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LATEST BLOG POSTS
Miss the newest posts? Here are the last six!
Perceptions of the Wealthy: Learning to Think Like the Rich
But Musk knows money is not real wealth anymore than the scorecard in a bowling game is skill. Value must continually be created! He had to risk it all to do something of real value. His rockets are unique in their performance. Nobody has anything like it. Automotive manufacturers told us electric vehicles were not a viable option until Musk made it a reality. Now the simple-minded are playing catch up.
I don’t encourage mistakes. They happen easy enough on their own. But you should own your mistakes. Wear them with pride. They are a reminder you are human and remain motivated to create value. Scars are a badge of honor. When they lay you to rest, pray your skin isn’t smooth and soft. Pray to be covered in scars of experience. Yes, it is painful. But it is the only way to live life with meaning.
Unlimited High Speed Internet You Can Take Anywhere for $10 (or Free)
The quest for reliable high-speed internet is a never-ending battle when you live in the backwoods of Wisconsin. The available options did not send their best. Normal wired internet isn’t even an option. Satellite and wireless choices helped me reach a stage of complete baldness early.
In desperate need of quality internet service I turned into a resilient cuss since I had plenty of time on my hands without the internet to distract me. Local wireless internet providers were expensive and spotty. Without other choices the local guys could thumb their nose at me. Bad idea, guys.
Time kept counting until more options materialized. The local library loaned out a wireless internet service that worked pretty good. Unfortunately, a lot of people—even in town—needed fast, reliable internet service that didn’t require a second mortgage. The library solution needed
Hacking Itemized Deductions
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted late last year opened a variety of opportunities for average people to reduce their tax burden. The biggest advantage of the tax cuts for individuals is the reduced tax rates and extension of income in the lower brackets. Itemized deductions also pay a serious role in how the changes in the code will affect your final results next spring.
Gaming the standard deduction was less of an issue in the past. Now, with the standard deduction at $24,000 for joint returns ($12,000 for single filers and $18,000 for head of household) there is ample opportunity to reduce your tax bill. Exemptions are gone so many will face higher taxes in this area. State and local taxes (SALT) are limited to $10,000 in 2018 – 2025. With the standard deduction so high and SALT limited to such a low level, most people will no longer need to itemize.
For every problem there is a solution. Today we will cover each deduction on Schedule A and look for alternatives. Pulling deductions from Schedule A (even if you don’t itemize) and deducting them elsewhere on the return is akin to legally
The FIRE Community Needs to Make Room for Semi-Retirement
The FIRE (financial independence/retire early) community is a growing demographic still trying to find its way. The FI part of the equation is easier to understand than the RE part. The issues revolve around the definition of retirement and what constitutes the appropriate lifestyle once FI is reached.
Some of the wealthiest individuals of the last half century provide an example. When Sam Walton was the richest man alive on the planet he still drove a beat up old pickup truck. He saw no reason to spend money on a new truck when the one he had was comfortable, did the job and gave him pleasure (a bit of a status symbol). In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Warren Buffett confessed he has been semi-retired for decades. Charlie Munger, Buffett’s right-hand man at Berkshire-Hathaway, joked Warren is good at doing nothing.
Like Walton, Buffett doesn’t go for the extravagant spending so common among the rich. Buffett’s suit is off the rack and he eats at McDonalds. He also lives in the same home he bought in 1958.
CAMP ACCOUNTANT HAS ARRIVED!!!
The Event you have been waiting for your entire life had finally arrived! Save Thursday, October 11th (starting at 5:00 p.m.) to Sunday, October 14th (quitting time is vague as an after Camp party is planned, mountain biking and a trip to the local Hot Springs).
I don’t know about you, but I’m tingly all over. Camp Accountant is different from any camp you’ve attended in the FI community. All proceeds go to support the local Boys and Girls Club. In fact, all the registration money is collected by the Club. They pay for the cost of running the camp and put the rest to work serving the community. Everybody wins! Many of the venues are provided at low or no cost so more money ends up helping the Boys and Girls Club.
Our Heroes Have Failed Us
Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade were ripped from our lives in the past week in what early reports suggests are suicides. Robin Williams is another star extinguished before his time.
Kevin Spacey betrayed our trust along with a litany of actors and producers and comedians. It seems like an endless parade of successful men ran to the cliff like lemmings bent on self destruction.
Liz Taylor entertained us for decades. As a role model she left us with issues. Marriages came and went until she reached eight husbands over her lifetime. We see the same behavior today without the distraction of marriage in our modern starlets. Adored musicians race from one bed to the next until the world crashes in.
Closer to home we see bloggers and podcasters who failed us. Some crack under pressure while others lose themselves in drugs and cheap whisky. We idolize these people and want to be like them. Then, when we get a closer look, they have warts like the rest of us.
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