Introduction to Finance Gourmet


What's the name about?

The name Finance Gourmet serves two purposes. One is that it gives you a feeling for how this website works. A gourmet is more than someone who appreciates a good recipe. A gourmet is someone who understands the complete process of a fine meal from wine selection to the proper menu selection, to the finest ingredients. No detail is over looked. The Finance Gourmet works similarly. This is not a scratch-the-surface website. We don't believe in K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid), and we don't care how long or in depth or articles have to be to completely explain a topic. You won't find any useless Rules of Thumb here. Most importantly, we won't dumb it down. The truth is that finance is often complex and frequently it involves more than one viable strategy.

The second purpose, quite honestly, is that it was available as a domain name..

What is this website all about?

The short answer is that virtually every website, book, newspaper column, radio show, or television show that you see gives you glossy quick information that barely skims the surface of the issue at hand.

Have you ever noticed that the column in your Sunday paper business section each week always takes up the same amount of space? Do you really believe that all the financial issues out there take exactly the same amount of explanation? Are capital gains taxes and mutual fund expenses both completely understandable in the same number of words?

If the book that famous (or not so famous) author wrote is so complete, then why are there still enough questions to fill a half-hour (or more) call in show every week?

Simple sells. Complete financial volumes with all the information you need have been around for a long time. They are dense and technical and filled with complex math and financial jargon, and they never ever crack the top ten best sellers list. Also, the more complicated something is the more likely people are to have a professional do it instead of doing it themselves. If you and your spouse each work one job, you have one home, and one child, then do it yourself tax programs or books are something you've probably considered. On the other hand, if you derive your income from out of state trusts and land use royalties, you have three children from two marriages, you own four houses (you use two, the other two are in your name but used by your parents), and you run a small business which carries inventory both manufactured by you and imported from overseas, it probably never crosses your mind to use do it yourself methods for your taxes.

Since books, websites, magazines, and newsletters are pretty much by definition do it yourself aids, it is in their best interest to make whatever they cover seem just complicated enough that you need them, but absolutely simple enough that you do not need a professional. After all, how many copies of Turbo Tax will you buy after you find a CPA you like and trust? How many investors guides will you buy after you work with a financial advisor who sets up a long term plan that involves a virtually turnover free mutual fund portfolio?

There also tends to be too much "This is the Only Smart Way" advice out there.  It leaves out other thoughts or viewpoints. Many financial theories have counter-theories.  Some formerly conventional wisdom concepts are considered junk ideas today.  We'll give you both sides of the story and the details about WHY that will allow you to make smart decisions that won't change every time you read a well written article supporting a different side.

Want to know more about the Finance Gourmet himself?

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