Tag: retirement
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…
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…
How to Control Your Spending 104: Implementing a Daily Budget
We don’t realize how much marketing we receive throughout one day. Even worse, social media has helped average people market to one another—no evil corporations required. Therefore, it’s not a question of whether we spend money but how much we spend. With that in mind, let’s find a way to spend but remain under control.…
Retirement Planning for the Average Person 6
It finally happened; my wife and I retired. I am 42, and she is 39, and life couldn’t be better. We both started with below-average resources, but we still arrived at this momentous occasion. So, what’s the secret sauce to retiring when you want, having a great income, and living your dream life? The secret…
5 Takeaways from “Smart Money Smart Kids”
“Smart Money Smart Kids” by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze is a masterclass in raising smart money kids. My boys are 17 and 12, so this book is what I need to help my family learn good money habits at this crucial age. Raising money-smart kids isn’t about perfection from parents or children. It is…
Trading Long Strangles for Passive Income
Trading options on the stock market is not for the faint of heart. However, you have come to the right place if you want big returns (for taking big risks). Trading options can be a very emotional experience because the stock market can make you feel like an idiot sometimes. Therefore, finding the options strategy…
How to Control Your Spending 103: Developing a Hardcore Budget
There are only two ways to become rich: lower expenses or increase income. If you can reduce your costs as you add more cash flow to your bottom line, you have a good chance of becoming wealthy. But how do we lower our expenses when inflation wreaks havoc on our budgets? The answer is to…
The Pros & Cons of Homeownership #2: Wealth Destruction
The more I watch HGTV, the more I believe the housing industry created it to get people to spend money on their homes. Owning a home can be the most expensive experience of your life if you let it. Unfortunately, many people have destroyed any chance of building wealth by focusing their wallets on their…
How to Control Your Spending 102: Using the Envelope System
We kids teach kids how to spend using the envelope system; however, adults can use this system as well. The envelope system gives us a better way to visualize our spending and income than debit cards and online banking. But who should use the envelope method, and how will it benefit them in the long…
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…
How to Control Your Spending 101: Cutting Up Your Credit Cards
There comes a time in most people’s lives when they grow sick and tired of carrying credit card debt. It usually happens when they have maxed out most of their credit cards—it’s the end of the road. At this point, they usually ask how they got here. The answer is quite simple: we learn to…
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…
If You Don’t Have Money: Don’t Buy Anything
“If you don’t have money, don’t buy anything.” Seems like a simple mantra, right? So, why is it so difficult for us to stop spending? The good news is that it’s not just you who cannot stop spending. The bad news is that you are 100% in control of your actions. Spending has become a…
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…
How to FALL into Investing 3
Every fall season brings a new set of change and intrigue. We go into the holiday season filled with love, joy, and excitement. We may as well also enter the season with a lot of money. To be the giving person we want to be, we need additional income outside our job—passive income. Building a…
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…
Happiness Isn’t Free 3: Happiness Comes from Measured Sacrifice
Everything has a cost. Your life will open up as soon as you live and breathe this mantra. You can have everything you want in this world if you pay the price. The question is, what do you want? If you attach your happiness to “things” and “stuff,” you will have a difficult time being…
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…
