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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

100 Words On: Why Thanksgiving Never Falls On November 29 or 30

By Len Penzo

In 1863, President Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November to be a day for "thanksgiving and praise." It's a tradition that managed to stay that way until 1939 when worried retailers begged President Franklin Roosevelt to make Thanksgiving a ...

Continue reading 100 Words On: Why Thanksgiving Never Falls On November 29 or 30

November 10, 2021

The Big Problem with Cryptocurrencies

By Len Penzo

As the dollar price of bitcoin continues its seemingly inevitable ascent to $100,000, more and more people are jumping on the cryptocurrency train. After all, who can blame them? Many people who invested in bitcoin since its inception in October 2008 ...

Continue reading The Big Problem with Cryptocurrencies

November 8, 2021

Black Coffee: Onward and Upward

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe ... Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what's been going on in the world of money and personal finance. I've got a busy weekend to attend to, ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Onward and Upward

November 6, 2021

100 Words On: A Guaranteed Way to Preserve Your Wealth

By Len Penzo

Fiat-based paper currencies facilitate commerce by acting as a medium of exchange that's far preferable to bartering. Unfortunately, governments that wish to spend beyond their means can -- and do -- print fiat with impunity, thereby leading to ...

Continue reading 100 Words On: A Guaranteed Way to Preserve Your Wealth

November 4, 2021

5 Personal Finance Tenets That Aren’t as Smart as They Used to Be

By Len Penzo

When I was a kid I used to love the fun houses found at summer carnivals and local fairs. I loved the sense of twisted reality provided by image-distorting mirrors and the wacky side-rooms where water appeared to flow uphill and it was nearly ...

Continue reading 5 Personal Finance Tenets That Aren’t as Smart as They Used to Be

November 1, 2021

Black Coffee: Back in the USSR

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe ... Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what's been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Another busy week is crossed off the ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Back in the USSR

October 30, 2021

How to Get Started with Currency Trading – The Right Way!

By Len Penzo

The trading of currencies is a common activity around the world. The market for foreign exchange -- commonly called"the Forex market -- is the place where currencies are traded. There are many similarities in the foreign exchange (FX) market as well ...

Continue reading How to Get Started with Currency Trading – The Right Way!

October 26, 2021

Silver and Gold: The Superheroes of Wealth Preservation

By Len Penzo

Back in 1964, a gallon of gasoline cost about 25 cents in the United States. That's right. Believe it or not, way back in 1964, you could buy a gallon of gas for a quarter. It just so happens that 1964 was the last year that the US Treasury minted ...

Continue reading Silver and Gold: The Superheroes of Wealth Preservation

October 25, 2021

Black Coffee: Half Truths and Whole Lies

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe ... Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what's been going on in the world of money and personal finance. I hope everybody had a wonderful week. ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Half Truths and Whole Lies

October 23, 2021

100 Words On: How to Increase the Odds of Booking an On-Time Flight

By Len Penzo

Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, flight delays are the bane of every commuter. Government statistics consistently show that morning flights departing between six and seven have the best on-time records, with a steady decay in ...

Continue reading 100 Words On: How to Increase the Odds of Booking an On-Time Flight

October 21, 2021

True Story: What Happens When You Can’t Pay the Restaurant Bill

By Len Penzo

I didn't eat out too often as a kid, but when I did, you can bet I almost always enjoyed it. I remember Dad always used to joke that he didn't have enough money to pay the restaurant bill. "Well, it looks like they're going to make us go into the ...

Continue reading True Story: What Happens When You Can’t Pay the Restaurant Bill

October 18, 2021

Black Coffee: More Market Mayhem

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe ... Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what's been going on in the world of money and personal finance. I hope everybody had a terrific week. ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: More Market Mayhem

October 16, 2021

9 Things We Routinely Overpay For

By Len Penzo

Nobody likes overpaying for stuff. Even so, many people do it without even realizing it. The good news is, by getting the urge to splurge under control, it's possible to save significant amounts of cash that can be used to stretch your household ...

Continue reading 9 Things We Routinely Overpay For

October 11, 2021

Black Coffee: Carnac and the Cookie Monster

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe ... Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what's been going on in the world of money and personal finance. This edition brought to you by the ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Carnac and the Cookie Monster

October 9, 2021

100 Words On: How to Quit Dreaming and Start Doing

By Len Penzo

Robert Louis Stevenson said that there can be no fairer ambition than to excel in talk. And while that may be true for the dreamers in life, successful people know the world will always depend on doers -- folks who are motivated to follow through and ...

Continue reading 100 Words On: How to Quit Dreaming and Start Doing

October 7, 2021

Black Coffee: The Power of the Purse

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe ... Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what's been going on in the world of money and personal finance. I've got a busy weekend to attend to, ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: The Power of the Purse

October 2, 2021

Mailbag: When It Makes Sense to Take the 401k Withdrawal Penalty

By Len Penzo

I'm a middle aged male, but have very little in my retirement because I never really see myself retiring in today's America. I have around $7500 in my 401k. Should I pay the penalty, which would give me about $4500 afterwards and put this money ...

Continue reading Mailbag: When It Makes Sense to Take the 401k Withdrawal Penalty

September 27, 2021

Black Coffee: Playing With Fire

By Len Penzo

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe ... Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what's been going on in the world of money and personal finance. I hope everybody had a wonderful week. ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Playing With Fire

September 25, 2021

100 Words On: Why It’s Time to Eliminate the Penny

By Len Penzo

It's been a decade since Canada announced it would no longer mint pennies. That makes a lot of sense; perhaps America should follow suit. In 1913 the once-proud penny had 23 times the purchasing power it does now. Today, the penny is essentially ...

Continue reading 100 Words On: Why It’s Time to Eliminate the Penny

September 23, 2021

5 Strategies for Protecting Your 401(k) Savings from Economic Collapse

By Len Penzo

After more than a decade of the Fed's reckless monetary policies -- in particular, persistent near-zero interest rates and their relentless de facto currency-printing campaign better known as "quantitative easing" -- the financial system has been so ...

Continue reading 5 Strategies for Protecting Your 401(k) Savings from Economic Collapse

September 20, 2021

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The Question of the Week:

Are cryptocurrencies a legitimate wealth preservation asset?

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Recent Posts

  • How To Start Investing In Cryptocurrencies
  • Grandfather Says: The Travails of Working with Stone
  • 5 Expert Tips for Saving Money with a Credit Card
  • How to Implement Strategic Planning Processes
  • Is It Better to Borrow From Your 401k or Take an Early Withdrawal?
  • When It Doesn’t Pay to Buy Big-Ticket Items on Sale
  • Black Coffee: Digital Castles in the Air
  • How to Improve Your Sports Betting Success
  • Toyota Has Started Accepting Bitcoin for Payment
  • 100 Words On: Why You Need Emergency Savings AND a Rainy Day Fund

Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. In fact, making investment decisions based on information published here, or any other website for that matter, is more than unwise; it is folly. This website accepts advertising in the form of monetary and other compensation; as such, topics of discussion are occasionally influenced by these advertisers. Sometimes, an article may also include affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, this blog earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase (for example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). Remember, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your unique personal situation.

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