Retirement

Why It’s So Hard To Stay Retired Once You Retire Early

It’s hard enough to retire early, say before age 45. However, I’ve discovered it may be even harder to stay retired once you retire early! As I was going through my archives, I realized I had a master plan to re-retire by September 1, 2022, several months after my 45th birthday. Given the birth of […]

Why It’s So Hard To Stay Retired Once You Retire Early Read More »

Spending More Money On Food: An Experiment In Decumulation

Once I hit 45 in mid-2022, I decided to enter a decumulation phase. Instead of continuing to save and invest aggressively, I decided to spend more aggressively. One way to decumulate is to spend more money on food. Dying with an excess of money is suboptimal. If we do, it will have meant that we

Spending More Money On Food: An Experiment In Decumulation Read More »

The 60-Day Rollover Rule To Borrow From Your Retirement Plans

The 60-day rollover rule enables you to borrow money from your retirement plans tax- and penalty-free. You can utilize the rule once a year. However, in general, I don’t think it’s wise to borrow from your retirement plans. If you do, you may get into the habit of robbing your retirement future. You may also

The 60-Day Rollover Rule To Borrow From Your Retirement Plans Read More »

401(k) Balances By Generation: From Gen Z To Boomers

Fidelity came out with its average and median 401(k) balances by generation. They are as follows: Gen Z: Average $7,100, Median $2,500 Millennials: Average $44,900, Median $15,500 Gen X: Average $145,500, Median $44,000 Boomers: Average $215,000, Median $61,200 For 2024, you can add on 10-20% to the figures thanks to a 26% increase in the

401(k) Balances By Generation: From Gen Z To Boomers Read More »

How Much People Want In Retirement Vs. How Much They Actually Have

I wrote about the various paradoxes of wealth based on a Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey. In this article, I want to highlight another wealth paradox based on the amount people expect they need in retirement versus how much they actually have. According to this new data, I’m convinced Americans really don’t know how much

How Much People Want In Retirement Vs. How Much They Actually Have Read More »

Ranking The Best Passive Income Investments

If you’re looking to achieve financial freedom before a traditional retirement age (60+), you must build passive income. This post will highlight the best passive income investments in our current economic environment. Passive income is the holy grail of personal finance. If you have enough passive income to cover your desired lifestyle, then you are

Ranking The Best Passive Income Investments Read More »

Reasons To Strive For Financial Independence: That FI Feeling

I first wrote this post about financial independence in 2012, soon after I had left my day job in the finance industry. It was a 13-year slog, but I was thrilled to leave but also a little worried about the unknown. The idea of this post is to capture the feeling of financial independence and

Reasons To Strive For Financial Independence: That FI Feeling Read More »

The Paradoxes Of Wealth: Misaligned Beliefs About Money

The 2023 Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey highlights the many paradoxes of wealth in America. Over 1,000 individuals of all different backgrounds filled out the survey. Overall, the survey, conducted between March 1 and March 23, 2023, says it takes a net worth of $2.2 million to be considered wealthy in 2023. The net worth

The Paradoxes Of Wealth: Misaligned Beliefs About Money Read More »

Top 10 Financial Moves To Reduce Stress And Anxiety

I realized something important after writing about the best reason to retire early. Money doesn’t buy everlasting happiness. However, having more money can reduce stress and anxiety. The goal of achieving perpetual happiness is not realistic. Happiness ebbs and flows. It’s more exciting to be an 8 out of 10 on the happiness scale because

Top 10 Financial Moves To Reduce Stress And Anxiety Read More »