Posts
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The Layoff Money Playbook
The first two weeks after a layoff decide the financial outcome. Severance, RSUs, options, COBRA, unemployment, and the 401k moves to make before you sign.
11 min read -
The 83(b) Election: Your 30-Day Window
The 83(b) election has a strict 30-day deadline with no extensions. File it and a future tax bill shrinks to pocket change. Miss it and it can cost six figures.
11 min read -
Where to Park Cash
Cash sitting in a big-bank checking account earning near nothing is the most common, most fixable money leak for high earners. Here's where it should go.
11 min read -
Rent vs Buy: The Actual Math
Renting isn't throwing money away. Most of an early mortgage payment is interest, which is money you never get back either. Here is the real rent-vs-buy math.
9 min read -
A Roth IRA for Your Kid
Your teenager's summer lawn-mowing money can fund a Roth IRA that compounds for 50 years. Here's how custodial Roth IRAs actually work, funding trick included.
10 min read -
ISO vs NSO: Options and the AMT Trap
ISOs and NSOs are taxed completely differently. Get it wrong and you owe a six-figure AMT bill on stock that's now worthless. Here's the full breakdown.
10 min read -
The 0% Capital Gains Bracket
The 0% long-term capital gains bracket lets early retirees harvest gains tax-free. Here's how it works, who qualifies, and the ACA subsidy tension you need to know.
10 min read -
Lump Sum vs Dollar-Cost Averaging
Lump sum beats DCA two-thirds of the time. But DCA beats doing nothing. Here's the math, the Vanguard data, and when each one actually makes sense.
10 min read -
Bonds: When to Actually Add Them
A 28-year-old accumulator probably needs 0% bonds. That changes as you approach your FIRE number. Here's exactly when and how to make the shift.
11 min read -
Do You Need International Stocks?
VXUS vs. VTI-only: the oldest Boglehead argument. Here's what the data says, where Bogle and Vanguard disagreed, and a concrete allocation range to pick from.
9 min read -
Health Insurance Before 65
The biggest unsolved FIRE problem: health insurance before Medicare. Here's how ACA subsidies, MAGI management, and Roth conversions change the math entirely.
12 min read -
The Roth Conversion Ladder
Access your 401k before 59.5 without the 10% penalty. The Roth conversion ladder is how early retirees bridge the gap, here's the full mechanics.
10 min read
