I’ve been reading and researching demographics given the current administration is keen on trying to incentive people to have kids. On my wife’s side of the family, I have 4 nieces/nephews. On my side of the family, I have zero. From a total of 8 siblings (mine and my wife’s) only 4 nieces/nephews were produced….
Category: Financial Odyssey
Which Countries Are The Safest In The World?
I just got back from a month long trip in Asia and I had a great time visiting a few countries there. I was impressed with so many things and my expectations were exceeded in many ways but the most impressive was how safe many places were during my visit. One of the reasons I…
What Does Quality of Life Mean To You?
I asked AI what quality of life means to most people and here is what I got. I agree with the list although I think it left quite a few things out. But the point is to have an understanding of what your quality of life ecosystem is so that you can perform a comparative…
The Book of Life – Chapter 9
AI is simply amazing. I intended titling this post, “I have no desire for material things anymore” and write about where I feel I am in my stage of life but it got me thinking so I decided to have a conversation with AI. The conversation led to creating the table of contents below about…
$1000+ Free Food, Suite Upgrades, & More
When I go on vacation I like to maximize my comfort and the best way I have found to do that is to get high or highest tier status on the platforms you intend to uses services on such as airlines, hotels, and clubs. I recently traveled for most of April and was amazed about…
A New “Guaranteed” Financial Crisis?
I’ve been spending most of my free time now on risk mitigation strategies because while most people go on with their day to day lives, they seem to be oblivious to growing problems with the financial system. CNBC had an interesting article entitled Treasury Secretary Bessent says White House is heading off a ‘guaranteed’ financial…
The Recession Is Here – Mass Layoffs
In September 2023, I wrote a post entitled, “How To Prepare For A Recession” and I’m glad I did and took actions I recommended. This week, the company I work for laid off hundreds of people and we’re not sure if the carnage is done yet. I can tell you many people were shocked and…
Retirement: Qualified Dividends vs Non-Qualified Dividends
Do you know the difference between qualified dividends and non-qualified dividends in your investment portfolio? Knowing the difference could mean a smaller tax bill or a much larger one in retirement. I’ve come across a great YouTube video on the subject so rather than write a wordy explanation, it’s just easier to watch this video…
The Rule of 55 – Cashing Out A 401k
After approaching another round of burnout, I am very keen to “retire” so I have been exploring all my options. One of those options is the ‘Rule of 55’ and I’ve been doing research into this option. I spoke to my current 401k provider and they confirmed that I can pull my money out when…
Paying Your Mortgage With Your Credit Card
The holy grail of credit card reward points has always been to pay your mortgage with a credit card. This is usually the largest recurring expense most people have on their bill pile. There are now potentially two credit cards that will allow you to do this with minimal fees. Rather than type of a…