Preparing for a baby is a little different when you haven’t done it in 11 years. (And yes, if you’re new here, my husband and I suffered through secondary infertility for a decade.) When we found out we were expecting baby number four, there were obviously a million emotions involved. Excitement. Surprise. A little bit of Oh my goodness, we’re really doing this again. And then, because I’m me, eventually came the spreadsheets. It’s been […]

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #180 Here are some things I really like and that you might too!   Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles & Content What Retirees Might Give Up When They Age in Place (Morningstar)  “The… The post T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 180 appeared first on Accidental Fire.

I’m excited to share that I’ve joined one of the fastest-growing, most forward-thinking independent financial planning firms in Upstate NY. Not just as an advisor, but as a partner, as an owner.  I’m happy to share that I’ve joined Rialto Wealth. I’m incredibly excited about the change. Rialto’s philosophy aligns perfectly with what I share with you every week. A focus on detailed, long-term retirement planning. Keeping investing simple and low-cost. Fiduciary and fee-only. Not only serving our clients, but educating them.  …but I’m anxious about the change, too. With two girls under two years old at home, this isn’t the simple path, per se. I’m making this big change, in large part, because my wife Kelly believes in me. She is not a mere “rockstar” or “hero,” but much more than that. Thank you, Kell!   Our elder daughter loving on Sadie. Why the Change?! Why the change, though? I have a few important reasons. Clients need to trust their advisor. Staying independent is important to me. Especially since that’s the commitment I’ve made to my clients for many years. Rialto Wealth has no shareholders, no private equity ownership. We are 100% employee-owned. There’s no incentive to push proprietary products, no far-away owners pressuring us on quotas. Financial planners can bring a lot of expertise to their clients – but that comes after a deliberate choice: putting service above sales. Complex investments sound sexy, I know. But did cigarettes (at least, for many decades). Not coincidentally, both have similar results: higher long-term costs and worse long-term outcomes. While some advisors push fancy, complex products on unsuspecting clients, the fact remains that simplicity beats complexity. I’d much rather follow Jason Zweig’s second way of making a living: “Tell the truth to those who want the truth.” (I’ll let you look up the first way.) I’m excited to keep my client count smaller, to focus more energy on each client. While working with hundreds of clients might increase profit margins, I’m fine with sacrificing some profit margin to better serve clients.  Rialto’s philosophy emphasizes our clients and our employees. Good things will follow. Who Makes a “Good” Client? Rialto isn’t a perfect fit for every potential client. Our ideal clients see their world this way: Retirement is the big, audacious goal. It might mean you’re retired. It might mean you hope to retire in 2 or 5 or 10 years. But retirement is the big goal you’re planning for. Investing and planning – both are vital. Retirement brings many interesting conversations about withdrawal strategies, income and tax planning, Social Security, healthcare and Medicare, IRMAA, and RMDs. If you have these questions, we’re a good fit. Our clients want an ongoing, year-over-year relationship. They are not looking for a one-time thought partner.  Our ideal clients buy into a low-cost, academically rigorous investment philosophy. If you want your advisor to beat the

An unexpected delight of the funemployment job I’ve had for several years has been many of my coworkers.  What’s maybe odd about this is that I share little in common with most of them. In any other context, I’d have little reason to talk—much less hang out—with them.  Buddy guy One coworker in particular—whom we’ll call: Buddy—-embodies this paradox perfectly. We differ in sssooo many ways: upbringing, education, full-time professional lives, politics, hobbies, religion, and […]

Shopify founder and CEO Tobi Lütke joins Shane Parrish to discuss AI agents, better decision-making, and the future of work. He explains how he uses an AI council to examine his hardest decisions and why taste, judgment, and responsibility become more valuable as AI becomes more capable. They go inside Shopify’s work with River, an AI colleague with memory, personality, and permission to challenge the CEO. They explore how to choose between several good options, […]

When I first read today’s article, it resonated immediately. I knew that I had to share it as my “Best Of The Month” guest post.   The article put into words the thoughts I’ve been having, but hadn’t found a way to explain. I suspect, as you read Marian’s words, many of you will feel the same.  As Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, we’re the last generations born in an Analog world.  It’s gone Digital.  We […]

Payroll is one of those things most business owners don’t get excited about. I know I didn’t. When my accountant recommended that I elect S-corp status back in 2020, I suddenly needed a way to pay myself a regular salary. I expected payroll to become another monthly headache, right alongside bookkeeping and taxes. Instead, it’s become one of the easiest parts of running my business. For the past six years, I’ve used Gusto to pay […]

Choosing between Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll isn’t really about payroll. It’s about choosing the type of software you want to work with every month. Before writing this comparison, I logged into both Gusto and QuickBooks to refresh my memory. The difference hit me almost immediately. When I opened Gusto, I saw my upcoming payroll was already scheduled. I smiled. Not because payday was coming. Because I realized I didn’t have to do anything. Payroll was […]