US Tax and Financial Information

If you want to retire at 50, read this!!

Now that we have your attention, we really mean if you want to be financially independent, not necessarily retired, because not everyone wants to retire early.  Some people would like to retire at 40, others want to keep working forever.  If you are careful with your money and make good financial choices, you can have the financial independence to do whatever you want.  Have you noticed that many people earn a lot of money and seem to be just "getting by"?  Yet there are people who have low incomes and do very well.  How much money you earn isn't the only thing that matters.  What matters more is how you handle the money you have.  The difference between getting by and being financially independent is actually very small.

People who are financially independent aren't necessarily making more money or smarter than others, but they are probably better at making financial decisions.  They set their goals, make a plan, and stick to it.  They look at tax implications, returns and risk, project all the figures into the future, and then decide on a course of action.  This sounds complicated, but our calculators and our recommendations are here to help simplify your decisions.  When you have all the information, making decisions becomes much easier.

Throughout this website we have resources, tips and calculators which will allow you to compare different scenarios.  You will be able to see what a big difference a small change in your money management decisions can make.  You may not think that this applies to you when you are young, but this is when it is most important, because you have the luxury of time (and compounding!) on your side.

Some people giving financial advice are in a conflict of interest, because they benefit if you follow their advice.  We do not earn money from any of the recommendations that we make.  Our income is from visitors to our website clicking ads.  The advice on this website is not tailored to anyone's individual situation.  It is wise to get a second opinion for any financial advice you receive, including ours.  Before making a major financial decision, you should hire an independent professional advisor (paid by the hour) to review your plan.

Our Free In 30! page will provide you with the plan we have used in our life.  We haven't always followed the plan, but we managed to retire at fifty after starting married life with nothing. Although we are Canadians, the principles to gain financial freedom are the same for Americans.

Every person's situation is different, and one plan does not fit all.  You need to sit down, define your goals, and figure out your own plan.  Life is a series of choices, and every person is the master of their own fate.  Forming and following the plan requires that you make choices, some of which can be difficult, and some of which will require a lot of dedication.  Everyone's goals should include buying their own home, which getting more difficult all the time, and getting out of non-tax-deductible debt as quickly as possible.

The resources on our site include:

See our site map for a list of all the main web pages currently on our site.  To easily find any topic on our site, type your search term into the search box at the top of every page. However, content added very recently will not show up in the search.  See our What's New page for the most recent updates.

We hope the information on our website will make you a better money manager, and help you become financially independent.

Tax Tip:  Make your money work for you instead of you working for it.

Revised: October 26, 2023