Housing affordability is at or near an all-time low and the Fed is partly to blame due to its aggressive rate hikes in such a short time frame. The Federal government is also partly to blame due to excess stimulus spending during the pandemic. However, this is not a post about who is to blame […]
The Housing Affordability Problem Is Creating A Nation Of Renters Read More »
The mortgage interest deduction is a positive benefit for homeowners. This itemized deduction allows homeowners to subtract mortgage interest from their taxable income, thereby lowering the amount of taxes they owe. The current maximum mortgage interest deduction is based on a $750,000 mortgage amount. Before the Tax Cuts And Jobs Act (TCJA) passed in December
How To Calculate Mortgage Interest Deduction If It’s Over The Max Read More »
Now that the Supreme Court has outlawed affirmative action in college admissions, it’s time to look at the next layer of affirmative action: getting a job based on identity versus merit. This is the diversity hire dilemma some of you or your children might one day face. It is part of the DEI, or Diversity,
The Diversity Hire Dilemma: How To Get Paid Based On Identity, Not Merit Read More »
The longer you are retired, the harder it may be to find a job if you want to go back. In this article, I’d like to share the difficulties I’ve faced finding employment in a new field. My situation should help folks think more carefully about early retirement and staying out of the workforce for
The Difficulty Of Finding A Good Job After Retiring For Years Read More »
Are you ready for another recession? A recession tends to happen every 5-7 years and lasts on average for 11 months, so you might as well prepare for a future one. There may be more regional bank failures lurking. If so, mass layoffs will spread across multiple industries, not just tech and finance. And the
A Recession Preparation Checklist To Survive Bad Times Read More »
We’ve all heard of men buying midlife crisis cars to feel more alive (or make up for shortcomings). But what about buying a midlife crisis house? Have you ever thought of such an interesting phenomenon? Let’s say you’re living in a perfectly fine house that fits all your needs. It has the best layout with
The Midlife Crisis House Is A Real And Growing Phenomenon Read More »
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 »
Dual agency is when a real estate agent represents both the seller and buyer. Personally, I’ve bought bought three homes using a dual agent before. I simply found each listing online, built a relationship with the listing agents, and convinced them to represent me to save on the purchase price. In the end, I believe
What Is Dual Agency? And Why Some Real Estate Agents Hate It Read More »
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 »
Investors and particularly homebuyers are wondering when will the Fed finally start cutting rates? After 11 rate hikes so far since 2022, investors and homebuyers are starting to feel the strain of higher borrowing costs. The longer the Fed Funds rate stays high, the more negative impact it will have on the economy. Ideally, the
When Will The Fed Cut Interest Rates? A Forecasting Exercise Read More »
