Blog

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    The eerie similarities between owning rental properties and running an online business

    ByPaula Pant

    In June, I flew to Atlanta and toured a few of my rental units. This was the second visit I’ve made to these properties in four years.

    During that visit, I met with my property manager and a few of my tenants, and I had lunch with my contractor. He and I met at a suburban Atlanta strip mall. 

    We ordered a basket of spicy chicken wings and fries, then took out a water-logged spiral notebook and planned a $20,000 renovation.

    Here’s what the early brainstormed edition of those plans looked like:

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    #216: Unraveling the Four Percent Rule, with Dr. Wade Pfau

    ByPaula Pant
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    It’s September! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few months, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September Sabbatical, in which I’m traveling the globe and taking a break from podcast production.

    In light of that, we’re digging through the archives and airing some of my favorite interviews on the show, in between airing interviews I’ve done on other podcasts.

    Welcome to another episode from our archives! This one was recorded in March 2018, and Dr. Wade Pfau had a ton of insight into the four percent rule that so many of us are concerned with.

    First, here’s a brief history of how the four percent rule came to be.

    In 1994, William Bengen decided to look at 30-year timespans throughout U.S. History, beginning with the year 1926.

    He worked under the assumption that a retiree held 50 percent stocks (in the form of S&P 500 Index), and 50 percent bonds (intermediate-term government bonds).

  • We Have Exciting Your First Rental Property News!

    ByPaula Pant

    Heyyy!!

    Guess what guess what guess what guess what? (Can you tell I’m excited?)

    Ahem. Clears throat, pulls self together.

    Enrollment for the Fall 2019 semester of my favorite course in the world, Your First Rental Property, is open now!!

    ✨?????????

    If you’ve dreamed of owning rental properties but you want a step-by-step roadmap to show you the ropes (whoa, how’s that for a mixed metaphor?!), this is the course for you!

    If you’re thinking:

    “Awesome! Could this course help me run faster, jump higher, reduce wrinkles, and build six-pack abs?!”

    Uhhhh … nope. Not yet.

    But if you’re thinking:

    “Awesome! Could this course help me avoid losing tens of thousands of dollars in dumb novice mistakes as a real estate investor?”

    HECK YEAH!

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    #215: Financial Independence in Seven Stages, with Joshua Sheats

    ByPaula Pant
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    We are really digging into the archives with today’s episode. This originally aired back in 2016!

    Besides being another fun and fascinating interview, this is one of our most popular episodes. Which isn’t surprising, given the topic we’re exploring. 🙂

    Financial independence means many things to many different people, which might be why we find it challenging to settle on a definition that everyone can agree on.

    Regardless of what your personal definition is, Joshua Sheats, a financial planner and host of the well-known Radical Personal Finance podcast, says that financial independence can be separated into seven stages.

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    #214: The Tables Have Turned – My Interview on ChooseFI

    ByPaula Pant
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    It’s September! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few months, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September Sabbatical, in which I’m taking a break from podcast production and traveling the globe.

    In light of that, we’re digging through the archives and airing some of my favorite interviews on the show, in between airing interviews I’ve done on other podcasts.

    I’m super excited to share an interview I did with Brad and Jonathan of ChooseFI back in December 2018. It was fun to have the tables turned, and Brad and Jonathan left no stone unturned in their interview with me.

    If you ever wanted to know my origin story, including where my love for travel comes from, where my desire for freedom came from, and how I combined both, then give this interview a listen.

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    #213: Nine Lessons from a Millionaire Teacher, with Andrew Hallam

    ByPaula Pant
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    It’s September! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few months, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September Sabbatical, in which I’m traveling the globe and taking a break from podcast production.

    In light of that, we’re digging through the archives and airing some of my favorite interviews on the show, in between airing interviews I’ve done on other podcasts.

    If you missed the last episode, you might want to listen to it before diving into this one, as Andrew and I go into the finer points of investing here.

    Seriously. This is one of the most in-the-weeds shows I’ve done to date.

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    #212: How Andrew Hallam Became a Millionaire on a Teacher’s Salary

    ByPaula Pant
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    It’s September!! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few months, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September Sabbatical, in which I’m taking a break from podcast production and traveling the globe.

    In light of that, we’re digging through the archives and airing some of my favorite interviews on the show, in between airing interviews I’ve done on other podcasts.

    The first episode we’re bringing back is part one of a two-part interview with Andrew Hallam, a teacher who became a millionaire in his 30s and reached FI in his 40s.

    How? Beyond investing small sums (we’re talking less than $100 per month) throughout college, he also saved half of his starting salary of $28,000.

    Yes, you read that correctly. This episode is awesome for anyone who thinks it’s impossible to reach FIRE on a low salary.

    I originally interviewed Andrew in January 2017, and we could not stop talking. Which is why our three-hour interview was divided into two parts.

    In this first part, Andrew shares his story – how he became a millionaire, and why he wanted to achieve FIRE in the first place.

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    #211: What’s Your Why? Financial Independence, Debt Freedom and More

    ByPaula Pant
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    Hey there!

    I’m writing this from Croatia, where I’m beginning five weeks of travel that I’m calling my September Sabbatical. From now through September 23rd, I’ll be exploring the globe and enjoying a one-month break.

    Today, I’m kicking things off with a community-based episode. Here’s the backstory behind today’s show:

    There’s an event called CampFI, which is a 3-4 day gathering for people who are interested in financial independence. CampFI holds around half a dozen events per year in various locations; I spoke at one in Colorado Springs this past July.

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    #210: How to Be an Adult – with Mark Manson

    ByPaula Pant
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    We live in a fascinating era: huge sections of society are more prosperous, advanced and safe than at any other point in human history, yet depression and anxiety are at record highs.

    It’s a paradox of progress: the richer the nation, the more likely its citizens are to suffer from mental health issues and report feeling crushing isolation and unhappiness.

    What gives?

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    #209: Ask Paula – Are Index Funds Unsafe?

    ByPaula Pant
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    Anonymous wants to retire early and often. They’re going overseas, where they’ll make their annual salary within six months. Where should they put their extra income?

    Anonymous also wants to know: how can they find a financial advisor they can actually trust?

    Another anonymous listener wants to know – is it possible to spend more while minimizing taxes in early retirement?

    JuanCarlos asks: is $20,000 too little to invest with a financial advisor?

    Angela is wondering how to create a Roth IRA account for a teenager.

    Rose is thinking about switching from mutual funds to index funds because it means encountering less fees, but her and her husband are in their 60s. Does this make sense?

    Ari has $700,000 to invest in a taxable brokerage account. He wants to know if a 90 percent total stock market index and 10 percent bonds is a good asset allocation.

    Dave and his wife want to use their defined benefit plans as their primary income stream in retirement, and supplement with Roth and 457 incomes. Where else should they be saving?

    Myself and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy answer these questions on today’s episode.

    Enjoy!