What is An Annuity (and How Annuities Work!)
Imagine getting paid $1000 every month for the rest of your life. You don't need to work for it and you can spend it however you want. Sounds like a…
Can I Work and Collect Social Security
Around 64% of Americans have not saved enough for retirement, and about half of those individuals may have nothing set aside when they reach retirement age. The pandemic worsened some…
What is The Infinite Banking Concept? And What Are The Pros and Cons?
The infinite banking concept describes a way for everyday individuals to take charge of their finances and grow their wealth. Popularized by R. Nelson Nash in his book "Becoming Your…
Adding Tax Diversification to Your Retirement Portfolio
Have you ever considered the possibility that you may earn a higher income after you retire than you have now? It sounds crazy, I know, but it’s not as uncommon…
Should You Plan on Working Past Retirement?
Working past retirement may sound contradictory. I mean, it isn't really retirement if you have to work, is it? But there are actually some pretty solid reasons to work during…
What Is a Self-Directed IRA Real Estate Investment (and Should You Do It)?
Why would you buy real estate in your IRA? The biggest benefit of a self-directed IRA real estate investment is the awesome opportunity for your money to grow...tax-deferred! You can…
What Is a Self-Directed 401k?
Will you have enough money in retirement? The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that only 43% of United States workers participate in a retirement savings plan. This survey was actually specific…
The Financial Planning Process: Your Route to Financial Independence!
The financial planning process is all about "planning" for your retirement far in advance of your arrival there. You need to think of retirement as a destination. I like to…
What is a Dividend and Why Would You Invest in Dividend Stocks?
Dividends can be a very valuable part of your investment portfolio. They can reduce your overall portfolio risk, increase your profits, and offer tax advantages. But what are dividends? And…
Big Picture Investing: Why You Need to Get in the Game Now!
If you have been poking around my blog, you’ve probably figured out that my ultimate goal is to help you reach some version of "financial independence" (or even just plain…
What is Asset Protection Planning (and How Do You Achieve It)?
What do we mean when we say "Asset Protection Planning"? To answer that, we first need to understand to what “assets” we are actually referring. Over the course of your…
How to Make Your Money Work for You: 7 Modern Methods for Investing in “The Market”
You work hard for your money, but do you know how to make your money work for you? No one wants to work until they die, right? If you feel…
8 Proven & Practical Ways to Catch-Up With Your Retirement Savings Contributions
This is a guest post written for playlouder.com by Rick Pendykoski, the owner of Self Directed Retirement Plans LLC, a retirement planning firm based in Goodyear, AZ. Rick has over…
Personal Itemized Budget Categories & How You Wrangle Them with My Budget Template
Do you want to maximize your income and invest your savings in order to increase your net worth and maybe even retire early? Well then, it all starts with a…
Early Financial Independence: Living Your Life in 4 Acts (Not Just the 3 You’ve Been Told About)!
You're probably living your life in "3 Acts"---so were we. (This may sound a bit esoteric right now, but just bear with me.) When we finally realized that life was…
The Benefits of a Financial Advisor for Your Investing Future
Want to jump into the world of investing, but don't have the time to learn all there is to know? Well then, you might appreciate the benefits of a financial…
A Robo Advisor Comparison: Can A.I. Get You to the Promised Land?!
So I wanted to put together a distilled robo advisor comparison for you to check out. Largely because they are cool, but also because they are (potentially) a great step…
How Our (Semi-ish) Early Retirement Aspirations Grew from a Spark to a FI/RE
Way back in 2012, a younger Joe and I were hanging out and talking about our eventual retirement (as all young people do) and possibly even an early retirement. We…
Solo 401k vs SEP IRA: A Comparing For the Self-Employed
Self-employment can offer an excellent work-life balance, as well as other freedoms and lifestyle benefits! Hahaha...wasn't that funny. Seriously though, self-employment will likely be the cause of you working 80…
You Need to Do Your Personal Bookkeeping (Like a Business)…and You Hate It…Now What?!?
There just isn't any way around it. No matter how you earn, invest, slice, dice and spend your money, one financial fundamental will hold true: you have to do personal…