Boomer, today’s post is a cautionary tale on what to avoid if you want your money to last longer than you do. Consider my early forays into buying mutual funds as Exhibit A. Exhibit A is how not to do it. Exhibit A was me. And, as we’ll discuss, how I did it is exactly … [Read more…]
Early in my investing life, I purchased residential rental property for the passive income and hedge against inflation it provides. My mom was a realtor and came across undervalued houses from time to time. She had access to bankers who’d be willing to finance my purchases. She knew construction people who could estimate how much “simple” … [Read more…]
Boomer, I happened upon this book when I was deciding whether or not to retire. I’d spent a career spending less than I earned and investing the rest.  no longer needed the cash to work. My career had pretty well run its course. I was still treated well. After all, they’d given me a … [Read more…]
I had a meal with my friend Ron yesterday. Over baked ziti, I told him I was writing some blog posts about Social Security. OMG.  The mere topic made him furious. “Social Security is bankrupting the country. It will be broke by the time I retire. There…Will…Be…N-o-t-h-i-n-g…Left,” he hissed. (It was a little scary.) America is evenly … [Read more…]
My dad retired at 56. Most would say that he’d taken all the right steps to secure his financial future. He’d made a habit of spending less than he earned, owned a beautiful home outright, and had his money in nice “safe” vehicles, like Certificates of Deposit (CDs), money market accounts, and annuities. His … [Read more…]