Tag: retirement planning
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Annuities make sense for almost everyone and the FIRE community is wrong
The FIRE crowd treats annuities as predatory products to avoid. The retirement research community has spent 40 years showing the opposite is closer to true.
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Why your 401(k) might not be enough
The 401(k) was designed as a supplement, not a complete retirement plan. Here’s why typical contributions fall short and what to add alongside it.
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FIRE movement math doesn’t work for everyone
Financial independence and early retirement work beautifully on spreadsheets. The assumptions behind those spreadsheets fail more people than they help.
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HSAs are the best retirement account nobody uses correctly
Health Savings Accounts get triple tax treatment unmatched by any other retirement vehicle. Most holders waste them on routine medical bills.
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The 8% Average Return Myth Needs to Die
Financial planners cite 8% average returns as if it’s a guarantee. The math behind the number hides risks every retiree needs to understand.
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Variable annuities are the worst retirement product still legal
Variable annuities combine high fees, complexity, and surrender penalties into one toxic package. Here’s why they keep selling despite being indefensible.
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Roth conversions are oversold by people who don’t know your future tax rate
Roth conversion advice assumes future tax rates that nobody can actually predict. Here’s why the math is more uncertain than most advisors admit.
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Investing Early Isn’t Always an Advantage
The compound interest sermon glosses over real tradeoffs. Sometimes paying down debt, building skills, or staying liquid beats a Roth IRA in your twenties.
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The Roth IRA isn’t the slam dunk Reddit says it is
Reddit treats the Roth IRA as a no-brainer, but the math depends on assumptions about future tax rates that no one actually knows. Here’s a closer look.
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Why paying off your mortgage early might be a bad move
Killing your mortgage early feels disciplined, but the math often says otherwise. Here’s when accelerated payoff costs you more than it saves.