Financial independence, investing, and wealth-building strategies with a focus on intentional, actionable money decisions.
#698: Q&A: Should You Pause Retirement to Buy a Bigger Home?
Should you reduce your retirement contributions to save for a house down payment faster? It’s a question that forces you to choose between two competing financial goals—and the answer isn’t as simple as picking one over the other. In this Q&A episode, Joe and I tackle three listener questions about
#697: Bill Gurley: The Biggest Career Regret Most People Have
What does it take to find work you actually love—not just tolerate, not just survive, but genuinely love? And is it even possible if you’re in your 50s and still don’t know what that is? In this conversation, I talk with Bill Gurley, general partner at Benchmark Capital and author of “Runnin’ Down a
#696: Q&A: Should Your Emergency Fund Be Invested?
Should your emergency fund chase yields, or should you prioritize stability over returns? It’s a question we haven’t had to ask for years, but as interest rates drop, savers are facing a new reality. In this Q&A episode, we tackle four listener questions that span the practical and the philosophical
#695: First Friday: Jobs Fell by 92,000. But the Economy Is Still Growing?
The jobs report that dropped today sent shockwaves through the markets, the US lost 92,000 jobs in February, completely defying expectations of a 60,000 job gain. How do we make sense of data that seems to contradict itself? In this First Friday episode, I break down the confusing signals coming fro
#694: Job Titles Don’t Mean What They Used To (And That Affects Your Pay) – with Dr. Ben Zweig (Part 2 of 2)
Will AI take your job? In Part 2 of my conversation with Ben Zweig, we move beyond theory into the practical chaos of how work actually functions in today’s economy. Ben and I dive deep into why there are 90 million unique job titles (yes, really), how LLMs are finally solving the job categorization
#693: AI, Layoffs, and the Future of Your Career – with Dr. Ben Zweig (Part 1 of 2)
Will AI take your job? It’s the question on everyone’s mind—but it might be the wrong question to ask. In this interview, I talk with Dr. Ben Zweig, Chief Economist at Revelio Labs, about why we need to completely rethink how we understand work in the age of AI. Ben explains that jobs aren’t [...]
#692: Q&A: My Brother-in-Law Wants to Buy a Rental in Mexico. Good Idea?
Three listeners, three very different financial dilemmas, but all connected by the same underlying question: What do I do when life doesn’t follow the plan? In this Q&A, we tackle three high-stakes money decisions. A post-divorce real estate leap overseas. A retiree with a suddenly swollen portfolio
#691: Your IQ Won’t Save Your Career. Your AQ Might – with Liz Tran
What if the most important skill for thriving in an AI-driven economy isn’t intelligence or emotional awareness—but your ability to handle change itself? In this interview, I talk with Liz Tran, executive coach and author of “AQ”, about a revolutionary framework for understanding how we navigate unc
Deep dives into personal finance topics and investing
AI Gives Better Answers Than Google
AI gives you a good baseline. The less you know about a subject, the more AI will help. Use AI for how to apply knowledge to your specific situation. Learn the Nuts and Bolts I put everything I use to manage my money in a book. My Financial Toolbox guides you to a clear course of action. Read R
A Simple Annual Financial Review Template
We use this annual financial review template to recap the previous year and plan for the current and future years. Learn the Nuts and Bolts I put everything I use to manage my money in a book. My Financial Toolbox guides you to a clear course of action. Read Reviews The post A Simple Annua
How I Bought a Home Without an Agent After the NAR Settlement
You can buy a home without a buyer's agent and save a lot of money when you're prepared. Here's how I did it. Learn the Nuts and Bolts I put everything I use to manage my money in a book. My Financial Toolbox guides you to a clear course of action. Read Reviews The post How I Bought a Home
Real Life Experience with a Deferred Fixed Annuity (MYGA)
A deferred fixed annuity, aka MYGA, is like a CD issued by an insurance company. It worked as advertised but I'm not renewing or buying more. Learn the Nuts and Bolts I put everything I use to manage my money in a book. My Financial Toolbox guides you to a clear course of action. Read Reviews
Software for Business and Trust Tax Returns: 1041, 1065, 1120-S
H&R Block Business is inexpensive tax software for filing business and trust tax returns. Try it if you need to file a Form 1041, 1065, or 1120-S. Learn the Nuts and Bolts I put everything I use to manage my money in a book. My Financial Toolbox guides you to a clear course of action. Read
Building a Bond Ladder with Individual Bonds and ETFs
A bond ladder is helpful psychologically and for predictable cash flow. You can build one with individual Treasuries and TIPS and with ETFs. Learn the Nuts and Bolts I put everything I use to manage my money in a book. My Financial Toolbox guides you to a clear course of action. Read Reviews
ACA Health Plan Premiums When One Spouse Starts Medicare
The ACA health plan premiums may decrease, stay the same, or even increase when one spouse starts Medicare. Here's why. Learn the Nuts and Bolts I put everything I use to manage my money in a book. My Financial Toolbox guides you to a clear course of action. Read Reviews The post ACA Healt
How Does Claiming Social Security Affect ACA Health Insurance?
How claiming Social Security affects ACA health insurance depends on if there's a cliff, and your household income before and after Social Security. Learn the Nuts and Bolts I put everything I use to manage my money in a book. My Financial Toolbox guides you to a clear course of action. Read Re
Simple path to wealth through index fund investing
Yes, you can rent with kids!
From JL: Turns out you can still travel, even with a kid. Who knew? Certainly not their detractors. For years they confidently said, “You can only travel as you do, and be FIRE’d, because you don’t have kids. Once you have a kid, you’ll have to settle down and very likely hav
JL Goes International, and to ETFs…… Oh my!
Photo by siamak poorjam on Unsplash    Sometimes we do things that seem minor to us but somehow create a stir in others. So it seems with a couple of, to me, minor adjustments I recently made to the Collins portfolios. If you care, here’s the scoop.   Adding International A coup
Some Thoughts on Spending
  Photo by Gabriel Meinert  The subject of spending seems to be getting a lot of attention of late in and around the financial independence (FI) community.  The issue seems to be that those pursuing FI are on a path of deprivation and delayed gratification, and this behavior becomes s
My conversation on DOAC, the 2nd biggest podcast in the world
Back in December I got on an airplane, something I try hard not to do these days, and flew to New York. The flights, both going and returning, were delayed of course. What would prompt such rash behavior?  This guy: An invitation from Steven Bartlett to be on his podcast Diary of a CEO, an
Win a personally autographed copy of the revised edition of The Simple Path to Wealth
For a while now I have noticed people quoting me from my books. At first it was just charming and brought a smile to my face. But then, as they continued and became more common, the number of quotes grew. I began to regret I hadn’t thought to collect them. Ah well, no going back... [Continue R
How to make sure you get the right version of The Simple Path to Wealth
As most of you already know by now, as of May 20, 2025 there is a new, updated version of The Simple Path to Wealth available. Indeed, it has already reached #7 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. If you buy the book at Barnes & Noble or any local bookstore, you’ll automatically... [Continu
The one thing that will determine whether the market makes you wealthy or leaves you bleeding on the side of the road
I’ve been an investor in the stock market for 50 years. Here’s the one thing that will determine whether the market makes you wealthy or leaves you bleeding on the side of the road: What you do when the market drops. Market drops fall into three broad categories: Corrections, which are drops of ~10%
A New Edition of The Simple Path to Wealth
Let’s start with a couple pieces of exciting news, and then I’ll fill you in.  First, there is a brand new edition of The Simple Path to Wealth coming to bookstores on May 20th. Second, my pal Pete Adeney, Mr. Money Mustache himself, and I will be doing a live zoom conversation, open to everyon
Financial independence and tax optimization strategies
Learning How to Spend Money (While Enjoying Every Dollar Spent)
After decades of saving/investing, it's hard to immediately switch to spending mode. Here's what worked for me over the last few years! Read more → The post Learning How to Spend Money (While Enjoying Every Dollar Spent) appeared first on Mad Fientist.
Happiness Through Addition
Happiness Through Subtraction is still an effective strategy, but you need to be aware of the positives you may be removing in the process. Read more → The post Happiness Through Addition appeared first on Mad Fientist.
Financial advice for high-income professionals
529 Plans: How Much to Save and What They Can Be Used For
Dr. Jim Dahle and Dr. Tyler Scott answer listener questions about 529 plans and Trump Accounts and how and if you should use them for your child's education. The post 529 Plans: How Much to Save and What They Can Be Used For appeared first on The White Coat Investor - Investing & Personal Finance f
Helping a Pre-Med Run the Numbers on Medical School
Does medical school still make financial sense after OBBBA? Let's run the numbers and see how it all pans out. The post Helping a Pre-Med Run the Numbers on Medical School appeared first on The White Coat Investor - Investing & Personal Finance for Doctors.
Financially Independent but Trapped by My Assets
I graduated from dental school with $300,000 in student loans. Nearly two decades later, I'm financially independent. Well, sort of. The post Financially Independent but Trapped by My Assets appeared first on The White Coat Investor - Investing & Personal Finance for Doctors.
The 7 Ways to Get Out of a Real Estate Investment
See the end from the beginning and figure out how you're going to get out of real estate investing before you get into it. The post The 7 Ways to Get Out of a Real Estate Investment appeared first on The White Coat Investor - Investing & Personal Finance for Doctors.
The Perils of Using Prediction Markets Like Kalshi and Polymarket — And How They Could Wreck You
Here's what you need to know about prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket and whether you should risk your money with them. The post The Perils of Using Prediction Markets Like Kalshi and Polymarket — And How They Could Wreck You appeared first on The White Coat Investor - Investing & Persona
Understand the Passive Investing Data
Once people become aware of the benefits of passive investing, they sometimes "jump the shark" with it. You can take this concept too far. The post Understand the Passive Investing Data appeared first on The White Coat Investor - Investing & Personal Finance for Doctors.
Money Scripts Doctors Inherit and Why They’re So Hard to Change
Money scripts are the deep-seated beliefs about money you picked up without even realizing it. Here's how you can combat the negative ones. The post Money Scripts Doctors Inherit and Why They’re So Hard to Change appeared first on The White Coat Investor - Investing & Personal Finance for Doctors.
How to Think Clearly About Money Without Obsessing Over It with David Stein
An interview with podcast/author David Stein, where we talk about how experiencing burnout changed the way he thinks about work, money, and investing, and why many high-income professionals struggle with finances even with plenty of information. The post How to Think Clearly About Money Without Obse
Living large on a small budget with practical tips
Financial guidance for young adults starting out
More Instacart Credits: $10 or $20/Monthly Credits with Mastercard
There is yet another monthly Instacart credit promo offer that comes with 3-months of free Instacart+ membership to take advantage of – this time for Mastercard cardholders. This offer follows in the footsteps of the $10 monthly Instacart/Costco Same Day credit for Costco Executive members and
OBBBA Tip & Overtime Basics & Reporting: W-2, Box 14 Explained
If you recently received your 2025 Form W-2 and noticed unfamiliar entries in Box 14, you are not alone. As I was filling out our tax return this year, I noticed something odd in Box 14 of my wife’s W-2 that I had not seen before: “OBBBTT” (followed by a dollar amount). With zero c
Switch to TurboTax & File All Forms Free Promotion (+ 10% Off for Previous Users)
TurboTax, one of my picks for the best tax prep programs, has a unique promotion currently live for this tax season where you can switch to TurboTax and file all tax forms 100% free in the TurboTax app (versus the web interface). What makes this a unique and compelling offer is that it includes all
How to Do Your Taxes in 2026: a DIY Tax Filing Guide
A Guide to Filing your Taxes in 2026 This DIY tax filing guide has been updated for 2026 tax filing (2025 tax year returns). We’re smack dab in the middle of the 2026 tax filing season. If you visit the IRS website and have a look around, there really is no simple tax guide to get you started
How to Pay Taxes with a Credit Card (and Profit) in 2026
This overview on how to pay your taxes with a credit card (to the IRS) has been updated for the 2026 tax season. Want to take a bit of the sting out of paying taxes? Good news. You can easily and quickly pay taxes with a credit card and simultaneously profit from doing so. I didn’t know this w
Discounted Uber Gift Cards: $100 for $79.99 at Costco.com
Costco.com is once again offering discounted Uber gift cards (e-gift cards, specifically) to Costco members on their site. Members can purchase 2 $50 Uber e-gift cards for $79.99 – effectively a 20% discount. These gift cards can be used on both the Uber and Uber Eats apps. Costco members have
Discounted Instacart Gift Cards: Best Buy 10% Off Digital Cards
Best Buy is offering discounted Instacart gift cards at 10% off $50, $100, and $200 digital gift card denominations on bestbuy.com. Discounted Instacart gift cards at Costco, at Sam’s Club, and elsewhere were pretty common until earlier this year. Unfortunately, they have been much harder to f
The Cheapest New Cars in 2026
This article has been updated for the 2026 vehicle model year. Each year, I enjoy researching and ranking the cheapest new cars sold in the U.S. market and sharing my findings. Transportation is the 2nd highest consumer expense category in the U.S., and almost all of that comes from the purchase or