Coast FIRE Coast FIRE: Stop Saving at 45, Retire at 60 Anyway Hit $500,000 at 45 and you can stop contributing entirely. At 7% real return, that becomes $1.5 million at 65. The target number depends on your actual retirement spending.
4% rule The 4% Rule: Is It Still Safe After 2022-2024 Bill Bengen's original 1994 study used historical data through 1992. After three down years, does $40,000 on $1 million still work? The data says yes, with one adjustment.
turnkey rentals Turnkey Rentals Through Roofstock: Passive, But Not What You Think Roofstock sells properties with tenants, managers, and 30-day guarantees. The returns average 6-8%. The hidden costs usually eat 2% of that.
rental property Rental Property Cash Flow: The 1% Rule Is Dead, What Works Now The 1% rule failed when rates doubled. Today's deals need cap rates above the mortgage rate plus 2%. Here's how that math plays out in real markets.
house hacking House Hacking: Turning Your Primary Residence into a Wealth Engine Buy a duplex with 3.5% down via FHA. Live in one unit. Rent the other. The tenant covers most of your mortgage while you build equity on $400,000 of property.
REIT Public vs. Private REITs: Why the Private Version Usually Loses Private non-traded REITs charge 12% in upfront loads and ongoing fees. Public REITs cost 0.12%. The returns are worse, the liquidity is worse, the math is obvious.
REIT REITs: Real Estate Exposure Without the Landlord Hassle VNQ holds 160 REITs, yields 4%, and you never fix a toilet. The performance tradeoff vs. direct ownership isn't what most people think it is.
HSA HSA as a Stealth Retirement Account: The Triple Tax Advantage Tax-deductible going in. Tax-free growth. Tax-free withdrawals for medical. No other account does all three. The 2026 family limit is $8,550.
municipal bonds Municipal Bonds: When Tax-Free Income Actually Beats Taxable A 3% muni yield is a 4.76% taxable equivalent at the 37% bracket. For anyone above the 24% bracket, munis usually win in taxable accounts.
capital gains The 0% Capital Gains Bracket: How to Harvest Gains Tax-Free Under $94,050 in taxable income for a couple in 2026: your capital gains rate is 0%. Early retirees harvest gains tax-free every year for a decade.
capital gains Long-Term vs. Short-Term Capital Gains: The 12-Month Rule That Saves Thousands Sell at 364 days: taxed at 37%. Sell at 366 days: taxed at 20%. That's $17,000 on a $100,000 gain — for two days of patience.
asset location Asset Location: Which Investments Belong in Taxable vs. Tax-Advantaged Bonds in IRAs. Stocks in taxable. REITs in Roth. This isn't optional for high earners — proper location adds 0.75% per year to after-tax returns.
tax-loss harvesting Tax-Loss Harvesting: The Free $3,000 Deduction You're Not Taking The IRS lets you deduct $3,000 in net capital losses against ordinary income every year. Most investors never claim it. Here's the simple mechanics.
DRIP DRIP Investing: Why Reinvesting Dividends Beats Taking the Cash $10,000 in SPY from 1994 with dividends reinvested is $130,000. Without reinvestment, $82,000. The compounding difference is 58% over 30 years.
dividend aristocrats The Dividend Aristocrats Aren't What You Think They Are 25+ consecutive years of increasing dividends sounds like a screen for quality. It's also a screen that includes companies cutting R&D to make the streak.
dividend growth Dividend Growth vs. High Yield: The 20-Year Wealth Difference A 2% yielder growing dividends 10% annually pays more in cash after 18 years than a 6% yielder with flat payouts. The math compounds faster than most expect.
SCHD SCHD vs. VYM vs. DVY: The Dividend ETF Comparison That Actually Matters SCHD yields 3.5% with dividend growth. VYM yields 2.9% with market-cap weighting. DVY yields 3.8% but has sector concentration issues.
dividend investing How to Build a Dividend Portfolio That Pays You Every Month Twelve stocks paying quarterly on staggered cycles produce monthly income. Or one ETF. Here's what the real yield looks like at a $100,000 portfolio.
401k rollover Rolling Over an Old 401(k): Four Options, One Obvious Winner Cash out. Leave it. Roll to new 401(k). Roll to IRA. Three of these are wrong for almost every person. The one that works almost always is usually the default nobody chooses.
401k loan 401(k) Loans: When They Make Sense (Rarely) and When They're a Disaster You're borrowing your own money at 8.5% interest that you pay back to yourself. Sounds fine. Then you lose your job and the whole thing becomes due in 60 days.
Solo 401k Solo 401(k) vs. SEP-IRA: The Self-Employed Retirement Decision Both let you stash $70,000+ per year. The solo 401(k) wins for most, but the SEP-IRA wins for two specific situations that sneak up on side-hustlers.
target date funds Target-Date Funds in Your 401(k): Convenience at a Cost The 2055 fund is probably your default. It's also holding 15% bonds you don't need at 35, and charging 0.65% for the privilege. The math says rebuild it.
401k The 401(k) Match: The Only Guaranteed Return in Investing A 50% match on the first 6% is a 50% instant return. Nothing else comes close. Here's how to maximize it without screwing up your paycheck cash flow.
inherited IRA Inherited IRAs After SECURE 2.0: The 10-Year Rule Trap Non-spouse heirs must drain inherited IRAs in 10 years. Do it wrong and half goes to taxes in one year. The distribution strategy matters more than the investment choice.
Roth conversion Roth Conversions in Your 50s: The Window Most Earners Miss From age 55 through 70, most earners hit a rare tax window where converting traditional IRA money to Roth costs less than it ever will again.
