Recently I reviewed Sleep-Easy Investing a book I found that meshed well with many of my conservative investing ideas.
Then, earlier this week, Echo at Boomer and Echo wrote
a post about fixed versus variable rate mortgages. Despite his best efforts to sell us on the benefits of the lower cost of going variable rate, some of us readers insisted we’d rather pay more so we could sleep soundly. (I think he sleeps fine even with a variable rate but not all of us are wired that way.)
It led me to thinking about what financial achievements and decisions help us sleep better—and what financial difficulties keep us up nights.
The Blunt Bean Counter says that the government requirement to only have T3 and T5013s available at the end of March keeps many accountants up late every April. It’s not worry, though, it’s work.
An investor said that ““the clink, clink” of the cuffs may help him finally sleep through the night.” as his former investment advisor was led off to a 6-year jail term in The Star’s article Former Investors Group mutual fund seller jailed.
Joe at Timeless Finance, on the other hand, appears to be going to “forgo sleep in order to watch an entire season of TV episodes.” I regret to say I personally have never found any TV show that good.
In the Globe and Mail’s Lighten up on equities, sleep at night the financial advisors suggest reducing the amount of equities in an investor’s portfolio. In the comments, readers point out that taxation mistakes are costing the investor an unnecessary bundle.
Big Cajun Man, meanwhile, sleeps easily knowing his stash of gold bars is burglar-proof in his safe deposit box.
Some time ago, Michael James on money noted that it’s okay to allocate your assets in such a way that you can sleep at night but only if you stick with the allocation through the air pocket bumps.
In 14 Reasons To Be Debt-Free Forever, Gail Vaz-Oxlade lists the joys of sleeping in on Saturday mornings.
Join In
Is there some aspect of finances that either costs you sleep or lulls you to sleep? Please share your insights with a comment.
I read the Boomer and Echo post and I would lock in my mortgage rate instead of letting it be variable because I am lower income and I can’t afford any surprises. I also do not enjoy any kind of surprise and watching interest would take over my life and all the worrying would give me wrinkles.
I know that I could end up paying more in the long run but I value peace of mind and my ability to sleep at night.
I agree completely! The extra money (which isn’t really that large) is a type of health insurance for me. Lying awake worrying would raise my cortisol and give me a heart attack. I’d rather get some sleep (especially when we were juggling some self-employment issues. I can’t imagine how badly I’d have slept knowing the bank might refuse to renew our mortgage because we didn’t have enough “proven” income.)