Tag: free-pdf-book
The Pros & Cons of Homeownership 1: Wealth Creation
There has never been a more challenging time to purchase a home than in 2023. Interest rates are soaring, and home prices haven’t decreased to reduce the monthly payments. Therefore, first-time home buyers need more money for a down payment and higher incomes for bigger mortgage payments. The burning question is if buying and owning…
Full Throttle: How to Build a Fully Funded Emergency Fund
There is a big difference between financial security and financial freedom, mainly the amount of passive income your portfolio generates. Financial security means a major emergency or repair will not be a significant setback for your family. Financial freedom means your portfolio generates enough passive income for you to stop working and live on the…
Fundrise vs. Dividend ETFs: Corporate Profits vs. The Housing Market
Which would you rather depend on during retirement: corporate profits from blue-chip companies or the rental income and capital gains from the US housing market? That’s a tough call, so let’s dive into how we can best position ourselves to earn passive income from these major capital markets. Building passive income during retirement should be…
The Three Stages of Wealth: Debt, Saving, Investing
There has never been a better time to understand money because it isn’t what you imagine. Most of us spend our lives dreaming of having more money, but we should focus on adding more value. As you better understand the value system, you’ll determine how money orients itself depending on the end user. There are…
Are You a Willing Contestant in the Rat Race?
Games are fun, especially when you understand the rules. Life is the ultimate game show because there is much at stake. Not only do we hold our lives in the balance, but also the future of our children. There is no better prize than financial freedom. However, we didn’t start the game of life with…
Investing for Interest 117: Treasury Bills vs. Treasury Notes vs. Treasury Bonds
Choice is the spice of life. When it comes to building an emergency fund, saving for our children, or investing for the future, we have many options. To effectively use these options, you must understand each of their individual metrics and make decisions that best suit your income needs. Welcome to the Investing for Interest…
T-Bill & Chill: What Are Treasury Bills?
Welcome to the world of Treasuries, where we maximize returns by investing with the US Government. I have covered Treasuries extensively over the last two years. However, I haven’t peeled back the onion on Treasury Bills, also referred to as T-Bills. Let’s take a look at how T-Bills compare to other Treasuries. What are Treasuries?…
Money & Marriage: How to Retire Early as a Couple
The road to financial independence is more a spiritual journey than a financial one. You must understand who you are precisely and your purpose on this Earth. As a couple, the path to living on passive income is even more arduous. Now, two people must share one vision. The journey is usually too challenging to…
The Dividend Debit Card 3: Dividends in Daily Life
Every day with dividends is a gift, and it’s even better when they arrive directly in your checking account. I have been dividend investing for over four years; it becomes more interesting and fun each year. The key to successful dividend investing is enjoying the fruits of your labor. Dividends are best when you can…
Make Enough Passive Income to Cover Your Mortgage
Life is good when you live for free. Housing is the highest expense in most households, and rightfully so—we all need a clean place to stay. However, mortgages and rents have increased faster than wages, especially since the pandemic. If you don’t keep improving your income, paying your housing costs will be hard. The best…
Pursue Your Creative Career with Dividends as a Backdrop
Our hearts crave creativity and expressing ourselves in the public eye. As kids, we loved to paint, color, and write; we loved to dream. As we grew older, the world became about earning money and finding a career we could use to support ourselves. I spent 24 years in the military, a great profession indeed.…
How to Determine Your Bare Bones Budget: The First Step to Living on Passive Income
The single most essential part of retiring early comfortably is determining your Bare Bones Budget (BBB). Without a BBB, you’ll always feel you must work to pay all of your bills. What is a Bare Bones Budget? A Bear Bones Budget is the minimum amount of money your household needs to thrive every month. Notice…
Your Wealth is Your Choice: You Have More Control Than You Think
We are moving towards scary times. Student loan payments are returning, rents are increasing, home insurance is sky-high, and food costs are outrageous. The world is applying pressure to the average American household, and things may look bleak. What’s the typical American supposed to do to beat the odds? When all else fails, return to…
Side Hustle: The Gig Economy vs. Entrepreneurship
We are moving into hard times and must all find ways to make extra cash. However, we need to be very intentional with how we spend our time. The term “side hustle” can mean many things when it comes to making money outside of your regular job. I want to explore which type of side…
How to Make $100 a Month in Passive Income
Passive income is very elusive in that it does not start very passively. You must contribute a certain amount of work to build a passive income stream. However, once you get the hang of it, you can create as many income streams as you can maintain. Passive income is a mindset more than an amount…
Welcome to the Elite Savers of America: Save $10,000 in Your HYSA
Do you find saving money to be a difficult task? Do you need help keeping cash in your accounts? Well, it’s time to commit to saving money for your future. Welcome to the Elite Savers of America (ESA), where we value saving our money in a High-Yield Savings Account (HYSA) to protect our futures from…
Investing for Interest 116: Series “I” Bonds vs. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities
We all must position our money to beat inflation. We can do this by investing in dividends, real estate, royalties, and businesses. Once we start earning additional cash, we must invest it into securities that also attempt to beat inflation. Two safe government-sponsored inflation-beating products are Series “I” Bonds and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). Financial…
Investing for Interest 115: Tips for Buying T.I.P.S.
Writing this article on Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) took me over a year because they are incredibly complex and tough to understand. Over the last year, I have come to understand them more; however, I have yet to become an expert. I will direct you to others who have even more guidance about TIPS. I…
The Road to Homeownership #3: Saving for the Down Payment
So you crunched the numbers and controlled your emotions; it’s now time to get your new house. But, there is still one major roadblock—the down payment. Welcome back to the Road to Homeownership series (Part #1, Part #2), where we move into the house of our dreams. What is a down payment? The bank will…
Life Begins at the Edge of Your Comfort Zone: Time to Take Control of Your Destiny
Every day in retirement is a gift—an amazing blessing from the heavens. However, these wonderful moments weren’t just given to my wife and I; we created them. You have to create the life of your dreams. At the intersection of knowledge and effort comes luck. To find your life, you must put yourself out there.…
