[this is a ymoyl update.] (a repost of a message to carfree.) i just got back from taking the leap. my car's buyer dropped me off, i had the joy of my last look as it coasted down the street, and now i keep admiring the empty space in front of the house. for anyone…

[this is a ymoyl update.] since treasury securities continue at their dismal lows (though the 30-year bond seems to be on its way back), i spent some time this spring reading books and websites and researching alternative investments. i have so much stored in bonds and other guaranteed and liquidizable investments now that i feel…

i have always steered clear of my company's 401(k) plan because i hope to be far along the road to financial independence well before 59.5, and have never wanted my money locked up for that long. but i've been making good progress on that front, and recently read andrew tobias's investment guide, with his discussion…

[this is a ymoyl update.] i updated the graphs for the end of the month and decided to put the investment income line back on the move, just to make progress visible. for the last nine months, when i was mainly paying down my mortgage, i left it at the total i'm actually making on…

[this is a ymoyl update.] i've read john le carré's novels over the last few years, and a phrase from a perfect spy keeps coming back to my ears lately. whenever the shyster father explained why he couldn't (and never would) pay what he owed, he blamed "a temporary problem of liquidity". last summer, i…