Financial Education for Colorado Educators (and those they love). Absolutely Free.
As we are about to turn the page (click the arrow?) on the calendar to move into 2026, there are many changes that happen around taxes. These include tax bracket changes, changes in the limits of what you can contribute to various retirement accounts, and a variety of other changes. The following is by no … Continue reading 2026: New Year, New Limits
Note: This post is going to assume a lot of privilege. It's not going to address the very real issues of income inequality and systemic disadvantage, as those are a bit beyond my wheelhouse (although I do have pretty strong opinions about policy changes we should make that could at least help address those issues). … Continue reading The Extraordinary Opportunity of Starting Early (and Privilege)
Most people are pretty familiar with the 401k, a supplemental defined contribution retirement plan offered by many private employers. In the public sector, including public schools, most employers offer the 403b instead, which actually predates the 401k and functions in much the same way. Public employers also have the ability to offer a 457b plan, … Continue reading The Not-So-Nifty Fifty
Dan and Scott had me back on the Teach and Retire Rich podcast for those who might be interested. Apple Podcasts Direct link to the podcast on their site 403bwise 403bwise state 457 ratings Items mentioned in the podcast. Time to Buy! Buy! Buy! (Service Credit, 2025 Edition) (purchasing service credit) Our Current Portfolio and … Continue reading Appeared on the Teach and Retire Rich Podcast
I've written previously about fees associated with tax-advantaged accounts like 401ks, 403bs, and 457bs. For those of you in Colorado PERA, you're lucky enough to have access to PERA's 401k (and, if your district has opted in, to PERA's 457b). Unfortunately, many of the 403b vendors that districts also allow you to sign up with … Continue reading Vanguard Increasing 403b Administrative Fee to $80 a Year
Just a little over 3 years ago I wrote a post encouraging folks to purchase service credit in their pension system if they were eligible and could afford to do it. While the entire post is worth reading for the full context, I wanted to pull out this quote, The second reason I think purchasing … Continue reading Time to Buy! Buy! Buy! (Service Credit, 2025 Edition)
Fisch Financial 