Connor’s Favorites

HERE ARE MY TEN favorite articles that I’ve written over the three-plus years I’ve been a part of the HumbleDollar community. Although I write my share of technical and analytical articles, the ones I like the most have a human element.

As my wife will attest, I’m a bit of a softy, and care deeply about my family and friends. I like happy endings and want to see people succeed, especially the generations to come. Indeed, helping people with the knowledge and experience I’ve gained is a primary motivation in writing for the site.

• Quiet Heroism (Aug. 30, 2019). My second article for HumbleDollar was inspired by finding my father-in-law’s 1943 tax return. The 1040 tax return form tells an amazing story of the heroism on the home front during the Second World War.
• Think Bigger (Aug. 12, 2019). My first HumbleDollar article was my attempt to explain my views on personal financial planning. Too many of us spend too much effort on our investments, and not enough on the other important aspects, such as tax and estate planning.
• Return on Investment (Dec. 31, 2019). This article discusses our extended family’s annual Thanksgiving week reunion on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Although it was a financial challenge some years, the return on our collective investment has far exceeded our expectations.
• Resolved: Get Healthy (Jan. 7, 2022). HumbleDollar’s editor asked writers to pen an article on their New Year’s resolutions. This article spurred my wife and me to make 2022 our year to get healthy.
• This Too Shall Pass (March 31, 2020). At the beginning of the pandemic, when things were looking bleak, I was reminded of one of my father’s favorite sayings. A little research put the saying in a broader context and helped me take a stoic view of bad times.
• Step by Step (Feb. 11, 2020). I sometimes like to ponder big ideas, such as “how does the world work.” This article offers one way to view the world—as the culmination, and integration, of a great number of small steps.
• Birthday Wishes (Sept. 29, 2022). On my 65th birthday, my wife asked if I wanted anything special. It gave me the opportunity to think about what was important, and what I truly wanted to do with the rest of my life.
• Paradise Lost (Sept. 7, 2020). I believe we learn as much from our mistakes as from our successes. This article talks about my biggest financial mistake—buying a timeshare.
• Hitting the Road (Sept. 20, 2022). My wife and I took an extended roadtrip through the southeast in August 2022. We saw friends and family, as well as some places we’d never been. We both had the same reaction—how much fun a simple roadtrip to new places can be. Based on readers’ comments, many folks agreed.
• Four Decades Later (June 15, 2022). On the occasion of my 40th wedding anniversary, I thought about the benefits of a long marriage. This article discusses the personal and economic benefits of being hitched.

This is the fifth installment in a series devoted to the favorite articles and blog posts penned by HumbleDollar’s most prolific writers. The earlier installments were from Dennis Friedman, Mike Zaccardi, Kristine Hayes and Adam Grossman.

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