by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 28, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: The expenses that derail most people’s finances aren’t the big, obvious ones. They’re the small recurring charges that slip through unnoticed month after month. Subscriptions you forgot about, food delivery fees, snack runs, daily...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 23, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: The most profitable real estate opportunities often exist in corners of the market that rarely get attention. Property tax abatements, mobile home parks, raw land, niche industrial, and bedroom boost flips are all strategies that consistently...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 20, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: You bought a house, maxed out your 401(k), funded the HSA and 529. On paper, you’re doing great. But when you actually need money… you can’t touch any of it. Most middle-class wealth is locked in illiquid assets, retirement...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 19, 2026 | Spark Blog |
The Short Version: Saving preserves capital. Investing grows it. Confusing the two can cost you decades of wealth-building potential. A savings account earning 4% while inflation runs at 3.5% means you’re barely treading water — and most years, you’re...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 16, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: Depreciation is one of real estate’s biggest tax advantages but the IRS wants that money back when you sell. It’s called depreciation recapture, and it catches a lot of investors off guard. The depreciation recapture portion is taxed at...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: The difference of approach between a seasoned investor vs a novice Why we’re psychologically wired to focus on upside and ignore risk. It’s why so many investors get burned by deals that looked great on paper. The 2008 crash and the 2022...