Welcome to
Common Cents

Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®, MST
Elliot grew up in Atlanta, GA, and graduated from Baltimore's Ner Israel High School. Following yeshiva, Elliot attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he graduated summa cum laude, and the University of Baltimore for graduate school. After stints at both Ernst & Young, and Brown Advisory, Elliot formed Northbrook Financial, a financial planning, tax, and investment management firm. With a strong tax technical acumen and deep understanding of personal financial behavioral habits, Elliot connects with people by providing objective and actionable advice in relatable layman's terms. He has developed and continues to teach a popular high school financial literacy course in Baltimore, MD.
Stocks, Twitter Polls, and Market Games
Stocks, Twitter Polls, and Market Games

On Saturday November 6th, 2021, Tesla CEO Elon Musk released a Twitter poll asking if he should sell 10% of his Tesla holdings. Out of 3.5 million ...

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Year-end Money Moves
Year-end Money Moves

As 2021 draws to a close, now is a good time to consider smart money moves. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint” may be an overused phrase, but be...

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Inflation Got You Down? I Bonds to the Rescue!
Inflation Got You Down? I Bonds to the Rescue!

Inflation: What is it and why are we freaked out by it?  Inflation is a decline in the purchasing power of a given currency, and is measured by the...

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Taxes Today, Tomorrow, or Never! A Discussion on Tax Savvy Long Term Investing
Taxes Today, Tomorrow, or Never! A Discussion on Tax Savvy Long Term Investing

Imagine two builders, both tasked with building identical, structurally sound, and physically comfortable homes in the same general location. The o...

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The Great Mortgage Debate
The Great Mortgage Debate

Politics and religion – two topics to be avoided at work, social gatherings, and if you are looking to stay away from unwinnable discussions with s...

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Cut Through the Jargon Part II: Mutual Funds, ETFs, Diversification, and Fees
Cut Through the Jargon Part II: Mutual Funds, ETFs, Diversification, and Fees

Imagine going to the supermarket with a simple goal: purchase food for the week. Easy enough, but of course there are the food allergies, the 6-yea...

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Cut through the jargon: Stocks & Bonds
Cut through the jargon: Stocks & Bonds

A 2018 BBC article noted that “there are an estimated 171,146 words currently in use in the English language.” We have a lot of words and the finan...

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So you are ready to invest, great! Now What? Investment Account Basics
So you are ready to invest, great! Now What? Investment Account Basics

Classically defined, investing is “the outlay of money, usually for income or profit.” In personal finance, investing can be found at the crossroad...

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Personal Debt & Credit: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Personal Debt & Credit: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The role of debt in our lives is an important concept in personal finance. I previously described the principle to “spend less than you make.” Ther...

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Emergency Funds: More than just a Savings Account
Emergency Funds: More than just a Savings Account

A recent survey from Bankrate.com found that only 39% of Americans have enough cash saved to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense. While the past yea...

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Cash Flow Management: An Easier Way to Budget
Cash Flow Management: An Easier Way to Budget

The importance of “financial wellness” has increased in popularity in recent years. According to the University of San Diego, “Financial wellness i...

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