My Dad retired in 2002 with a 403(b) and lifelong teacher’s pension. Unsure of his retirement savings, some fellow retired teachers recommended a financial advisor who “specialized in retired teachers”. So he converted the 403(b) to an IRA, transferred his and my Mom’s IRAs to the advisor, and trusted him to manage their money for... The post Managing Mom and Dad’s Money appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more

I moved in with my parents when I was 27. The football wallpaper in my bedroom was gone, and the bed was bigger. But it was still the room I slept in for the first 18 years of my life. While most of my friends were married and starting high-salary jobs after years of graduate... The post Broke, Unemployed, and Living With My Parents appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more

This week’s post is a video conversation with Ben Reynolds of the Sure Dividend Newsletter. Watch it below or click over to YouTube for this 50-minute chat.  Stay tuned until the end when Ben shares his top 3 dividend stock recommendations for May 2024. In tandem with this video, Ben is offering a free spreadsheet... The post Dividend Growth Investing with Ben Reynolds of Sure Dividend appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more

ProjectionLab is a powerful financial planning tool that empowers do-it-yourselfers to set and track financial goals and forecast how their wealth will change over a lifetime.   We can use it to experiment with various scenarios and assumptions to help us determine if we have enough to retire or achieve other financial milestones.  This retirement planning calculator is far... The post ProjectionLab Review: Powerful DIY Financial Planning (+ Video) appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more

I’ve been a self-directed investor for almost thirty years. Self-managing my investments has saved me tens of thousands in fees, though I’ve been susceptible to my own investment biases and mistakes. Overall, I believe the tradeoff favors do-it-yourself (DIY) investing.   This article explores the pros and cons of DIY investing compared to hiring a financial... The post The Pros and Cons of DIY Investing appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more

Next Thursday, March 14th, 2024, at 1 pm ET, TD Bank is featuring me in an interview and live Q&A on this topic in a free webinar. Register for the webinar here.  More information is below.  I’m 48. It’s been 28 years since I invested in my first stock. Twenty-eight years from now, I’ll be... The post How I’m Simplifying my Portfolio for Retirement appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more

The mainstream financial media’s portrayal of early retirement has always felt disingenuous, leading with “this 30-something retired” or some variation of that hook, then later highlighting that the “early retiree” is working a new job (even though they don’t need to), running a business, or has an employed spouse providing income and health insurance. These... The post Throwing ICE on FIRE appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more

The Bitcoin ETFs have gotten a lot of media attention recently.  After years of contemplation, the SEC finally approved several “spot” Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds) for trading on stock exchanges. They include the following: ETFs make it as easy as stocks to own and trade assets like index funds, bonds, commodities, and now digital assets. ... The post Should DIY Investors Buy Bitcoin ETFs? appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more

I’m a DIY financial planner and investor.  Hiring a financial advisor never made sense since I studied finance and enjoy money management as a hobby.  I almost became an investment advisor a few times. My financial situation has never been that complicated. I keep my investments, taxes, and personal finance activities within my capabilities, so... The post When to Fire (or Hire) a Financial Advisor appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more

This article explores reasons to own ETFs vs mutual funds.  Between stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and alternative assets, we now have countless ways to invest our money more than ever. Though more options are better overall, the choices can be overwhelming. About 7,400 mutual funds and 3,000 ETFs are listed in the U.S.,... The post ETFs vs Mutual Funds: Knowing When to Choose Which appeared first on Retire Before Dad ..read more