Friday, October 27, 2006

Scott Adams's Financial Advice

Dilbert's creator, Scott Adams, came up with personal financial advice that fits in one page. My only quibble is that a stock index fund (see 8 below) works great, but only when the market is going up. Even though stock markets may go up in the long run, it is best to remember, as Keynes once put it, in the long run we're all dead.

'Dilbert's' 9-point financial plan worthy of economics Nobel - MarketWatch: " Adams' secret nine-point formula was finally revealed in 'Dilbert and the Way of the Weasels.' Notice its simple brilliance in the exact reproduction of his formula:
1. Make a will
2. Pay off your credit cards
3. Get term life insurance if you have a family to support
4. Fund your 401k to the maximum
5. Fund your IRA to the maximum
6. Buy a house if you want to live in a house and can afford it
7. Put six months worth of expenses in a money-market account
8. Take whatever money is left over and invest 70% in a stock index fund and 30% in a bond fund through any discount broker and never touch it until retirement
9. If any of this confuses you, or you have something special going on (retirement, college planning, tax issues), hire a fee-based financial planner, not one who charges a percentage of your portfolio
Adams boldly states that this is 'everything you need to know about personal investing.' In just 129 words, nine simple points, one page you have the unabridged 'Unified Theory of Everything Financial.' That's it. Everything! "

2 comments:

Eiranai said...

Hi! It's been a while! I hope you are enjoying married life.

I saw this advice - stroke of genius! And he makes it so simple for those of us (me) who are not financial wizards.

Steve said...

Yes, this does have a central core of good advice, which is: don't use credit and start saving money.