Tag: Financial Independence
Income Investing for the Win!!
Have you ever felt totally in control of your life? Have you ever felt that you can handle any and every problem that comes your way? That’s how I feel nowadays. But it wasn’t always like this. Less than five years ago, the world told me what to do, and I followed. The world bullied…
7 Reasons to Become an Income Investor
Are you tired of living paycheck to paycheck or being broke? Do you crave to take your family out to nice restaurants and sports events on the weekends? There are three ways to climb out of the rat race: getting promoted, living on a budget, OR taking control of your passive income. The first two…
5 Takeaways from “Rich Dad Poor Dad for Teens”
“Rich Dad Poor Dad for Teens” by Robert Kiyosaki is more of the same Kiyoaski goodness, but this time focused on a younger generation. Robert Kiyosaki is my favorite author by a long shot, and you don’t have to twist my arm to read more of his books. This book further expands on the lessons…
What is Financial Awareness? And How It Can Make You Rich
Most people don’t understand they can’t afford the lifestyle they lead. Our lives involve more than having enough cash to cover expenses. To build our dream lives, we must navigate through a plethora of financial options, all dealing with the past (debt), present (savings), and future (investing). Financial Awareness is the ability to visualize multiple…
Winning the Lottery with Options Trading: How to Control Your Fear and Greed
One of the biggest tests of self-control is the ability to trade options on the stock market calmly. It can be an emotional roller coaster because the stock market can be irrational, especially if you need it to go in a particular direction. I won the lottery three times this month while trading options, once…
Traveling to Istanbul on Passive Income: #1 Converting to a Passive Income Lifestyle
Turkey will always hold a special place in my heart. Here, I determined that if I wanted to live my dream life, I would have to make some drastic changes. Our first trip to Turkey was in June 2019, when my wife and I struggled financially. In fact, my wife had to quit her job…
How to Raise Financially Intelligent Kids: Staying Debt-Free or Becoming Capitalists?
We all want to raise children who understand how to give, save, and invest; however, this is more challenging than it sounds. The world wants our children to become horrible money managers; many entities (banks, companies, lenders) can take advantage of adults with no financial intelligence. As we raise our kids, there are two predominant…
Thanksgiving: A Time for Grace and Passive Income
What a wonderful time to be alive and enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday season. What are you thankful for this year? I am blessed to have retired from the Marine Corps this year—24 years later. After many years of being away, I finally came home for good. I am also thankful to have learned the ways…
5 Takeaways from “Rich Kid Smart Kid”
“Rich Kid Smart Kid” by Robert Kiyosaki is a masterclass on how parents can raise financially literate kids who can thrive in the information age. It’s no secret that Robert Kiyosaki is my favorite author, so it was my destiny to love this book from the start. It also happens that my kids are presently…
Spicy Dividends for a Bland Life: Make More Money for Doing Less Work
I remember my life as an employee. The military paid me twice a month for over 24 years. They used to call it “three hots and a cot.” For the first 20 years, my only income derived from those two monthly paychecks. They increased yearly, but my expenses increased more than my pay raises. Soon, the…
Tired of Being Broke, Behind, and Bullied? It’s Time to Become a Capitalist
I remember when I first made $100,000 in a year. I believed all my financial problems would disappear after hitting that magical number. However, in reality, my financial issues were worse than ever. I had $70,000+ in credit card and automobile debt, and I couldn’t take my family out to eat without using my credit…
The Options Trading Debit Card: Create the Best Weekends of Your Life
I have been going on and on about my Dividend Debit Card (Part #1, Part #2, Part #3) over the last three years. It is incredible to receive dividends directly to my Cash App spending card. This month (November 2023), I am on track to receive $400 in dividends directly to my Dividend Debit Card.…
Building Generational Wealth: Via Real Estate
Everyone knows real estate is a powerful way to build generational wealth. Not everyone knows exactly how to do it. Real estate investing can be more difficult yet simpler than you can imagine. One thing is clear: the more responsibility we take on as parents, the further ahead our kids will start. Let me explain.…
The Pros & Cons of Homeownership #3: Inflation Protection
My generation (40s) didn’t honestly know about inflation a few years ago because we had never felt it. However, 2022 changed that for all of us. Suddenly, food, gas, and housing costs rose faster than our wages. Those who had locked in 2-3% mortgages on lower-priced homes were sitting pretty. Those in the market who…
It’s Time to Purchase a Certificate of Deposit: The Magic of High-Yield CD Reinvestment
I just received an email from Discover (where I have my high-yield savings account) offering me 5.20% interest on a 12-month certificate of deposit. It’s been a long time since CD yields were this high, and I fear they won’t last much longer. I personally have a higher risk tolerance than most, so CDs aren’t…
Covered Calls vs. Cash-Secured Puts: The Best Strategy for Beginners
So you want to trade options, huh? Welcome to this magical and dangerous world that most try to avoid at all stops. The key to trading options successfully is having a clear income goal, defined expectations, and a rock-solid plan to avoid being greedy. Greed is the number one way to lose lots of money…
Building Generational Wealth: Via Dividends
Should our kids have to start from scratch? People say how wonderful it is to become a self-made individual, but is that what we want from our kids? My parents didn’t give me a head start financially, so I spent years treading water. I could have spent these years building upon what they created—if they…
Why Series “I”? The Benefits of Investing in Savings Bonds
With the Federal Funds rate hovering around 5%, there are many places to park your cash and receive a good deal of interest. Some of these investments include high-yield savings, certificates of deposit, treasury bills, and treasury notes. With so many choices, how is a saver to choose? How to invest is a deeply personal…
The Perks of Becoming a Capitalist
I spent over twenty years thinking like a government employee. There is nothing wrong with working for the government and providing for your family. However, although the wages were reasonable, my financial situation stayed the same from age 18 to 38; I always seemed to be in debt or broke. My wife and I are…
Dividends vs. Royalties part IV: How to Earn $200 a Month in Passive Income
Living on passive income seems like a dream life, but in reality, getting started is anything but passive. Building an income stream takes a lot of active time, effort, and work. This is part four of my Dividends vs. Royalties series (Part #1, Part #2, Part #3), where I compare passive income from dividend investing…
