By Paula Pant
Many who reach CoastFI find themselves in a strange in-between: financially independent enough to stop saving, but not ready to fully retire. When you’re living off a taxable brokerage for decades, does the “never hold bonds in taxable” rule still apply?
This episode explores how traditional asset location advice meets real-life spending. We unpack how […]
Written By Paula Pant
Imagine asking ChatGPT to build you a $1.2 million portfolio … and then actually following it.
That’s exactly what one of our listeners considered doing.
She used AI to design her entire allocation, then called into the Afford Anything podcast to ask:
“How’d the robot do? What would you tweak?”
On a recent episode, Joe […]
By Paula Pant
The U.S. government is shutting down. Bitcoin just hit a record high. Inflation whispers are back. And Wall Street is buzzing with speculation. What does this all mean for your money, your portfolio, and your long-term financial freedom?
On this First Friday episode, we unpack the economic headlines you can’t ignore — and help […]
By Paula Pant
Mike: After 15 years of intentional living, Mike is 80 percent of the way to financial independence. Now he’s trying to help friends take control of their own financial future. But what happens when one spouse is eager to learn and invest, while the other isn’t interested?
Michael: For two years, Michael has tracked his […]
By Paula Pant
Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner joins Paula to share his philosophy of “Rule Breaker” investing. Instead of obsessing over short-term market moves, Gardner explains how to identify high growth stocks that are shaping the future, why “overvalued” companies often end up being the biggest winners, and how long-term optimism is […]
By Paula Pant
Cristina has a $1.2 million portfolio and hopes to make work optional within the next decade. Is she invested in the right way? Or should she change up her asset allocation?
Anonymous and her husband plan to retire in 5 years. They have 10 rental properties and a $2.75 million portfolio. They dream of slow […]
Written By Paula Pant
We cover five pillars: Financial psychology, Increasing your income, Investing, Real estate, and Entrepreneurship. It’s double-ii FIIRE.
Today, we’re diving into Pillar Three: Investing.
Pillar III | Investing
This letter “I” could very well be called the letter T right now — tariffs, trade war, and turbulence.
Tariff increases went into effect earlier this month, and the markets treated it like old news. […]
By Paula Pant
Jason’s analysis of his retirement plan shows that the simple path beats the efficient frontier. Is he right or is he missing something?
Minerva is worried about the impacts of tax inefficiency to her wealth. Are her investments properly located?
Scott feels frozen because he doesn’t understand the nuances of the efficient frontier. Where can he get a simplified explainer so he can start taking action?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
By Paula Pant
JL Collins doesn’t know what the efficient frontier is. The author of “The Simple Path to Wealth” — the guy synonymous with VTSAX and chill — admits this right off the bat when we challenge him with advanced investing concepts.
Collins joins us for Part 1 of a two-part series where we skip the basics and dive straight into the complex stuff. We grill him on whether his simple approach actually beats more sophisticated strategies, and his answer might surprise you.
He concedes that Paul Merriman’s four-fund portfolio probably outperforms his one-fund approach mathematically. But Collins argues that execution trumps optimization every time. Most people can’t stick with complex strategies for 20 years, especially when those strategies require selling winners to buy losers – something that goes against human nature.
Collins prioritizes what works in real life over what looks good on paper. He calls index funds “self-cleansing” because they automatically rotate out failing companies and sectors while rotating in the new winners. You don’t need to predict which companies will dominate next – you’ll own whatever rises to the top.
The episode covers his thoughts on VTSAX versus VTI, international diversification, and why he’d rather put Tabasco than Cholula on his eggs — his quirky way of explaining personal preferences in nearly identical investment options.
By Paula Pant
Dave is no longer happy with his financial advisor, but he’s nervous about switching over to self-management after being completely hands-off for so long. What should he do?
An anonymous caller keeps hearing about the benefits of Cost Segregation for investment property. What is it? And should he apply this strategy to his recently acquired duplex?
Another anonymous caller is eagerly anticipating a windfall from his employer’s upcoming IPO. How should he prepare for this, and what happens if it fails?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
