Comments on: Review: Crashproof Your Life

By: Mary

Mary — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:21:54 +0000

toaduni44 does bring up a valid point. I have been reading the simple dollar for over a year now and I’ve noticed that some of the wording is becoming more and more awkward and there are some simple mistakes here and there. And I understand that Trent has been so busy that I’m amazed that he still has time to review books, write articles, and otherwise maintain the simple dollar. However, as I learned recently from taking a business and technical writing class, revising is one of the most important steps in writing. One thing I’ve learned that REALLY helps: Read your work aloud. It is so much easier to catch mistakes and things that just don’t sound right when you do this. I love your blog, Trent and you have a great gift. I would take these things into consideration though.

By: justin

justin — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:35:27 +0000

@toaduni44

no one cares

By: Anne K

Anne K — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:05:46 +0000

@Kevin- We don’t know anyone at the new location, that’s why. I’ll wait till I meet some people there and then ask around. It’s not like we’re going to have much money left after the downpayment and closing costs, after all, it’ll take a few months or longer to save enough to start investing outside the retirement accounts. We want to have several months’ cushion.

I didn’t mean to imply I was taking out the ‘fee-only’ advisors, I meant that I am eliminating the advisors who get commissions for getting people to sign up for their particular product lines. My bad :) . Need to check my scribbles more closely before sending it out to the world.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:50:44 +0000

You should not dismiss “apocalyptic” advice too quickly. You now prepare for the future in a way you once scoffed at. Might you be making the same mistake again?

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:24:03 +0000

Anne K – why don’t you ask around at your new location? I would recommend finding the new CPA the same way you did the old one – referral. And just curious, but why are you immediately eliminating the “fee-only” advisors?

By: Anne K

Anne K — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:45:42 +0000

OK, you say to hire a trusted financial advisor. How do we go about determining who’s a good advisor after taking out the ‘fee-only’ advisors? We’ve used an accountant for our taxes the past two years and he seems okay especially when I asked him about small business advice. He was recommended to me by an acquaintance. Now we’re moving again and we would be better off finding someone more local. Any advice?

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:32:23 +0000

Ironically, we’ve set up a legal and financial system that requires frugal families to guard their assets more conservatively than others. It doesn’t necessarily make sense to carry a million dollars worth of automobile liability insurance if you make (and spend!) $15k a year – no busy lawyer will be interested suing you for a large sum of money you clearly don’t have (that’s not to say you’re off the hook entirely, but you see the point). On the other hand, if you have been careful and have built up significant savings, you really do need to protect those assets with extra insurance or just better coverage. I think it’s strange that the guy who spends all his money is less likely to end up in a civil suit.

By: Kristen a.k.a. The Frugal Girl

Kristen a.k.a. The Frugal Girl — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:26:03 +0000

Not surprisingly, #4 and #5 resonate with me…I’ve been thinking about that a lot with the economic downturn. There’s not a lot I can do about the economy, but I can control my spending and saving.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:21:50 +0000

From your review it sounds to me like his advice for ‘crashproofing’ a life is the same as investing conservatively. Higher returns equal higher risks – whether you’re talking about how you lead your life or how you invest your money.

By: toaduni44

toaduni44 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:32:15 +0000

I hate to be that guy, but you really need a proofreader:

Example 1:
“He also advocates strongly for setting up realistic boundaries at your job, allowing people

3. Dealing with Major Corporate Events”

Example 2:
“Here are a few things I think I think about the book.”