Hi, I’m Paul and I Love Discussing Finance and Politics

When it comes to finance, I want you to be informed so you keep more of your money. Clark Howard wants you to save more, spend less, and avoid being ripped off. If only I had a fraction of his knowledge. I am hoping to help you be smarter with your money. With the proper tools and knowledge you will know how to budget your finances properly, how to save for retirement, and what to consider when it comes to major financial decisions that will affect your life. In addition I am here to provide a few financial tools to help assist you in this process. I suppose one goal of mine is to write a book or teach a class on what you need to know that you won’t learn in college.

When it comes to politics, we all have an opinion and I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. My goal is for my readers to be informed. I will lean one way or the other on an issue I write about, but that does not mean I don’t enjoy logical debate. In fact, I encourage it.

Overall, my motto is “don’t be an idiot.” When it comes to politics, many people only hear one side of the story. Be informed. The more educated you are, the better your decisions will be. When it comes to finance, the better you understand your options, the better your financial decisions and thus the more self reliant you will be. But I hope you’ll enjoy my writings. Sign up to receive my RSS feed or by e-mail … you might just learn something.

My Background

The youngest of four boys, I grew up in a blessed family in upstate NY. Our father was very frugal, worked extra jobs, and made many sacrifices to ensure we all had a great life. I suppose the frugal lifestyle and hard work ethic was an example that if you want something, you need to save and earn it. Don’t expect anything to just be given to you.

I then traveled to the state of Alabama and earned my degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering in 2007 from Auburn University. While earning my degree, I realized I didn’t want to work in a manufacturing plant. I co-oped in Birmingham, where I first got my feet wet in finance and Excel. I quickly became an Excel and VBA expert. I extended my knowledge taking additional Master level financial engineering classes.

Upon graduation, I entered the consulting industry for two years before deciding to focus my career in finance, where I became a Financial Analyst in Atlanta. My strength is to use my engineering mind to improve processes, as well as building complex financial models and databases. I currently work in the finance department for a private firm in the pharmaceutical industry and develop Excel models on the side for freelance.

I am PADI certified and love diving alongside my beautiful wife. I have two wonderful mutts who I adore. I encourage everyone that can and is willing to rescue a dog. I am currently training for my first marathon on October 30th. I’m also an avid Auburn football fan. One item off my bucket list was attending the BCS National Championship game and seeing my Auburn Tigers win the championship. My reaction to winning the National Championship. War Eagle!