Big decisions
Five insurance myths, and the one rule that sorts them out
Insure what you cannot afford to lose, self-insure the rest. Five common beliefs about cover tested against that rule, with deductible maths.
Big decisions, pay and protection
Marcus Ebbesen
Marcus covers the large, infrequent choices: renting or buying, insurance, pay negotiations. He has rented in four cities, owned in one, and kept the spreadsheets for both.
Stories by Marcus
Big decisions
Rent or buy? Finding your break-even year
Rent is not throwing money away, and neither is mortgage interest. Compare the unrecoverable costs of each and find the year buying starts to pay off.
Pay and income
How to read a pay slip, line by line
Gross pay, pre-tax deductions, withholding and the year-to-date column. A walk through a sample pay slip and the five things worth checking every month.