Most readers of The Best Interest do not come here to learn about Ice-T. But here we are. Perhaps you know him best as “Fin” – a mean-mugging detective on Law and Order: SVU. He’s not happy… Or, maybe you remember his West Coast hip-hop days from the 80s and 90s. The fair question to […]

Before the article, here’s what’s happening this week on The Best Interest Podcast: My daughter, Maeve, is about to turn 8 months old. She’s chunky, smiley, and effortlessly sits like Buddha while playing with her toys. No crawling or walking yet. She did recently learn to wave (…flail her arm) to say hi to people. […]

Most personal finance experts would tell you that cars are a terrible investment. Cars are a “necessary evil,” a steep price to get from Point A to Point B. You’re leaking money on a depreciating asset. They’d tell you to avoid debt a car as best you can. Owning a depreciating asset is one thing, […]

Friend-of-the-blog Christian has done something remarkable. He’s lost ~85 pounds over the past 7 months, dropping from ~280 pounds to ~195. Kudos, Christian! Inspired by Christian’s success, my own health has sharpened into focus. I have the data to support this – I’ve gained 8 pounds over that same period that Christian’s lost 85. I’ve […]

The end of the year flies by. One day, you’re eating turkey and pecan pie and taking a well-deserved nap. Next thing you know (or so it seems), you’re counting down the New Year’s clock to welcome 2025. If you’re not careful, the holiday season will fly by (in a sleigh?) before you can do […]

There are a few broad categories that trigger people to reach out to me. Retirement planning is biggest. Major life changes (marriage, divorce, having kids) is a common reason, too. Another one, albeit slightly more unique: “I have a good handle on our finances, but I want to get you involved because my spouse needs […]

I started a great dialogue with “Carl” in August and immediately felt a kindred lifestyle connection. Carl and his wife, “Colleen,” are about my age, with young children, and they earn a healthy-but-not-astronomical income ($160,000 pre-tax, which puts their family in the ~75th percentile). Carl reached out to share some exciting news:  Their family surpassed […]

After a recent podcast episode, a listener asked me to expound on debt’s “silent assassination technique.” Debt is not a cobra that unexpectedly strikes from the undergrowth. It’s a python you stupidly take out of the cage and allow to slither around your torso until you suddenly realize it’s squeezing harder than you can handle. […]

Friend of the blog Matt sent in a great question this week: Hi Jesse – do you have any recommendations when it comes to life insurance? I know Term is the way to go, but that’s about all I got… I scanned your blog posts and didn’t see anything too specific with it but if […]

It’s breakfast time, you’re hungry, and I’m offering you two options: A healthy, adult hen Two dozen eggs Your first thought is probably: “Seriously? It’s just breakfast. I don’t want a live chicken running around my house.” Forget that thought for now. If you’re like me, your mind next asks, “If I do choose the […]