on by far too many for far too much.  It will probably be around during our lifetimes, but it’s not going to give someone a secure retirement without something else to supplement the income need.   Take a look at this 2007 chart from the EBRI:

    Nearly half of all U.S. workers report savings and investment totals of less than $25,000. And almost 25% of U.S. workers and retirees report having no savings and investments at all!  Admittedly, many of these numbers are skewed to the younger population with older workers normally having more savings assets.  But it’s still not pretty.  We can do something about that… take charge personally and start planning for our future today.  Read and learn, share knowledge with family or friends, and think about the vision you have for the years ahead.   Besides, what is it really about?  It’s about investing in ourselves.  Getting there financially  just takes knowledge, time and a little discipline along the way.  Of course, if you read this far you’re probably way ahead of the pack.  But as we take a few more steps to secure our retirement, maybe we can help someone else learn to do the same.  

It’s often been said that experience is the best teacher, and that’s a very appropriate axiom when it comes to managing money. Jonathan Hoenig from SmartMoney.com might agree in his article Trading, Not TV, Offers Best Investing Lessons. He makes an excellent point in terms of investing in the market and how learning to trade stocks can provide an understanding that we won’t get anywhere else. It’s a good read with some valuable insight, but it’s not for everybody. There are plenty of investors out there who have never set foot in the world of brokerage accounts, and don’t intend to. Many investors have a 401(k), Roth IRA, and a host of taxable mutual funds. Do they need a brokerage account? Not unless they want to trade stocks on their own.

Sometimes I think many of the Wall Street gurus think that trading in the stock market is a necessary practice for achieving wealth. Perhaps surprisingly it’s not- many people enjoy building a business and working at a career that provides long-term growth and opportunity. Many other people invest patiently without trading. Some folks think the market is just too complicated, and don’t want to risk any money trading. I can empathize with that, but at one point in my life I felt a strong desire to learn what trading is all about. My story is pretty much like Mr. Hoenig’s, except perhaps that I didn’t make as much money and don’t trade for a living now.

The conclusions I came to were born on the winding road of countless gains and losses, and the realization that, for me, trading stocks is no way to make a living! Naturally, if you are a professional or have a passion for trading, then more power to you. But to be quite honest, I realized that unless I was going to focus on trading full-time, or become a professional in the investment and trading world, I really had no business being there. It takes a lot of time and focus to get it right, and you can’t be very successful on a part-time schedule. Maybe there are exceptions- I’d love to hear about them. Trading just doesn’t get me there… but saving and investing does!

I would offer that most of us need to be a little more patient and disciplined over time, and instead of trading- focus on investing. Once I accepted that I wasn’t going to spend a lot of time trading stocks, I became a long-term investor, and focused on companies, stocks and mutual funds that would help grow my portfolio. Much of that means dividend paying stocks that return something for the risk I take when holding them over time. I also became someone who looked for opportunities to save money in every facet of life. Little costs add up to big dollars over the years. Something that David Bach calls “The Latte Factor” or how People Magazine says “A Latte spurned is a fortune earned!” Don’t see it? Let’s say you give up three latte’s per week at $3.50 each. That’s $10.50 per week, or $42 per month. Or if you cut back somewhere else and save $20 per week, or $80 per month? Take a look at a comparison:

That’s just from some extra savings each week, with monthly compounded interest. Maybe it looks like a paltry sum of money to some people, but it’s just a minor example. Imagine what we can achieve by saving more! It also shows how a little more interest can go a long way. And it presents an opportunity for us to look for saving money in everything we do over time. At home, at the grocery store, at the bank, when using credit cards, etc, etc. There are countless ways to become more frugal, efficient, thrifty… whatever you want to call it. Just doing it is the hard part, but once you get started- it becomes kind of fun.

Overall I think we can achieve a balance between needs and wants… taking care of ourselves and our families, treating ourself to good things now and then, and being proud of our savings and investing habits over the years. We can end up with a lot more than we ever dreamed of, if we just do our part each week. And by the way, that axiom about getting experience? Well, experience is pretty darn important, no question about it. But it’s not the only place we can learn. Learning from the mistakes and wisdom of others is often more important. There’s a quote I like from Benjamin Franklin, someone who long recognized the value of money throughout his life:

“Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.”

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     How many coins do you have laying around at home?  Confession time:  I’ve got about 2-3 gallon size jars full of them.  Which is strange because it’s contrary to my goals and habits for earning interest on savings!  In some ways it’s a habit I picked up from my father long ago.  When I was very young, I was enthralled with the coin jars and cans my father kept around the house.  He commuted often for long hours, riding trains and working in various cities.  He ate lunch and other meals on the road, paid tolls, and ended up with lots of change.  And he rarely took his coins to the bank.  Instead we would hand roll them every couple of years, and after many rolls of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters were all piled up, he would finally take them to the bank and use the money for something fun.

     I don’t have nearly the number of coins laying around that he did.  And I really want to do something with them rather than allow them to sit, wasting away over time as their value may slowly erode with the inexorable march of inflation.  A few years ago I tried to do just that… and the bank refused the coins!  I had not rolled them, and was hoping the bank would use their machine to sort them.  They said they didn’t have time and I had to roll them manually.  Ugh.  Hence Coinstar arrived on the scene in supermarkets and other stores to fill a consumer need.  I refused to use the Coinstar machines however because they charge such high interest, often over 8%.    But they have a new approach these days where you can receive a gift card back from Amazon or another company without paying the interest charge.  As often as I use Amazon that’s a pretty good approach.   And now the banks are finally on board too it seems. Many of them have their own sorting machines and will accept loose change. 

     Either way, I feel like I should take the pennies and do something with them… but for some reason I just like to see them fill up the jars.  And so does our 7-year old.  We have a savings game while the jars fill up, and we’ve been planning to use the money for a neat fishing trip.  Maybe it makes it more tangible for him, and in some ways is the reason I like to have them around.  And maybe that’s not a bad reason after all.

    Here’s a great article about saving and investing… and validates something that most of us know intuitively:  Your First Million is the Toughest.   The charts make an excellent point about how compounding works in your favor the more money you have.   So for someone saving $1000 per month, with an 11% return it would take 21 years to go from $0 dollars to a $1,000,000 dollars.  But if you’ve already got $2 Million in the bank, it only takes 3.5 years to get to $3 Million with that same $1000 per month at 11%!    I’m certainly not at my first million… but working towards it.  And as this article shows, spending a huge chunk of money to get married is like giving up a million dollars 40 years down the road.   Someone spending $35,000 on a wedding at age 25 could instead put that into an investment earning 9% for 40 years. At age 65 they would have over $1.1 Million dollars!  Makes you think a little bit. 

    Of course, if you just want to find out when you’ll be a millionaire based on your savings goals and assets, check out this calculator from Money.com

     Are you suffering from too much choice regarding saving and investing for retirement?  I know I have at times. Too many funds, brokerage accounts, stocks, and questions about our “portfolio”… especially the 401(k).  And we are not alone!  Barry Schwartz, in a talk on the Paradox of Choice, cites too much consumer choice as a problem in society today.  In one example, he cites statistics that show how, with a 401(k) for example, for every 10 funds offered as choices, participation rates decrease by 2%.  A 401(k) plan that offers a choice of 50 funds suffers from 10% less participation simply due to the complexity of choice!  (You can view the video yourself at the link below).

    How about another example?   Let’s say we’re in the market for an mp3 player.  We go to the local big box electronics store thinking we probably know what we want, but we want to see the choices.  Holy cow!  Many brands and versions, but which is the most popular?  Easy question, it’s the iPod.  We look at all the choices, and then head to the gleaming white and mutli-colored rectangle.  Why?  I think it’s because of simplicity.  Apple found long ago that if you do a few things very well, market it correctly, and remain consistent, consumers will respond.  I believe the iPod and many other Apple products are so successful because of their simplicity and the fact that what they do, they do very well.  With an iPod you know what you’re going to get for the most part.  It’s sleek, intuitive and Apple doesn’t reinvent the wheel everytime someone wants to do something new with it.  They let other manufactures complement Apple products with a variety of endless components. 

    In many ways, we can do the same thing with our financial management and retirement planning.  Instead of staying paralyzed by too much choice, we should make a few simple decisions and let it go.  That’s why so many “life cycle” or “life strategy” mutual funds have come along and continue to increase in popularity.  It’s a one-stop shop for saving and investing over time, with automatic re-balancing by the mutual fund company. 

• One of the most important factors for the consumer to decide is risk tolerance.  How conservative or aggressive do you want your savings to be invested?  (See the end of this post for some worksheets and more info about risk tolerance.)
• Another element of maintaining a simple approach to saving and investing is to automate the process.  If it’s a 401(k), simply sign up for payroll deduction, matching, etc. and let it work it’s magic.  If we’re investing on our own… do the automatic ACH transfer thing, and let it go.  Simple is good.  
• Many “target-date” retirement mutual funds offer simple choices.  You just pick a plan based on your approximate retirement years, e.g. 2025 fund or a 2030 fund, and you keep on investing.
• What’s the most important thing about saving for retirement?  1) Starting a saving and investment program and, 2)  Staying with it!  As the chart below clearly shows, Defined Benefit pensions (the old traditional pension) have continued to decrease over the years, and achieving financial security in retirement is now the responsibility of the worker.  We must save consistently for retirement. 

     Besides, so many employers provide matching funds for the defined contribution, or 401(k) type of plans these days that we are giving up free money if we don’t sign up!  We tend to think no one would do that… but average participation rates have remained around 55%-60% for many years.   The provisions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 are intended to foster automatic enrollment of new employees, with the ultimate hope of increasing pension-based financial security for worker’s retirement years.  It looks like the PPA provisions are having a large impact because participation in 401(k) type of plans is increasing, as well as diversification by employees within the sponsor’s plans. 

     It used to be that most 401(k) participants invested primarily in company stock… not any more.  People are more likely to use a mutual fund or plan from a company such as Fidelity or Vanguard- especially the life-cycle or target date retirement funds.  If you have a choice, why put all your eggs in one basket and invest only in company stock?   But getting started and enrolled is still the most important thing.  Many people think they “can’t afford it” right now, or need the money for something else.  When it comes to retirement, I think we can’t afford to not save for the future.  No one else is going to do if for us.    Social Security, if it’s still viable in 20-30 years, will not provide an adequate income for retirement.  It is simply a supplement to retirement.  We won’t even talk about healthcare costs that retirees will continue to face.

   Here’s the link to a great video with Barry Schwartz on the Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less.  It’s pretty long- about an hour twenty minutes to watch, or you can read his best-selling book:

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less

     In recent years, consumers are using money market funds in much the same way as a bank savings account.  Many money market funds even allow you to write a limited number of checks.  Yet the phrase “money market fund” is very broad.  Most banking institutions have what are called money market deposit accounts.  These are different from money market mutual funds, typically offered by financial institutions like brokerage or mutual fund companies. 

What is the key difference?  In most cases, money market deposit accounts at banking institutions are fully insured with the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) for up to $100,000 protection for losses, just like a checking or savings account.  Check the FDIC link to review what is, or is not insured at your bank or financial institution.   But money market mutual funds are different animals, and may be invested in different products to achieve a higher rate of return for consumers.  And they are generally not FDIC insured. 

*** Update: 2008 ***  Due to the financial crisis in September/October 2008, the U.S. government has agreed to provide temporary FDIC insurance coverage for money market mutual funds of participating financial institutions.  Additionally, FDIC insurance has now been increased temporarily from basic amounts of $100,000 per customer deposit account to $250,000.  For more information, see the FDIC website.

     Rumors and concern by consumers for money market accounts have been flying around the internet in the past few months, with many people wondering how “safe” their money is with various banks and mutual fund accounts.  I know I was curious as well… are you?  Many of these fears may be unfounded, but there’s nothing wrong with making sure you are comfortable where you are putting your money.  So if you’re invested in a high-yield money market mutual fund, and don’t have FDIC insurance coverage, does this mean your money is at greater risk of loss?  Perhaps… remotely. If my financial institution was investing in high-yield commercial paper, with mortgage bonds or subprime CDO’s as the majority of assets… I would probably not feel comfortable, and would move my money elsewhere.  

But CNN/Money has written an excellent article today titled Debunking Money Market Fears while discussing how there has only been one money market fund that “lost” money for consumers over the past twenty years, paying .94 cents on the dollar after shutting down.  More typically, a financial insitution will make sure they “back up” their money market mutual funds to ensure their reputation and client confidence is maintained. 

    One of the best dicussions of the topic was addressed recently at Vanguard.  The Vanguard Prime Money Market fund is a low cost, high yield money market fund. Is this fund insured by the FDIC?  No.  But is it a safe money market fund?  In my opinion, very safe.  Responding to concern by clients and investors, the company addressed the issue recently in the article,  Vanguard money markets well-positioned for market volatility.  To quote how Vanguard invests with the Prime money market fund:

“What are the largest holdings of Vanguard Prime Money Market?”

“The largest category is bank certificates of deposit, slightly over half of the fund’s assets. U.S. government agency bonds and commercial paper are each about one-fifth of the portfolio. The commercial paper is short-term debt issued by blue-chip companies such as General Electric and Wal-Mart.”

     Looks like a very sound portfolio to me, and it was good information to know.  What about your money market mutual fund?  Do you know what they are investing in?  I also appreciate companies who provide full disclosure to investors.  Those who have been the most concerned about risk have moved a great deal of money into U.S. government treasury bonds, and funds that invest in treasuries, seeing that as the safest place.  After all, if the government’s treasury bonds are ever at risk, then we’re all in trouble!  Nothing wrong with that at all. 

We need to make decisions about what we believe is best… putting our money where we feel the most comfortable.  If that’s a bank savings account or CD, then that’s the place to go.  There are many excellent choices, and good, solid money market funds.  For a real bank savings account, there are terrific options like ING Direct, currently offering a 4.5% savings rate. You can open a savings account in under five minutes with no fees, no minimums and FDIC insurance.  ING Direct offers simple online transfers to and from any checking account you prefer.

  I personally believe our money is safe with most money market funds in the financial services industry whether FDIC insured or not, and will continue using Vanguard Prime as my money market fund of choice.  How about you?   Have you moved money around recently, or are you concerned about your own money market funds? I would love to hear your feedback!

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     In a not too surprising move, the major Democratic Presidential candidates have begun to make political hay out of the mortgage and subprime lending issues.   This article discusses how Senators Dodd, Clinton, Edwards and Obama have all made statements or introduced legislation to try and “remedy” the mortgage lending system.  Why is this not surprising?  Because quite simply it speaks of more government regulation and intrusion into individual and business owners lives in America.  Increased government regulation is often the Democrats answer for “fixing” perceived problems in society.  Unfortunately I think they are making too many assumptions, most of which involve the belief that mortgage brokers are primarily responsible for the problems we are facing with subprime loans.  First of all, the subprime lending mess is only a tiny fraction of all mortgage lending in this country.  Of that tiny fraction, only a portion of borrowers are defaulting on their loans.  There is no question that lending standards have been too lax for too many years, and that loans were made available to people who shouldn’t have been approved for them. What about a borrowers responsibility? If there was outright fraud and deceit in the loan processing, then absolutely… go after those lenders.  But do we need to “overhaul” the mortgage lending industry simply because of lax lending standards and a few predatory lenders? 

    The article cited also shows how it’s not only the lending industry that is at fault here.  Wall Street and the financial industry have embraced these loan products as investments.  Much of the subprime mess is related to hedge fund investments gone bad also, and that’s why we’re seeing such market volatility and panic among investors around the world.  So overhauling the mortgage lending industry will solve these problems too?  I don’t disagree with all of the ideas or calls for action by our political leaders.  Senator Dodd’s ideas for example involve tightening underwriting standards on loans and reducing the “no doc” or “low doc” loans that many borrowers have been presented with.  I’m all for improving lending practices and providing increased clarity for potential borrowers.  But I disagree strongly with his call for requiring lenders to escrow for taxes and insurance.  So the government wants to become the “big parent” and ensure that borrowers pay their taxes and insurance on time?  I don’t know about you, but I don’t need the government telling me how to manage my money.  With my current mortgage for example, I pay my own taxes and insurance payments, and that flexibility is very important to me.  Instead of putting my money in an escrow account, I can keep it in my own savings account earning interest.  I can plan my insurance and tax payments for the optimal time of year based on my savings and household expenditures.  With escrow accounts, one often has to put in far more than necessary, and well in advance, simply because the lender requires it and federal regulation says they can do so.  I don’t want the government telling me I have to do that.  How can I pay my taxes and insurance myself?  Because I have a good credit rating.  With an excellent credit score, you can often request from your lender that you pay your taxes and insurance yourself.  Some lenders or loan products will not allow this, but many do.  It pays to shop around and ask first. 

     Senator Dodd also wants to get rid of all prepayment penalties on loans.  At first glance this sounds like a great idea… I cannot stand prepayment penalties and will never take out a loan that has one.  But again, why should the government decide for the financial institution how they should do business?  There are valid reasons for loans with prepayment penalties, most often involving loans with really good (low) interest rates.  In exchange for a really low rate, a mortgage company might include a prepayment clause to help make up some of the difference on the interest rate, etc.  It depends on the loan product, and it may also be tied to credit standards and risk. These are businesses, and they are not in business to give money away.  Some people want the choice of a specific loan product, even if it does have a prepayment penalty.  I don’t, but if someone else does, that’s their choice.  I don’t think the government should have a hand in it. 

     Ultimately, I believe with more government regulation we will see increased costs and interest rates for borrowers on average.  Why?  Because there is less flexibility and choice for consumers, and less incentive for financial institutions to develop anarray of lending and investment products that satisfies both borrowers and lenders needs, as well as attracting investors (aka Wall Street) to provide the liquidity that makes the world go round.   Less choice is not a good thing in terms of business and saving money.  We want competition and choice, and with less government intrusion we achieve those goals. 

     That being said, I’m all for improving mortgage lending to help improve consumer choice and opportunity as well as requiring fair practices by lenders.  Ambiguous perhaps, but Senator Edwards for example has talked about banning “certain fees” (I’d like to see what fees he’s talking about), and establishing uniform broker licensing requirements with a national database for disciplinary infractions.  Hmmm… who’s going to pay for that “national database”?  Yep… taxpayers and borrowers.  I like the idea of uniform broker licensing, but believe the States should have the primary authority in that regard.  After all, it is at the State and local level that people take out mortgages for homes… we live in communities and often those communities have unique needs and cultural approaches to conducting business.   Don’t we have State requirements for licensing and lending anyway?  

   Finally, I have to make a comment about the choices and actions that we, as borrowers, make in the lending process.  No one forces us to sign on the dotted line.  The problem for too many people is that we are not smart enough or educated enough to know what we are signing and how to manage our financial lives.  Increased clarity and knowledge about the mortgage loan process is always a good thing.  When someone takes out a loan, they don’t do so with the intent to default or give up their home in foreclosure.  That is a traumatic and life-changing event that no one desires.  Many financial institutions are currently working with customers who have problems making payments to ensure they keep their homes and continue paying on their loans.  The bank certainly doesn’t want our homes and a defaulted loan.  But as borrowers we are legally and financially obligated to pay on that loan.  We must do our homework and make our financial decisions rationally based on our income and lifestyle needs.  Don’t buy more house than you can afford.  If you can’t afford a 30-year fixed rate loan for the house you want to purchase, then you can’t afford an adjustable rate mortgage for that same house… especially down the road.   Maybe not always true- but it’s a good rule of thumb.  How can the financial world function without legal requirements for borrowing and lending?  It can’t.  I’m also a strong advocate for financial literacy education.  Many states are now including financial management education as a requirement for high school graduation.  It’s about time… and we need to do more.  That’s something I’d like to see our political leaders talking about.

     I grew up with the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared.”  Not that we can prepare for everything, but it’s usually in the back of my mind… this little voice whispering in my ear until I finally do something about it.  I won’t go into the other little voices I hear(!) but suffice it to say that I like taking care of little problems before they become bigger problems.  It doesn’t always work out that way however. 

Take last year for example.  We just moved into a new (for us) home in the country.  We live about an hour from a major metropolitan area, but definitely in the country… farm fields and forest to be seen for miles.  Winter in the midwest can get mighty cold, and one of my goals was to have a wood burning stove.  Not only do I enjoy the warmth of a wood stove, but I like the security it provides in terms of raw heat, whether you have electricity or not. So we purchased a nice wood burning insert for the fireplace, and I spent the Fall season cutting, stacking and procuring seasoned firewood. 

     It was not a little expense however… after installation the wood insert cost exceeded $3000.  I plunked it on the credit card before using a timely 12-month 0% balance transfer option for another card.  It took some rationalizing that buying the wood burning insert was something we needed… really it was something I always wanted.  And we enjoyed using it as winter grew colder.  Something we did need however was a good backup generator for the house. Power outages are not uncommon where we live, and we were fortunate to inherit an older Honda generator.  Being the practical “be prepared” kind of guy, I routinely started the generator once or twice a month to make sure it would be functional should we ever need it.  

     That day finally arrived with a monster ice storm last winter that coated roads, trees and powerlines with temperatures in the low teens and 20’s.  Ice and electric power lines do not mix well, and within 24 hours the entire metro region was in a series of outages that lasted almost a week.  Normally with power outages, we wait several hours to see if the power comes back on (as it usually does) before hooking up the generator.  That first day I filled up the trusty wood burning insert, and we stayed fairly toasty while burning wood with the residual heat inside the home.  As night came with the power still off, I resigned myself to starting the generator, but very glad we had it.  Out it came while I beamed with pride for my wisdom in making sure it was ready to run.  ”Time for some power!” I thought…  Or not.  After 30 minutes of yanking, pulling and a few colorful words, the dang thing simply would not start.  So it was going to be a dark night at the homefront!  

     That night I stoked that wood burning insert for all it was worth, and although much of the house was pretty chilly, we curled up in the living room and enjoyed the radiated warmth that only a wood fire and cast iron can bring.  There’s something very rewarding about fire in the midst of freezing weather.  Yes, we might have been able to pack up the car to drive for an hour and find a hotel somewhere, but that wasn’t a sure bet with all the power outages.  More importantly, the icy roads and snow coming down was a safety consideration.  With a family, animals and a house you’re concerned about, you try to stay around if possible.  There’s another motto that comes in handy… “Don’t make a bad situation worse.”  Driving was out of the question, but we actually enjoyed a comforable night with a toasty wood fire, albeit without the usual amenities of home.

     Fortunately, we awoke the next day to decent weather and improving roads.  I drove into a smaller town a half hour away to try and find some new spark plugs and starting fluid, and about midday arrived back at home. I finally got the generator started and we were off to the races.  But the thing about small portable generators is that it takes fuel for them to run… I had only stored a single days worth of fuel, not enough to run non-stop without multiple trips for fuel.  But it was enough… it lasted almost a day running what we needed in the house, while most of the house stayed warm enough with the wood stove. The power came back on briefly the second day… back off for another night, then back again “for good” on the third day.   No real crisis, but enough challenges to make us really appreciate the power company!

     As I get ready to pay off that credit card debt, I look back and consider how much it cost to purchase and install that stove.  And I’ve found it doesn’t really matter… what matters is the security we have in the form of something that serves as a “back up” to heat the home in winter.  Actually we use it almost everyday in winter to supplement heat and cut down the electricity bill.  (And it’s a clean burning wood insert with the highest EPA ratings for air cleanliness… you hardly see any smoke coming out the chimney as it reburns most of it).  I consider that stove one of the best “investments” I’ve ever made for the value it brings to our family.  And you know what?  I can see how an emergency fund serves a similar purpose.  It’s like having a “wood stove” or  “generator” in your bank account… ready in case you ever really need it.  Unlike a wood stove however, it shouldn’t be used regularly!  But it can supplement your financial needs when times get tough.   

     There’s another analogy worth looking at… paying down debt.  In many ways, paying off debt is similar to cutting firewood.  There’s an old saying, “Wood heats you twice… once when you’re cutting it, and again when you burn it!”  Paying down debt can achieve similar results… you’re “paying yourself twice” by getting rid of the debt burden and financing costs, while making room to use cash for savings at a later time.  What about the generator that wouldn’t start?  Well, I look at that like not having an emergency fund.  We take so much for granted that we don’t think of the unexpected.  We work hard to stay prepared, and rationalize that we don’t need to save so much money.  But we may not be as quite as prepared as we think, especially if we don’t have a fairly liquid emergency fund ready to meet needs in times of crisis or challenge.  

     What did I learn from that ice storm last winter?  I learned that spending money, even using credit wisely, to ensure your safety, comfort and security can be a pretty good investment.   And  that  “being prepared” is a positive mindset… yet even when you think you are, the unexpected can always happen.  Having the security of a back-up plan, and an emergency fund in the bank is also a pretty darn good investment!