Category: Investments
Selling Cash-Secured Puts for Passive Income 2: Overcome the Lost Decade with Yield
The 2020s may be a lost decade for the stock market. Some people call this a bubble that may not pop—but may flatline. However, our net worth must still grow over 10% every year. If the gains don’t originate from the stock market, where do they come from? We can obtain yield from dividends, but…
The Magic of Compound Interest: How to Harness the Magic in Your Life
How do you explain to someone that they can become rich? That they have the power to set themselves free from workplace stress and financial anxiety? I didn’t grow up with many resources, so I joined the US Marine Corps at age 18 in 1999. I served for 20 years, struggling to get my finances…
Stock Market Investing in Your 70s: Passing Income to Future Generations
An asset is something we can pass on to future generations. Focusing on their futures ensures we make the best decisions for our and their well-being and longevity. Honestly, we should be financially savvy and independent in our 70s; there is no reason not to be. Therefore, we can begin mapping out our future endowments…
Stock Market Investing in Your 60s: Let the 401K Conversions Begin
We all love the idea of recycling—turning something old into something new. In our 60s, we can turn our pile of money (401K) into a massive passive income stream. That’s right. We will forget the 4% rule and earn 9-10% yields on our invested capital. Do you need a financial advisor to manage your money…
Dividend ETFs vs. Asset Managers: The Best Place for High Growth and High Yield
We love to do things ourselves. However, sometimes, it is best to leave things to the professionals. Picking individual stocks can be challenging, especially when considering an unknown future. Luckily, we can access professionals by purchasing shares of dividend ETFs and asset managers. Both products offer high growth and high yields; however, they are unique.…
Stock Market Investing in Your 50s: It’s Time to Take Control of Our Finances
Our 50s allow us to finalize any loose ends as we prepare for retirement. Although there will be many bumps along the way, income will enable us to live our dream retirement. We wrestle the horns of the bull during our 50s. This decade is a “Do or Die” time for our finances. We must…
Index Funds vs. Bitcoin ETFs: The Best Growth Vehicle for the Future
Having growth in our portfolio helps us outpace inflation. Although we plan never to sell shares, growth products give us significant leverage by expanding the scope of our power. With the advent of Bitcoin ETFs, which trade on the stock market, we now have major decisions to make about which growth products will best serve…
Stock Market Investing in Your 40s: Preparing for a Happy Cash Flow Retirement
Our 30s can push our finances to the limit; however, our 40s present a unique opportunity. We can set the stage for an extraordinary Happy Cash Flow Retirement during this decade. The stock market will significantly contribute to our retirement success through growth and capital gains, but mainly through income. Our income investing allocation should…
Treasury Bond Face-Off: Savings Bonds, Treasuries, TIPS: Which Product Is Right For Your Situation?
Getting money into a savings account can be one of the most daunting tasks of your life. Even scarier is WHERE you decide to save your money. This scenario is why many people keep their money in a standard savings account, earning 0.01% interest. We can do better. We can repurpose our savings accounts into…
Stock Market Investing in Your 30s: Crunch Time in Your Crunch Years
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, “Your 30s are the most financially challenging decade of your life.” Therefore, if you can keep it together in these years, you’ll stand a decent shot of winning in the end. I started investing at the ripe old age of 38—much later than I should have.…
Trading Long Strangles vs. The Options Wheel: How Much Capital To Get Started?
It’s the clash of the titans: trading long strangles versus the options wheel. I started my options trading journey by selling covered calls, which is part of the options wheel. Over time, I started selling cash-secured puts to lower my cost basis on future shares. Together, selling covered calls and cash-secured puts comprise the options…
Stock Market Investing in Your 20s: Time in the Market Always Wins
I’ll keep this series very simple: allocate your age (the number) to income-investing products. If you are 25, allocate 25% of your investment portfolio to income. If you are 75, allocate 75%. Income-investing assets are products that focus primarily on current income. Therefore, they exclude dividend growth stocks like Apple (APPL) and Johnson & Johnson…
CDs vs. Bonds 2: The Best Options for Retail Savers and Investors
Getting your finances “together” means putting idle money to work. Saving and investing can be tough concepts for the average person because they involve risk. Today, I want to assist retail savers and investors in deciding which products are best for their unique situations. The first step to making informed decisions is accumulating lots of…
Investing for Interest 119: The Magic of Corporate Bonds
I want 30-year bonds that yield over 6%. Unfortunately, I must look beyond 30-year Treasury Bonds, which currently pay 4.5%. But where do I look? How do I find high-yield bonds that are also reliable and low-risk? It’s time to venture into the world of corporate bonds. I’m new to the world of corporate bonds,…
How to Become a Part-Time Options Trader #4: Trading Long Strangles
Do you want to become an options trader but have limited resources? In this case, I recommend trading long strangles for passive income. Trading long strangles differs from selling covered calls because you buy options contracts. It is much cheaper to purchase a call than to sell a covered call. Today, I want to walk…
Covered Calls vs. Cash-Secured Puts 2: The Best Strategy for Intermediates
Options trading can be an exciting hobby, but the stakes are high. As we mature as options traders, we must refine and improve our skill sets. I wrote “Covered Calls vs. Cash-Secured Puts” roughly a year again, so it’s time to dig a little deeper. How do you pick stocks that give great returns? How…
How to Become a Part-Time Options Trader #3: Selling Covered Calls
Now that you have prepared yourself mentally (#1) and saved a nest egg (#2), it’s time to jump into the options market. First, you must decide which technique you want to try. An excellent place to start is selling covered calls for passive income. This strategy presents little risk, but does require a lot of…
How to Become a Part-Time Options Trader #2: Building Your Nest Egg
Options trading is a capital-intensive operation, meaning you’ll need a ton of money to fund your trading. Money is perhaps the reason why most people don’t trade options. Today, I want to walk you through how to build an options trading brokerage account from scratch. During this article, I will use a nasty word that…
How to Become a Part-Time Options Trader #1: Why Trade Options?
There is a lot of money to make in the world of options trading, but you could also lose a ton of money. Sometimes, it feels like a flip of a coin. I have traded options part-time for over two years and have learned much about this profession. That’s right; some people do this for…
Using Leverage with Options Trading: Wise, Prize, or Snake Eyes?
You don’t need to use leverage (also known as margin) to trade options, but what would be the point of trading options? Leverage is a double-edged sword: mighty in good times, disastrous in bad times. So, how do you decide when to use leverage and how much to use? The key to using leverage is…
