Review | Try it Free | Video
Review | Try it Free | Video
Passive Income Ideas
Portfolio
Dividend Aristocrats
Early Retirement is the Wrong Goal
A more in-depth talking head version of this article is available on YouTube (view below). I chased early retirement for almost two decades. My early retirement goal made me a disciplined saver and investor, but I wholeheartedly believe early retirement is the wrong goal. This is humbling to write. In this article, I’ll provide three…
Individual Stocks vs. Index Funds – Why I Own Both
Though opinions vary on individual stocks vs. index funds, my own investments reflect a blend of both, from dividend and growth stocks to index funds, ETFs, and managed mutual funds. My uncle gave me one share of Chevron for my 20th birthday in 1995, and I built an individual stock portfolio from there. A retirement…
The Creation Mindset – Accelerate Your Wealth Trajectory
Buying compact discs (CDs) used to be a thing. That’s how we bought music back in the 1980s and 1990s. Most of you remember. I spent a few thousand dollars on CDs throughout high school, college, and my early working years. One summer, I worked in a record store to earn money because my internship at a…
Ode to the Passbook Savings Account
On December 1st, 1986, my Mom took me to open my first bank account at the local Dollar Bank branch. I was 11 years old and a little skeptical of giving the bank teller my $21.60. I walked out with a small green booklet that looked like a passport. My parents thought it was the…
Financial Confidence is the New Financial Independence
The FIRE movement made the rounds in national news for a few years and still gets a head nod here and there. The early retirement (RE) part of FIRE always received more criticism because it’s the goal when someone doesn’t like their career choice and wants to escape. In hindsight, this was me. Both financially…
The “Minus Your Age” Rule of Thumb for Asset Allocation
The minus your age rule of thumb is a simple math formula used in personal finance to help DIY investors and advisors determine a suitable stock-to-bond ratio for an investment portfolio. I’ve always referred to this as the 130 minus your age rule of thumb on this website, but that only tells part of the…
M1 Finance Review 2024: A Top Broker for Long-Term Investors
I’ve been investing on the M1 Finance platform since 2017. I was attracted by the intuitive way investors can design their ideal portfolio first and then fund it over time. This method differs from the traditional way of investing excess cash flow — buying individual holdings every month or so. With M1 Finance, any time…
Get Smarter About Your Mortgage (Calculator Spreadsheet + Video)
Many of us secured historically low mortgage rates for our homes in the past decade. We now find ourselves content with a 4% rate or better as our home values continue to rise. Our family refinanced to a 20-year loan in September 2020 at 2.75%. That rate has eliminated our desire to move. With a…
Managing Mom and Dad’s Money
My Dad retired in 2002 with a 403(b) and lifelong teacher’s pension. Unsure of his retirement savings, some fellow retired teachers recommended a financial advisor who “specialized in retired teachers”. So he converted the 403(b) to an IRA, transferred his and my Mom’s IRAs to the advisor, and trusted him to manage their money for…
Financial Independence Number: Definition and How to Customize
The financial independence number is a benchmark to determine retirement preparedness. It’s also known as the FI number. Financial independence is achieved by: building enough passive income to cover annual expenses, or amassing a lump sum of enough savings and investments to cover living expenses through withdrawals, or a combination of #1 and #2. The financial independence…
