Tax-Free Profit Exclusion: Prorate For Long Term Rentals That Turn Into Primary Homes

Unfortunately, sometimes dreams don’t come true. In my quest to simplify life, I was blinded by the belief that the rental property I bought in 2003 would also be eligible for the full $250,000 / $500,000 tax-free profit exclusion if I moved back in tomorrow and lived in it for the next two years before

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How To Measure Fiscal Responsibility: Calculate Your FS-FR Score

Want to know how to measure you fiscal responsibility? The key is to calculate your FS-FR score. So far, we’ve got the Financial Samurai Debt And Investment Ratio (FS-DAIR). It provides a logical framework for deciding how much to invest and how much debt to pay down every time you have some disposable income. The

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Move Over FIRE, Welcome DIRE: Delay, Inherit, Retire, Expire

Instead of embracing the FIRE movement for those seeking financial independence, it may be better to embrace the DIRE movement after such a massive bull run since 2009. For the millions of unemployed Americans thanks to the pandemic, the DIRE movement is real. When I first started writing about achieving  financial independence early in 2009,

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Average vs. Recommended Expenditure On Housing, Food, Transportation

From a previous post, we know that the average expenditure by U.S. consumers is huge. This post will look at the recommended expenditure on housing, food, transportation and more. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the latest data for 2019 shows the average U.S. household spends $63,036 a year and earns $82,852 a

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Why Mortgage Rates Don’t Drop As Quickly As Treasury Yields

You know how you see oil prices drop precipitously on the news, yet when you get the gas station to save some money, you’re disappointed because gas prices haven’t gotten much cheaper? The same thing happens with US Treasury yields (oil) and mortgage interest rates (gas). Mortgage rates are largely influenced by the latest 10-year

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Insurance For Natural Disasters: Floods, Fires, Hurricanes, Earthquakes Oh My

Understanding what natural disaster insurance is and whether it’s worth it is important if you live in a high risk area. Let’s learn how floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes are covered under an insurance policy for natural disasters. I’m a multiple property owner in San Francisco which is a high risk area for earthquakes. Over

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