I named this blog based on a goal I set back in 2002, to retire at age 55, one year before the age my Dad retired. The objective drives many of my financial decisions. It has all the markings of a SMART goal – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. But now that I’m older…
Viewing category: College Savings
Two Early Retirement Concerns that Should Scare You
The concept of early retirement has gained in popularity and legitimacy over the past decade fueled by knowledge sharing over the internet and healthy market returns. Though I’m 12 years away from my retirement goal and have plenty of time to prepare, I still harbor early retirement concerns for the future retired me. Most people…
A Three-Pronged Approach To Funding Your Child’s College Education
About twelve years ago before starting a family, I met up with an old college friend for happy hour at a bar in Washington D.C. called The Big Hunt. I remember the booth, nachos, and the conversation like it was not so long ago. My friend was a new Dad. He told me about the college…
6 Steps to a Debt-Free Retirement
This article was originally published on US News & World Report and republished here with permission. Head over to the “Featured on” page for a list of other RBD articles on US New & World Report and featured around the web. Imagine a life free of obligations to anyone. Sounds great, right? That may never come…
The Best Summer Job Ever (And Why Lifeguarding Is For Suckers)
A few months before the summer of 1996, I committed to a lifeguarding job at a local pool. It was supposed to be my fifth consecutive summer as a guard. Lifeguarding was an easy and stable summer job in my youth, but it never paid well. This new gig was at a private club with…
How Our Family is Saving for College
Saving for college is no easy task. If parents decide to pay for their kids’ undergrad education, it’s potentially a 22-year commitment from birth until graduation. Yet, saving for college is often a minor component of an overall financial plan. Not in our family. For our three kids to each attend four years of in-state…
8 Reasons Why I Won’t Retire at 40
Later this month I turn the big 4-0. The day after, I’ll grab my messenger bag and commute back into the office. If things go according to my plan, the road to retirement will continue another 15 years. I will not retire at 40, though it’s a nice round number. It’s most notably “the hill”,…
The Greatest Risk To My Retirement Goal
More than a decade ago when my Dad retired from his teaching career at age 56, I told him my retirement goal was to beat him and stop working at age 55. It seemed natural to me that in order to live better off than my parents, I should retire before them. I reject the notion that…
The Best 529 Plan For My Daughter Is Not As Perfect As She Is
I recently opened a new 529 account for my daughter’s college savings. After a lot of thought, and without much fanfare, I have decided to use the Virginia 529 inVest Plan, the same plan I use for my son. From my research, it’s the best 529 plan available for our family. I have written an…