Tag: Dividends
Happy Cash Flow Retirement 9
There is nothing preventing us from retiring early except ourselves. We have all the tools to live a fulfilling life without working a day job. So what prevents 97% of the population from riding off into the sunset before age 50? The answer lies in our need for more information and action. Welcome back to…
The Golden Handcuffs of Lifestyle Inflation 2
The workforce is becoming a terrible place to spend your time. Everyone is running around with their hair on fire. If your company pays you, they expect you to always be on call, answer all emails within one minute, and never say “no.” Why do people remain in the labor market if things are going…
Annuities vs. Income Investing
Do you like betting against yourself? Do you believe someone can handle your money better than you? Although there are times to let the professionals handle the situation, we can still learn the information to give us additional options. Every American should have an income investing portfolio to assist them through life. Even passively earning…
Financial Freedom is a Mindset, Not an Account Balance
I didn’t feel financially free when I was $77,000 in debt. I was earning over $100,000 at my day job, but I still felt behind. However, once I started to read articles on passive income, compound interest, and getting out of debt, I immediately knew I would free myself and my family. That was back…
Achieve F.I.R.E. via Income Investing
We all want to escape the workforce. I have been working since 1997, when I started at McDonald’s, and I’ve never seen an employment market like this. Everyone is overworked, underpaid, and struggling to survive. Leadership is even more chaotic and unorganized than the employees. If you do not have your finances in order, you…
Position Yourself for the Next Bull Market
We are near the bottom of the bear market. Pessimism in the markets peaked, and we can begin to see optimism show its lovely face. But we still have time to make some life-changing moves while prices are excellent and everyone focuses on surviving. To invest wisely during a bear market and recession, we must…
Change Your Money Cycle: Your Spending Habits Determine Your Wealth
We hit the jackpot by being born in America. We have the chance to go from broke to rich in one lifetime. Heck, we can achieve incredible wealth in 20 years if we truly try. Unfortunately, most people will never seize this fantastic opportunity. Not because they didn’t work hard but because their money cycle…
Rental Income vs. Income Investing
Every middle-class American should aim to achieve three types of passive income: dividends, rents, and royalties. We ALL have access to these types of passive income; we need only make an effort to build these revenue streams as early as possible. If you are a young person just starting in the world, which is the…
Dividend ETFs vs. Index Funds
A few improvements to investing have changed the game for the average middle-class investor. These are fractional shares, zero commission fees, and automated investing. Today, we can invest $5/week into our favorite index funds and dividend ETFs to slowly grow our portfolio. Plus, we can still go all in with $5,000 when we get our…
Pay Your Bills with Dividends
Dividend investing will undoubtedly change your life, but it won’t happen overnight. In fact, it will probably take a substantial amount of time before you see tangible results. So how do you stay motivated as you work your way up from a “dividend drip” to a “dividend stream?” You simply work on increasing your dividends,…
Increase Your Savings Rate: It Determines When You Can Retire
How fast do you want to retire? Do you genuinely want to work until the full retirement age of 66? I know I don’t want to work for another 25 years. But what is the best way to retire early? We all hear terms like Financial Independence Retire Early (or F.I.R.E.), but what does that…
Middle-Class Investing 109: Create a Paycheck with Income Investing
We have finally made it to my favorite type of passive income—income investing. Although we took the long way, it is necessary to understand how we got here. Income investing is not for the faint of heart. That’s why starting with interest from high-yield savings accounts is good, and slowly work your way forward. Welcome…
Middle-Class Investing 108: Why Dividend Growth Investing?
Today, we will dive deeper into the world of wealth-building. Sadly, most middle-class folks will never buy individual stocks. The purpose of dividend growth investing is to build a nest egg that also pays you. In addition to a steady paycheck, your dividend payments grow over time to combat inflation. Does this method sound too…
Compound Interest: You Can Pay It or You Can Earn It
If you ever seek motivation in life, look no further than the power of compounding—everything we do in life compounds, either positively or negatively. “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy explores how we can exploit compounding to improve anything we want in our lives. The more things we put into motion, the more chances we…
Two People, One Budget: Create a Budget and Start Income Investing
They say finances cause most marriages to fail, but what specifically is the disconnect between couples? More importantly, how can we prevent these issues from causing a division between the lovebirds? My wife, Kristina, and I have been married for 17 years, and we are on the same page financially. When we didn’t have “the…
30-Year Bonds vs. Blue-Chip Dividend Stocks
Today is a great moment in time to be an investor. It’s been over 13 years since stocks and bonds had to compete for your investment dollars. If you are searching for a 4% yield, you can now choose between a 30-Year Bond or a blue-chip dividend-paying stock. However, the answer doesn’t lay in numbers;…
Social Security vs. Income Investing
We should not depend on the government. That’s not to say that the government is terrible or plans to ruin our lives. However, the government is not our best source of reliable income; we are. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to create our own happy cash flow retirement system. I wrote an article titled…
Middle-Class Investing 101: Investing is Essential for Freedom
There is nothing wrong with being firmly in the middle class. I am happy sitting in the middle because I can fly under the radar. As middle-class people, we get ourselves into trouble by trying to act like we are rich. Keeping up with the Joneses is a losing proposition on all fronts. However, we…
Bonds for Mom: A Low-Risk Retirement Plan for Mom
As our mothers increase in age, chances are they will receive some kind of windfall. This can be from an inheritance, a life insurance policy, downsizing a home, or cashing in a 401K. As the son or daughter, you will want to ensure this money lasts until the end. Most people will turn over the…
What is Your Net Worth? How Long Can You Survive Without a Job?
Net worth has become a status symbol; apparently, if you are a net-worth millionaire, that is supposed to mean something. However, having a high net worth doesn’t necessarily mean you are wealthy. There is a massive difference between static and functional wealth. Today, let’s determine your net worth (and mine’s) and see how this money…
