An educational resource for people who want to invest wisely—without unnecessary complexity or “secret strategies.” The site breaks down the mechanics of investing: index funds, dividend-paying stocks, tax optimization, retirement accounts, and real estate as an investment vehicle.
I-Bonds have an annual $10,000 limit. TIPS have no limit but track CPI differently. Series EE doubles in 20 years guaranteed. Each wins in one specific scenario.
Ten Treasuries with maturities 1-10 years. As each matures, you reinvest at the current 10-year rate. Rates rise? You benefit. Rates fall? You already locked in.
The worst 60/40 year in history was 2022: down 16%. Then 2023 returned 17%. The framework isn't broken — it just requires patience most don't have.
Quarterly rebalancing costs taxes and trading fees without improving returns. Annual rebalancing at 5% bands is the sweet spot the research actually supports.
110 minus your age was the old rule. At 40 that's 70% stocks. With longer lifespans and lower bond yields, the right number for most is 85-90%.
Work 20 hours per week for benefits, live on passive income the rest. It's not a sexy answer, but it solves the pre-65 healthcare cliff that kills most early retirement plans.
Two retirees with identical 7% average returns can end up with wildly different outcomes — just by the order the returns come in. Early losses are devastating.
25x annual expenses is the headline rule. For anyone retiring before 55, the real number is 30-33x. The difference is healthcare and sequence risk.
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.
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.
Roofstock sells properties with tenants, managers, and 30-day guarantees. The returns average 6-8%. The hidden costs usually eat 2% of that.
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.