Trust Your Indications
A submarine Commanding Officer taught me to trust my indications, the signs all around telling the truth whether you want to believe it or not. The same principle applies to money: rising debt, thin savings, and a paycheck that disappears on arrival are indications too. Stop rationalizing them away.
What Do You Think of a Car Payment?
A friend calls with a paid-off car and a $280 payment burning a hole in his plan to save. Chris's advice surprises him: keep the payment. Here's the math, and the mindset, behind why.
Be done with it, if you can
When Wayne backed into a friend's car, his instinct was to negotiate, compare estimates, and drag it out. Chris had three words for him: write a check. Sometimes the smartest financial move is the simplest one — and knowing the difference is exactly what an emergency fund is for.