Have you wondered: Can I collect unemployment benefits if I have investment income? The short answer is: Yes you can college unemployment benefits if you have investment income!
Unemployment benefits are tied to work income, not investment income. Therefore, if you've lost your job through a layoff or severance negotiation, then you are eligible for unemployment benefits, even if you have investment income.
You can have millions of dollars of investment income and still collect unemployment benefits. You can also have a side hustle and collect unemployment benefits if you lose your job.
Investment income is passive income and not W2 or 1099 income. Therefore, you are technically not employed by owning dividend stocks, rental properties, and other income-producing assets.
The government does NOT penalize you for saving and investing your money wisely to generate investment income.
The government just wants to make sure you do not collect unemployment insurance while you still have a job. If you do, that's fraud.
Earning Investment Income And Collecting Unemployment Benefits
Let's say you work for 10 years and diligently save 50% of your after-tax income every year. You amass $500,000 and decide to invest 25% in real estate crowdfunding, 50% in dividend paying stocks, and 25% in municipal bonds. Your total investment income from your portfolio is roughly $35,000 a year.
You love your job, but due to a restructuring, you are let go. The $35,000 a year you earn in passive income has no bearing on your ability to collect unemployment benefits since the $35,000 a year is a result of your past work.
You are no longer working to make that money, as that money is now working for you. Your company could technically refute the unemployment benefit claim upon realizing you earn investment income, however, you don't have to reveal your personal finances to your employer. And if they do deny you, you have recourse.
Always Negotiate A Severance And Get Laid Off
Hopefully you have not been laid off yet and are just planning ahead. But if you have been laid off, you absolutely should claim unemployment insurance ASAP. You have every right to collect unemployment insurance every week for ~26 weeks from your state because your firm and you paid into your unemployment benefits while working.
If you haven't been laid off yet, good. Never quit your job, get laid off. If you get laid off, you can collect unemployment benefits. If you quit your job, you cannot qualify for unemployment benefits because the government will rightfully reason that you don't need unemployment benefits since you quit.
Further, you should always try and get laid off and negotiate a severance. Not only can you collect unemployment benefits, you can potentially get a severance check that pays you 1-3 weeks of salary for every year you worked. You may also be able to receive all your deferred compensation as well.
My Severance Gave Me Courage To Change My Life For The Better
I negotiated a severance in 2012 and received a six-figure severance check and ALL my deferred stock and cash compensation that paid out until 2017. That's 5 years worth of income. If I quit, I would have got nothing! It was the beginning of my FIRE journey.
I believe so strongly in negotiating a severance that I wrote a book, now in its 6th edition for the post-pandemic world. Pick up a copy of my all-time bestseller, How To Engineer Your Layoff: Make A Small Fortune By Saying Goodbye. It will help you retire early with money in your pocket.
Always Develop Investment Income
Try to save and invest aggressively to generate as much after-tax investment income as possible. You can't touch your 401(k) and IRA money without a 10% penalty until age 59.5.
Here is my latest rankings for the best passive income income. It's up to you to choose what you understand and enjoy the most that fits your investment risk tolerance. With the investment income you generate, you can still collect unemployment benefits.
I personally love real estate and own four properties in San Francisco and Honolulu. However, as I've gotten older, I no longer have the desire to deal with tenants and maintenance issues.
As a result, I sold one rental property and reinvested $550,000 of the proceeds in real estate crowdfunding through platforms like Fundrise and CrowdStreet. Both are free to sign up and explore.
I'm all about investing in real estate and earning as much passive income as possible. This way, I have more time to take care of my two kids. I've invested $954,000 in 18 real estate crowdfunded investments to diversify and earn income 100% passively.
The more passive income you have, the more options and freedom you will have. If you can collect unemployment benefits in the meantime, while you try and figure your life out, all the better!
Related posts:
States With The Best And Worst Unemployment Benefits
The Value Of A Severance Package Has Gone Way Up: Take Advantage!
When To File For Unemployment Benefits If You Receive WARN Act Pay
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