Category: Retirement Planning
Staying Debt-Free in Your 40s
If the greatest threat to your wealth in your 20s was yourself, and in your 30s was your partner, what do you believe it will be in your 40s? That’s right, your kids. Welcome back to the Staying Debt-Free at Any Age series (20s, 30s), where I discuss how to stay debt-free and build wealth…
Staying Debt-Free in Your 30s
Your 30s is where you are most likely to accumulate massive levels of debt. The two main culprits will be marriage and home-buying, so you need to evaluate what direction you take regarding these events honestly. Welcome back to the Staying Debt-Free at Any Age series (20s), where we try to make it through life…
Staying Debt-Free in Your 20s
Staying in debt is the downside of the American Dream. The only way to live a great debt-free life in America is to live below one’s means and focus on building relationships. Welcome to the Staying Debt-Free at Any Age series, where I will discuss avoiding debt at various stages in life. Today I will…
Inflation Ate My Paycheck 105: From Broke to Saver to Investor
As inflation rages across the nation and the world, there has never been a better time to become an investor. Gas prices are soaring, and the housing market is scary for anyone looking to enter. If you are broke, there is no relief in sight. No more stimulus checks or pay raises. You’ll have to…
Retirement Plus: Use Rents to Supplement Your Retirement
You are about to retire at age 66. You have saved $1 million in your 401K and will be drawing $3,000/month in social security benefits. These income streams will total about $6,500/month in passive income. Is surviving on $6,500/month in passive retirement income enough to live the lifestyle your love? Only you can answer that…
Series “I” Bonds vs Roth IRAs
With a recession on the horizon, we need to invest with a long-term mindset. We aren’t going to make double-digit returns over the next few years. What are some investing options we have with a 20+ year timeframe? Today, I want to talk about Series “I” Bonds and Roth IRAs because they are very similar,…
Debt-Free Society: Beat Credit Card Debt
Credit cards are a powerful evil that controls a majority of the population. They tempt you with great offers and reduced interest rates to ensnare you for years of pain. However, there is no use for us crying over spilled milk. It’s time to accept that we got ourselves into credit card debt and need…
Inflation Ate My Paycheck 104: Create Infinite Dividends
I always write about using dividends (and passive income) to beat inflation and live your best life. By making more money passively, you’ll be able to become your best self, and your relationships will begin to prosper. But many people get the purpose of stock market investing wrong. They look to the stock market as…
5 Takeaways from “From Paycheck to Purpose”
“From Paycheck to Purpose” by Ken Coleman takes us on a deep dive into how to find our dream job. I am not looking for another job after finishing my military career, but I found the book very insightful and helpful. Even if you plan to become a content creator or entrepreneur, this book has…
Mother’s Happy Cash Flow Retirement
We all love our moms, and we want them to lead wonderful lives into their later years. However, many of our moms grew up without the financial education and opportunities to get ahead before retirement. Many of our mothers depend on social security to get by every month. If you asked them about their dream…
5 Takeaways from “All Your Worth”
“All Your Worth” by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi (her daughter) is my favorite book outside of Robert Kiyosaki’s offerings. If I had read this book in 2006, I would be much further ahead financially today. But there is no point crying over spilled milk. In the future, I will recommend this book to…
Dividends vs. Social Security
If you are under 50, don’t fall for the social security trap. You still have time to save yourself and build a fantastic retirement. “What is this trap?” you ask. If you are planning for social security to be your primary source of retirement income, you are in the deadliest trap of them all. You…
Happy Cash Flow Retirement 7
Are you feeling happy today? Happiness is not a feeling that we should chase. Instead, we should set the groundwork for happiness to appear via contentment and satisfaction. Our two biggest barriers to happiness are relationships and finances (love & money). However, most people don’t study these two resources at all. In fact, they wonder…
Zero to 38: Retire by Age 38 in 10 Difficult Steps
Yes, I wrote the term “difficult” in the title. These steps are not necessarily tough, but they go against our programming. From a young age, they program us to work until age 70+, slowly grinding away towards minuscule retirement. To speed up our retirement, we must change our mindset COMPLETELY. We have to stop “working…
Set Your Retirement Requirements
Most people ask, “How much money do I need for retirement?” They usually dream of some arbitrary amount of money, like $1 million. However, it is better to set more concrete goals focused on income rather than a lump sum. Net worth vs. passive income. I always talk about net worth versus passive income. Net…
5 Takeaways from “The Two-Income Trap”
“The Two-Income Trap” by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi is a must-read for anyone interested in modern finances. The great part is that they released the book in 2003. We have been sold a lie. Sending two parents into the workforce will cause more financial issues than it solves. I would have never thought…
Inflation Ate My Paycheck 103: Creator, Investor, Tycoon, Entrepreneur
Inflation is going to push our lives to the extremes. Either we will learn new skill sets and thrive or die on the vine. Those two options leave us little room (or time) to fall behind. I am all about learning new skills, pushing our brains, and building an audience. Is it easy? No. Can…
TSP vs. Dividends
In a perfect world, all investing options would be equal. The universe would understand your intent and spit out the results of your wish. Unfortunately, that is not the case. We must micro-manage our investing habits to get the best results. The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) versus a standard brokerage account is a touchy subject…
Retirement Plus: Use Dividends to Supplement Your Retirement
How is your retirement looking? Do you have cash flow that also increases with inflation? Do you depend on the government to supplement your 401K with social security? How much money do you need the day you retire? Does that amount look the same 20 years into retirement? Retirement is a sensitive subject for most…
Inflation Ate My Paycheck 102: 10 Creative Ways to Beat Inflation
Hopefully, you can see my cover art for my Inflation Ate My Paycheck series (101). It is a purple dragon who I choose to represent inflation. And boy, is he hungry. We are experiencing runaway inflation for the first time since the 1980s. Let me be clear—you can’t passively beat inflation. You will have to…
