bytor9
Is the implication here that folks would prefer for Intel to keep employees on the payroll for a loss, and make up for that loss by slashing dividends?
I think that would be criminally poor management of a company.
Maybe some econ gurus can school me.
I think you’re okay either way but personally if I have an emergency fund and no higher interest debt, I’m paying that off for sure. Even if I lost a couple bucks, worth it for peace of mind.
Would be different if the debt was a mortgage at 3%, which many people do have right now.
Edit: One note for folks doing similar math, don’t forget interest and yield on bonds are taxed as ordinary income (20~30% in the US).
I’ve done it before too but it really is sort of ridiculous to jump through hoops just to stretch your spending power by 1 or 2%, isn’t it?
Controversial take - no budget. Split income into 3 or more buckets - savings, critical bills (rent, utilities, debt, etc), and discretionary. I manage as separate accounts.
Spend discretionary freely and enjoy the peace or mind that your financial future is secured by the first 2 buckets. If you run low, rice and beans til next paycheck.
No need to track coffee expenditures, you’ll realize during rice and beans week that you can make it at home.
Your mileage may vary.
I think a community like this should have two goals:
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Be on the fairly cutting edge of personal finance topics like saavy tips for current credit cards, tax codes, retirement plans, and retail promotions that help people maximize their money and plan for futures.
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Maintain resources for basic financial literacy. IMO these are best done as sidebar items since they don’t change much day to day, but they are critical for bringing in new members and frankly helping people since most schools don’t do it.
I do think part of #2 is letting people ask dumb questions (What do I do now?), but only if their situation is not obviously covered in the sidebar. As sidebar grows, these should become less frequent.