Asset Allocation for Tax Optimization

I wrote a post a while back titled Financial Literacy in One Sentence. This was that sentence: Financial Literacy is spending less than you make, on the things that you value, and saving and investing the rest in low-cost, diversified index funds selected based on your investment time horizon. I still think it holds up. … Continue reading Asset Allocation for Tax Optimization →

HSA Conversions for Very Early Retirees

I've written previously about the incredible opportunity of using your HSA as a stealh retirement account (for those who can afford to do so). More recently, I wrote about a variation on that strategy for folks who were not maxing out their Roth contributions. Today's post is about a strategy that some very early retirees … Continue reading HSA Conversions for Very Early Retirees →

The State Tax Deduction Many People Miss

This post comes with the usual caveat: I am not a tax expert and this is for informational purposes. One of the great things about the tremendous decrease in the cost and difficulty of investing (thank you Jack Bogle) has been that many more people are investing in stocks and bonds through brokerages like Vanguard … Continue reading The State Tax Deduction Many People Miss →

Planning for Potential Long-Term Care Costs in Retirement

A topic that frequently comes up in my financial literacy class for educators as well as just in general conversation is how to pay for potential long-term care costs in retirement. I want to be clear, I am in no way an expert on this topic. Having said that, I have done a fair amount … Continue reading Planning for Potential Long-Term Care Costs in Retirement →

Talking EVs on the Teach and Retire Rich Podcast

I was a guest on the Teach and Retire Rich Podcast talking about electric vehicles this week. I do want to reemphasize a point that was made several times on the podcast, which is that for many folks their first EV should likely be an "around town" commuter car, which means it doesn't have to … Continue reading Talking EVs on the Teach and Retire Rich Podcast →

Leveraging Your HSA to Increase Your Roth Contributions

I've written previously about how folks who can afford to both contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA) and pay their current out-of-pocket medical expenses from their checking account can use their HSA as a stealth retirement account. It's better than either pre-tax or Roth retirement accounts because as long as you eventually use the … Continue reading Leveraging Your HSA to Increase Your Roth Contributions →