Tag: Financial Independence
Tiny Dividends: Can You Retire on Dividends from Index Funds?
Today’s topic will make you think, so put on your exploration hats. I have never seen a subject like this before, so we are charting new territory and hunting some sacred cows. Let’s begin. Typical index fund retirement. The standard index fund retirement involves savers (not investors) piling their money into various index funds. Most…
REITs vs. Homeownership: The Fun of Fundrise
The US housing market is in turmoil. The people who want homes can’t afford to buy one safely. “Safely” means that their total housing costs won’t exceed 30% of their household income. Yes, this pricing dynamic is nothing new. The book “The Two-Income Trap” explicitly tells us that in the 1990s, families were sending mothers…
Rental Takeover: Is Your Neighborhood Being Overtaken by Investors?
I’ve heard about an upcoming “reawakening” in the housing market lately. People blindly look at ridiculous housing prices and sky-high rents and assume a crash is imminent. The great housing bust of 2008 is still in everyone’s mind, and today’s market does look similar—at least on the surface. But are things the same as in…
Crypto Investing 102: Overcoming Your Fear of Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies are the future of digital finance. They will form the basis of all social transactions in the metaverse and real life. However, most people become frozen in space & time when they think of crypto investing. This article stems from a conversation with a senior officer the other day. We talked about the housing…
From Dirt to Dividends: Use Gardening and Preferred Shares to Supplement Your Homestead
Homesteading is about freedom from the world (large) and the daily grind (small). However, there is one thing that we will never be free of—money. Thus, we need to prepare financially before we run off into our homesteading haze. You must be thinking, “what a weird article.” In my last article, “How to Defeat Creator’s…
How to Beat Creator’s Block: It’s All In Your Head
I would have never dreamed I would become a writer—I am an active duty Marine, after all. I stumbled upon my writing career after reading the book “Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing.” In the book, Robert Kiyosaki (my favorite author) said, “How do you obtain an asset for no money? You create it.” Right then,…
House Hacking to Financial Independence
I don’t think enough people understand the true power of house hacking. For my part, I attempt to talk about its benefits across most of my articles. But, I will keep trying until more people recognize its life-changing effects. Today, I will continue to beat the drum of house hacking and making money from your…
Should Both Parents Work?
This article will ruffle some feathers, but it is a topic we must discuss. Most of us never had the option to leave one parent at home, so the question is irrelevant. However, what can we do to give our children this option in the future? I recently finished the fantastic book “The Two-Income Trap”…
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…
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs 101: Defeating Self-Doubt
This series will probably be one of the most important I will write over the next few years. Limiting beliefs are the main hindrance between us and happiness. We know we want to achieve specific objectives, but something (mentally) holds us back. To overcome limiting beliefs, we need to understand them, then counteract them. It…
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…
Real Estate Investing in Your 70s
We are heading into the last leg of our lives, and we should already be rich. Yes, if we have been taking all the proper steps in our personal time, we should have well over $2-4 million in our accounts. We will have helped our children (now in their 40s and 50s) stand up on…
505 Takeaways from 101 Books
Can reading 101 books make you rich? Yes, yes it can! 001 10 Other Investments You Can Do 002 40 Ways to Increase Net Income of Your Rental Property 003 A Trader’s First Book on Commodities 004 Amazon Keywords for Books 005 An Expat’s Experiences of Living in Turkey 006 Apartment Gardening 007 Artificial Intelligence,…
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…
Super-Charged Savings: Save for Your Down Payment Fast!
Saving for the down payment on your first home is one of the most critical goals in your lifetime. Once you have a home, you can parlay the equity into future successes; however, buying your first house is the toughest. With the price of real estate moving upwards of 10% a year, you don’t have…
5 Takeaways from “The House Hacking Strategy”
“The House Hacking Strategy” by Craig Curelop talks about one of my favorite topics—house hacking. Indeed, my wife and I have built a great deal of wealth by house hacking, so it is great to read the “science” behind the magic. There are many ways to house hack, but two of the most popular are…
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…
Freedom Calls: No Freakin’ Way I Am Working 25 More Years 2
Can you imagine waiting until age 66 (according to current social security protocols) to retire? Currently, I am 41 years old, so that would be another 25 years of grinding in the workforce. Do you know what I say to that scenario? No freakin’ way!! I am not spending another 25 years going to work,…
Press Record: A Life Worth Living is Worth Recording
Why aren’t you creating content today? If you are reading this, chances are you have considered becoming a content creator. So why haven’t you begun? Limiting beliefs are the number one reason that prevents people from creating content. Limiting beliefs are things you tell yourself that keep you trapped in your prison. Some limiting beliefs…
