Getting Short

WE JUST LAUNCHED our newest feature: A blog that’ll be updated two or three times a day with new posts that typically run some 300 words. These posts will, I hope, complement the site’s longer articles, which we’ll continue to publish, though perhaps less frequently.

Why introduce a blog? It’ll allow HumbleDollar to be more timely. It’ll be a way to tackle topics that don’t require full-length articles. And it’ll be another opportunity to highlight the financial philosophy that drives much of what we write—and what makes HumbleDollar different from most other financial sites:

• We think harping on the stock market’s daily action is foolish and that the forecasts of Wall Street’s chattering class aren’t just worthless, but potentially damaging to investors’ financial health. Expect the new blog to discourage such dangerous nonsense and prod readers to keep their gaze firmly fixed on the long term.
• We believe folks should abandon efforts to beat the market, and instead buy index funds and collect the market’s return. What should we do with all the time we save? There’s much value that can be added by focusing on other areas of our financial life, including saving diligently, spending thoughtfully, buying the right insurance, managing debt, being smart about taxes, purchasing the right size home and planning our estate. These are all topics that’ll be tackled regularly in the blog.
• We think that saving can bring at least as much happiness as spending, and sometimes more. Contentment lies not in a house chock-full of impulse purchases, but in knowing we’re prepared for life’s short-term bumps and on track for a financially comfortable future.
• We think the tough part of managing money isn’t figuring out what to do but getting ourselves to do what we know is right. This ongoing struggle will be a frequent topic of the new blog.
• We believe money isn’t an end in itself but rather a way to enhance our lives. But how can we best use our dollars? It isn’t always obvious, which is why it’s important to avoid snap financial decisions and instead think hard about what we want.

My hope: The new blog will be not just engaging, but also emphasize these key points—and thereby help all of us to avoid knee-jerk investment decisions and impulsive spending, and instead stay the course in our pursuit of a more thoughtful financial life.

HumbleDollar’s crew of frequent and occasional writers—some 30 in all—will almost all be contributing to the blog. Their willingness to share their stories, including both their triumphs and their struggles, is perhaps the site’s most enduring strength. I encourage you to stop by HumbleDollar every day and see what they have to say.

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