Retirement & Dividends: Enjoy Your Time Off
Today was my first day of retirement, and it was incredible. There is something extraordinary about waking up and not having to go to work. I retired from the Marine Corps after 24 years. My wife and I chose Pensacola, Florida, to lay our heads. The weather in Pensacola is beautiful; however, it is definitely…
Financial Freedom Road Trip #4: Creative Writing
I drove for almost 10 hours today by combining two days of travel into one. What can I say? I am ready to get back to my wife and kids, who are two days away. I drove from Fort Stockton, Texas, to Lake Charles, Louisiana, roughly 652 miles. I decided to drive the extra distance…
Financial Freedom Road Trip #3: Rental Income
It’s always amazing to see the lights at night in El Paso, Texas. I can see an ocean of lights from my hotel as I overlook Juarez, Mexico. El Paso is a unique city that has its own sense of identity. I usually stay in Las Cruces, Mexico, because it is much smaller and quieter,…
Financial Freedom Road Trip #1: Dividend Investing
After one year of living in San Diego, I am back on the road again. I came to San Diego to continue my Marine Corps career, dreaming of doing 30 years. But after three years away from my family (2 in Japan, 1 in SD), it was time to hang up my green uniform—24 years…
The Road to Homeownership #2: Reducing Emotions
Purchasing a home is one of the most emotional experiences of your life. The process will send you to the highs of the mountains and the lows of the valleys. I would never suggest removing emotions entirely from the process; however, reducing your feelings to make sound decisions throughout the journey is a great idea.…
The Road to Homeownership #1: Crunching the Numbers
Although homeownership may seem out of reach today, you’ll still need to know how to buy a home effectively. Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to buy a home. I own three houses, and my track record is spotty. My first home was a financial disaster (score 20 of 100). My…
Love, Passion, & Freedom: Welcome to Passive Income
How do some people get to live the life of their dreams while they are stuck working a 9-5 job? Is it because they were born into wealth? Are they risk-takers, entrepreneurs, or gamblers? They may be lucky. Sure, some of these things may be true, but the truth is they discovered that money is…
Don’t Gamble with Retirement 11
There couldn’t be a better time to release Don’t Gamble with Retirement 11. I will retire from the Marine Corps in 10 days after 24 years of service. I will not work another job, instead relying on the principles of passive income to increase my revenue every year. But, I didn’t always understand passive income…
Five Ways to Make Rental Income Without Owning Rental Properties
The real estate market is tougher than ever. It is difficult for the average person to buy a primary residence, let alone own rental properties. I own two rental properties, and it’s safe to say that they are a pain in the rear end. Being a landlord is not for most people. However, everyone’s goal…
Happy Cash Flow Retirement 10
Another day, another dollar; better yet, another passive income dollar. In two weeks, I am retiring from the Marine Corps after 24 years of service. I have never been more excited in my life because this is the result of hard work and planning. I have wanted this outcome since I began writing about passive…
Investing for Interest 114: Individual Treasury Bonds vs. Treasury Bond Funds
Investing in bonds was nearly impossible for 15 years (2008-2022). The Federal Reserve kept interest rates low to spur the economy meaning bond yields were abysmal (1-2%). However, the Federal Funds Rate is above 5% currently, and bonds are back to being a good source of safe yields. Now we must decide the best ways…
Can the Military Elevate You to the Middle Class?
The middle class is under attack, and soon no remnants will be left. There are a few reasons why this is happening, mainly increased college costs, the price of housing, out-of-control healthcare expenses, and lack of financial education. America had a good run for its middle class—when workers had pensions for staying with a company…
This is Why I Became a Writer and Changed My Life Forever
My wife and I traveled to Turkey in 2019 and immediately fell in love with this fantastic country. We decided we wanted to move to Turkey one day in retirement. We knew we would have a military pension to support us; however, I wanted also to earn more income and stay productive. Working locally wouldn’t…
Inside Our $240,000 Dividend Portfolio: Which Pays Us $1,300 Per Month
I remember working at McDonald’s for $4.25/hour in California back in 1997. I used to work hard for money, thinking it would set me free one day. Unfortunately, that’s not how financial freedom works. You’ll need to have your money work for you to escape the rat race. There are many ways to earn passive…
Closed-End Funds vs. Dividend ETFs: It’s All About Life Stages
When do you plan on retiring? Are you already retired? These questions will be vital in determining what financial instruments you’ll need to leverage. Investing is all about your time horizon, goals, philosophy, and risk tolerance. The good part is you don’t need to have all of the answers the first day you start investing.…
Financial Security vs. Financial Freedom 2: The Difference Between Saving and Investing
Financial education given in school is a disgrace to the American public. We all have different viewpoints on why this is, but finding a solution is a better use of our time. The main thing hurting Americans is not knowing the difference between saving and investing. I have met many people who can balance a…
Passive Income: How Do You Spend Your Free Time?
The main difference between the rich and the poor is how they spend their time. How do you spend your free time? Feel free to answer honestly to yourself. Once I learned this golden rule, my income, and net worth doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled in a couple of years. If you want to create…