I’m not going to lie to you. The past couple of months have been nerve-wracking for us mere mortals who depend on our 401Ks to break free from the nine-to-five grind. Multiply that anxiety tenfold for someone on the brink of retirement next year like I do. It quickly became …

Scared that you might not be able to retire? Fear not! This not-so-simple calculator performs 1,000 simulations to give you valuable insight into the longevity of your savings. Of course, it’s written by no other than yours truly. So, I know exactly how it works! This is very timely because …

We all love our grandkids, sometimes even more than our own kids. Admittedly, there are moments when I wish my teens would leave the nest yesterday, especially when they test our patience. But new grandkids? They’re the cutest, most innocent little beings, untouched by the influences of social media and …

I have this fantasy of becoming a billionaire. No, owning fancy cars and sprawling estates doesn’t captivate my imagination. What fascinates me is the journey, the process, and the impact—whether positive or negative—that a billionaire can have on society. Think about Elon Musk handing away a giant $1,000,000 check every …

I’m supposed to share our household net worth every Labor Day. It’s a tradition I’ve observed since I started this blog. Unfortunately, I got sick after my long flight from Manila. But it’s better late than never. This year, I’m going to do something different: I’m sharing actual investments! Ladies …

Oh, the tale of two Olympic performances! On one hand, we have Carlos Yulo, the Filipino gymnast who soared to new heights at the Paris 2024 Olympics, clinching two gold medals with a flawless vault and artistic gymnastic routines that left the judges and audience in awe. His performance was a masterclass …

As a parent of a recent high school graduate, discarding junk mail from overpriced colleges and universities across the country has become my new hobby. These institutions relentlessly compete for my hard-earned dollars—or rather, dollars they expect my daughter to borrow from opportunistic lenders who seek an unfair slice of …

One of the most entertaining scenes in the movie ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ is when Mark Hanna (played by Matthew McConaughey) explains to new recruit Jordan Belford (Leonardo DiCaprio) how stockbroking business works over lunch of martini and cocaine. “F*** the clients. Your only responsibility is to put meat on …

I was listening to a Dave Ramsey podcast episode on my way to work when a caller asked: what’s a reasonable wedding budget for a couple on Baby Step 2? That’s Ramsey-speak for someone still trying to pay off debt besides the mortgage. And, one of the co-hosts, George Kamel, …

Ever since I paid off our mortgage, I’ve been buying a mortgage worth of stocks in my taxable brokerage account. Now that I’m inclined to retire early, I plan to stash even more into this third bucket I proudly refer to as my “war chest.” Sure, every budding early retiree …