Finance hiring is down, law school grads are having a tough time finding real law jobs, so what is an ambitious but risk averse college student to do with his or her life these days? Okay, right now the answer is computer science. Yes seriously, do computer science. But let’s pretend it is the year 2001 and the only other option respectable option is medical school. But doesn’t med school take a lot of time (4 years school plus 3-7 years residency/fellowship) and cost a lot of money? How can we figure out if going to med school and not earning doctor money until 7 years from now is worth it financially relative to just entering the workforce and working for those 7 years? Continue reading “Is medical school “worth it”? An introduction to Internal Rate of Return (“IRR”)”
Tag: spreadsheet
How to analyze a nonprofit Form 990 with a spreadsheet
“The more you give, the more you get, that’s being alive” – The Money Song, Avenue Q
Charitable giving serves a valuable purpose in our society. It allows organizations in health, education, social services and others to provide benefits to people who otherwise couldn’t afford them. It allows people who have built up wealth to give back and make a difference. The federal government even subsidizes charitable giving by allowing donations to be deducted from income reported for taxes (effectively kicking in up to 39.6% of each donation). It’s a great system that is meant to fund those people and organizations in need. At least that is how it should be. Continue reading “How to analyze a nonprofit Form 990 with a spreadsheet”
Will you pay more or less taxes when you get married?
Summer and Fall are generally regarded as “Wedding season,” a time when love and celebration are in the air. December, on the other hand, could be regarded as “Should we get legally married for tax reasons before the end of the year” season, a slightly less romantic affair. Continue reading “Will you pay more or less taxes when you get married?”
Build a Spreadsheet to help you choose a healthcare plan
Will you save more with standard PPO or a high-deductible PPO Saver plan with a Health Savings Account?
It is currently Open Enrollment season at many workplaces, which is when employees choose their medical insurance and other benefits plans for the upcoming year. It’s also the time of year when people grumble “why is the US healthcare system so complicated” and just elect whatever plan they had in the prior year. Building a spreadsheet can help someone compare the costs and benefits of each of the plans under a variety of different assumptions about tax rate and healthcare expenditure. Continue reading “Build a Spreadsheet to help you choose a healthcare plan”
Pick up basketball: Should you shoot more 2 pointers or 3 pointers when you play winners’ take?
The NBA basketball season just started last week, and the three point shot is having its moment. Despite some high profile doubters, the Warriors are the reigning NBA champions due to very impressive three point shooting. Also, the total number of three pointers taken in the NBA has steadily risen over the past 35 years.
Is it better to take a three pointer or a two pointer? The theory behind this is pretty simple, and can be done without a spreadsheet. Because a three pointer is worth 50% more than a two pointer, if a team can hit three pointers with at least 2/3 the percentage that they hit two pointers, then they would be better off taking more three pointers. Continue reading “Pick up basketball: Should you shoot more 2 pointers or 3 pointers when you play winners’ take?”
A Simple Fantasy Football Auction Draft Spreadsheet
Last year, we demonstrated how someone can make a fantasy football draft spreadsheet to help make the best decision in each round of a traditional snake draft. While most leagues use snake draft, eventually you might be faced with a league where someone suggests an auction draft. They might cite something like this article to make their case. At first you might feel intimidated, but once you remember that every auction round is just a data driven decision, and that spreadsheets are great at solving data driven decisions, you can build something to give yourself the best chance to succeed! Continue reading “A Simple Fantasy Football Auction Draft Spreadsheet”
Pick your son’s sport based on predicted height and weight
Subtitle 1: Get your son into Harvard through the backdoor of sports! (The other backdoor of legacy is significantly more difficult)
Subtitle 2: Why I might not have chosen baseball if I knew I’d end up weighing 155 pounds
Continue reading “Pick your son’s sport based on predicted height and weight”
What would the Lakers’ record be if Kobe Bryant was an average shooting guard?
The Lakers are off to a rough start this year – through 9 games they are 1-8, good enough for last place in the Western Conference. In this spreadsheet problem solving example, we’ll use spreadsheets to answer a pertinent question – if the legendary Kobe Bryant played like an average shooting guard, how would the Lakers have fared this year? Continue reading “What would the Lakers’ record be if Kobe Bryant was an average shooting guard?”
Create Study Index Cards in a Spreadsheet
I’m studying for the SAT, ACT, or GRE exam and need to boost my vocabulary. I’m trying to remember important concepts for my chemistry test. I’d like to remember a few algebra formulas (like the Pythagorean Theorem) or geometric proofs. I want to better prepare for my foreign language quiz. Well, we’ve got something for each of you. With the school season well underway, let’s check out effective study tool tailored to your specific goals – all created with a single spreadsheet! Continue reading “Create Study Index Cards in a Spreadsheet”
Pick your daughter’s future sport based on her expected body type (height and weight)
Or, “How to get your five-year old recruited into Stanford or Harvard for sports in 2027”…Or, “It helps to be tall”
Use a spreadsheet to check Matthew Berry’s Top 200 Fantasy Football Rankings results from Week 1
“It’s hard to make predictions, especially about the future” – Various
Usually, improvement in prediction-making comes in two steps. Step 1: Make a Prediction. Step 2: Evaluate how accurate the prediction was, and learn from it. Often times, Step 2 can get overlooked as we move on to future predictions and future weeks of fantasy football. Spreadsheets can help us quickly evaluate how our predictions were, and quickly point out where we might have erred.
Fantasy Football Player Combos – an exercise in spreadsheet treasure hunting
In many parts of life, having a combination of two things can lead to better outcomes. Having stocks and bonds means sometimes the stocks do well while at other times the bonds do well, resulting in better overall portfolio performance. Also, the driver of this truck pictured below probably has at least one of his teams doing well.
Continue reading “Fantasy Football Player Combos – an exercise in spreadsheet treasure hunting”