About 10 years ago, I tried logging onto SSA.gov to check my Social Security benefits. You would think after decades of paying FICA taxes, the government might make it easy to see what you’re entitled to. Nope. Instead, the system demanded to physically mail me a PIN. I tried three times over 12 months. Nothing ever arrived, […]
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I was talking to a full-time mother the other day, and she was pissed. Her full-time working husband was heading out on yet another business trip. It was his third week-long trip that month, and she was over it. Their two kids missed their father, and she didn’t think all the travel was truly necessary, […]
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People knock real estate for being slow and tedious, but slow and steady might be exactly what the doctor ordered to build tremendous wealth long term. With stocks doing well for so long, you’d think most people would be far better off investing in stocks than in real estate, right? Just look at the chart […]
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For my latest trip to Oahu, this time to surprise my father and take him out for his 80th birthday, I decided to fly Basic Economy. I'm here this week. Originally, I planned to splurge on First Class for $1,600 roundtrip because the flight was on the Boeing 777 300ER, my favorite plane with solo […]
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The maximum employee 401(k) contribution limit for 2026 is increasing by $1,000 to $24,500 according to the IRS. For workers over 50, the catch-up contribution rises to $8,000, bringing the total to $32,500. That’s a substantial amount of money to shelter in a tax-advantaged account each year. When I first started working in 1999, the employee 401(k) limit […]
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Housing is one of life’s fundamental needs, right up there with food, water, and safety. For decades, though, housing affordability has become increasingly out of reach for the average American. With the median U.S. home price hovering around $440,000 and the median household income roughly $80,000, it’s easy to see why homeownership has become more of a dream […]
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I wasn’t always a personal finance nerd, but I gradually became one out of survival. This is my story — and my observation — of why being an “American nerd” has become more important than ever if you want to rise in your career or achieve financial freedom sooner. For context, I no longer view […]
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During my free financial review of my rollover IRA, I was feeling pretty good about how far it had come. Back when I retired from finance in April 2012, I had about $300,000 in my 401(k). After leaving, I rolled it into an IRA and invested in index ETFs and individual stocks. Since then, it […]
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Housing security is something I hope everyone will one day obtain. Once you are house secure, you can more easily focus on your career, family formation, and other things you care about. However, if you rent for life, you may face housing insecurity, which can feel especially uncomfortable when you’re older or no longer willing […]
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As a buyer and seller of real estate since 2003, I’ve learned that getting a home inspection before each purchase is one of the most important steps in protecting yourself. You want a professional — someone who’s inspected hundreds of homes — to review your potential property for at least an hour before you submit […]
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It’s a raging bull market, and I’ll admit, I’m a little annoyed I don’t have a large paycheck anymore to take advantage of more investment opportunities. Every day, I see people with steady W-2 income are funneling thousands into stocks, real estate, and private deals. Meanwhile, I’m sitting here, asset rich but cash flow constrained. […]
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