Forty-One
I've made it to 41. On average, more than half of my life is over. The government gives me another 38 years, four less than if I was a female. After my tingles, I spent a…
The Self-Employment Tax
As a self-employed person, the one tax you can't run from is the self-employment tax. Your first $147,000 in wages and net earnings are taxed at 15.3%. This is separate from the income tax you also…
The Endgame
It's a played-out reference, but retiring is taking the red pill. You question all your previous beliefs and realize you were trying to accumulate money for the illusion of happiness. You can't hide behind the guise…
Losing Your Savings
The worst point to retire is before a stock market crash. Ok, things are different for me. I'm young enough to start working again if I want, and my wife still has a job that pays…
Still Not Working
After watching Twilio stick crash from over $450 to under $125 in less than a year, I am still not thinking about going back to work. Go to a good college, get a good job, and…
I Don’t Understand The Stock Market: Indexes
People say that this is a shift from growth to value that will continue throughout the year. Investors are selling their high flyers and trying to go somewhere safe. Some tech stocks have dropped 20%+, while…
FIRE Drawdown Plan
Most people don't think about their retirement at all. A smaller portion contributes to a small portion to their 401K and assumes they'll figure it out when they get old enough. But almost no one thinks…
Retirement Update: February 2021
I will turn 39 in April, and I have been retired for almost 9 months now. All thanks to Top Gun and Office Space. How's Retired Life? That's the question I get most often. I feel…
Family HQ 2 – The Beginning
I want to find somewhere I feel at home, I haven't found it yet. My wife and I moved to Colorado 14 years ago on a whim. I had lived in Illinois for basically my entire…
Office Space and Top Gun teach financial independence
It was my senior year of high school and I was going on my first date ever. After I made her dinner, we decided to go to the local rental store to get a VHS, which was…