After seven years debt-free (including our house!), we are back in debt. And this has been the hardest transition of my life. My family went back into debt this summer when we took out a mortgage for our new-to-us home, which also needed a complete renovation (the home had been abandoned for over a decade, and carpenter ants had eaten most of it, but thankfully not enough to classify it as condemned). And then, while […]

Paying no federal income tax can feel like an obvious win, especially after decades of watching taxes come out of every paycheck. Once work ends, income often drops, deductions may cover much of what remains, and it can be satisfying to see little or nothing owed when your tax return is finished. The problem is that tax planning is not really about producing the lowest possible tax bill in any single year. It is about […]

If you are easily bored, please feel free to stop reading now. But if you want to read about how I hit the 100k limit and not only that, smashed through it! Read on! September marks the end of the Gentleman’s Family Finances LTD company financial year. It’s been a year or ups and downs. I had no income for the first 4 months as part of my early retirement / unemployment. Unfortunately, I had […]

Immerse yourself in Indigenous culture, from art to cuisine, through these Indigenous attractions in Saskatchewan, Canada. Beyond Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City, my recent 10-day Canadian road trip revealed a hidden gem within Canada. I discovered a side of the country I hadn’t previously explored, a landscape woven with rich Indigenous history and culture. Beyond […] The post Unforgettable Indigenous Attractions in Saskatchewan Canada: Best Places To Connect with the Land, Art, and Indigenous Cuisine […]

Can we build a great family life for £2,500 a month?  August spending: £5,776  £3,276 over our £2,500 target  That is obviously a long way above our £2,500-a-month challenge, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.  August was another big spending month for us, but this time there’s a very good reason: we finally booked our flights for our Southeast Asia adventure.  Our biggest expense by far was £2,801 on flights for our Southeast Asia trip. We also booked some of the first accommodation for the trip, meaning a significant chunk of August’s spending was really money being spent on our 2027 adventure.  Take those travel costs away and August would have looked much more like a normal month.  The other good news? Our food spending finally came back down after a couple of months over £900.  Here’s where the money went, and why we’re actually pretty comfortable with some of the decisions behind it. August at a glance  July 2026 Our target£2,500 Actual spending£5,776 Over/under target£3,276

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #182 Here are some things I really like and that you might too!   Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles & Content Playing the Wrong Game (Of Dollars And Data)  “The problem with being… The post T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 182 appeared first on Accidental Fire.

Why sell shares when you could own an ETF that pays you every month? I’ve been looking hard at living off portfolio income instead of selling, and one ETF tops my list: OVL. I have over $10,000 in it, I keep adding, and those monthly payouts hit my account like clockwork, all while it tracks … Read more

DIY Investing vs. A Financial Planner: What Each Really Costs You Over 25 Years Are you wondering whether to hire a financial planner or DIY invest on your own? I hear this question all the time, and it’s personal for me right now, which I’ll explain below. Start with the number that gets everyone’s attention: a 1% fee. The average financial advisor charges approximately one percent of assets under management. It sounds like nothing. But on a $500,000 portfolio, that’s $5,000 a year, and over 25 years it can cost you more than half a million dollars. And that’s assuming that your portfolio value remains constant! This article may contain affiliate links which means that – at zero cost to you – I might earn a commission if you sign up or buy through the affiliate link. Does that mean you should never hire a financial planner? Not exactly. Let’s break down who should DIY, who should hire help, and the middle option that most people overlook. The Math: What a 1% Fee Really Costs Say you invest $500,000 and earn 7% a year for 25 years. With no advisory fee, you end up with about $2.7 million. With a 1% fee, your return drops to about 6%, and you end up with about $2.1 million. Same portfolio, same market. Roughly half a million dollars or more goes to fees. The Case for DIY Investing Self-directed, or DIY investing has a lot going for it. Lower cost. A simple portfolio of low-cost index funds or ETFs can cost a fraction of a percent per year. A basic U.S. stock market index fund like Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) has an expense ratio of 0.03%, while an international stock ETF like Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares (VEA) charges the same low rate. On a $100,000 investment, the annual expense ratio of 0.03% equals $30. No additional fees apply! Full control. You decide what you own and when you change it. With a modicum of financial and investment education, you can learn how to to invest, and decide which investments fit your goals. Simplicity. A basic three-fund portfolio of U.S. stocks, international stocks and bonds does the job. Since each ETF owns thousands of individual companies, three ETFs offer excellent diversification. Solid performance. If you worry that a planner will deliver higher returns, that’s debatable. Plenty of data suggests index funds, which mirror the market, generally outperform most actively managed strategies. Tax efficiency. Taxes also make a difference when investing. In a taxable investment brokerage account, trading can rack up short term gains, which might up your tax bill. Whereas, investing in index funds, which have minimal turnover, tends to keep taxable gains at bay. [embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=oHvlSW9iDCM&si=Ko7nc9FUtbfSzGmy[/embed] The Case for a Financial Planner A good planner is not just building your portfolio. You’re paying for something very different from asset management. Behavior coaching. The biggest wealth killer isn’t necessarily fees. It’s panic selling in a