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I had a lovely holiday – will post more about it in another post as I just want to get the numbers out here. So how did they look for October? I saved 24.7% of my net salary. The … Continue reading → The post October 2025 Savings, plus other updates appeared first on Quietly Saving.
This is what dividend investing is all about! Investing in dividend stocks allows YOU to earn dividend income, the best passive income stream! Bias, you better believe it. Time to dive into Lanny’s September 2025 dividend income results! Were records set? Almost to financial freedom? One day and one month at a time! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Dividend Income Dividend Income is the fruit from the labor of investing your money in the stock […]
The month of October 2025 as ended and it was quite the month! During the month of October, Canada Post went to rotating strikes from a 100% shutdown. When a location is chosen for a rotating strike, their will be no mail operations for the given time period. October was also the last month before the federal budget was tabled in Canada. The federal budget dictates where money will be directed by the federal government. […]
This past week marked two years since my father’s death in a hospice facility in my hometown. Mom and I marked the occasion by meeting at the cemetery to pay our respects. I’ve been replaying dad’s final hours in my mind intermittently for the past two years. He’d lost his oxygen supply when the tubing caught on a corner of the bed on his walk to use the restroom in the middle of the night. […]
Before the article, check out the latest on my podcast, Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify On YouTube Now, here’s today’s article: “C” wrote in this week: A friend (in Sweden of all places!) recommended you and I have become a fan 😉 The short version of the story is that I went to a lovely free dinner sponsored by a financial investment company who would like to take my traditional IRA and convert it to Roth via a Fixed Indexed Annuity. They would pay a 17% bonus for my ~$580k traditional IRA + SEP + 401k and then, over the course of 10 years, convert to Roth, keeping income down enough to not stimulate IRMAA increase (when that becomes a concern at 63 — I am currently 60) As I understand it, my only risk is the opportunity cost of not maximizing market gains. Thanks for any insights you are willing/able to provide! C, hello! Reading what you’ve outlined, my radar detector is rapidly whirring to life, and I’m getting ready to sound a loud, red alert! First, let’s define this lackluster tool – what is a fixed indexed annuity? What is a Fixed Indexed Annuity (FIA)? A Fixed Indexed Annuity (FIA) is an insurance product that promises two things: Principal protection – your initial investment can’t lose value due to market declines. Some upside potential – returns are tied to a market index (like the S&P 500), but only partially. Here’s how it typically works: The insurance company takes your premium and invests it conservatively (mostly in bonds). They then use some of the interest earned to buy options on a market index. If the index goes up, you get a portion of the gain (through a cap or participation rate). If the index goes down, you earn zero. But don’t lose money, either. It sounds nice. No downside, some upside. But I think there are WAY more reasons to dislike FIAs. A cartoon from a FIA sales book 1. High, opaque costs The commissions paid to salespeople are often 6 – 10% upfront, hidden from the investor. Those costs are baked into the product’s internal mechanics, resulting in lower crediting rates and slower growth for the client. For this FIA that “C” is considering, the $580,000 in principal would result in a $30,000 – $60,000 commission to the salesperson. That alone should give us pause. 2. Complexity and confusion The jargon behind annuities is complicated: cap rates, participation rates, spreads, reset periods, and surrender charges. The numbers and the way those numbers’ interact…it’s usually more complicated than the jargon! Every annuity uses its own verbiage in unique ways, combining confusing semantics with actuarial math. It’s nearly impossible for a layperson to fully understand what they’re getting. Complexity hides fees and limits. I’ve had to work with people looking to “unwind” these annuities. I detest how complex they are.
These easy bake sale treats will not only help you fundraise at school or for an event, but can also teach kids and teens some powerful entrepreneurial skills. Looking for some unique and simple bake sale ideas to fundraise for your child’s school, or for your organization? I’ve got some fresh ones for you below. The great thing about a fundraiser (especially school ones) is that it gives your child the opportunity to flex their […]
The Grand Canyon is one of the most iconic national parks in the United States. Approximately 5 million visitors a year stand at the rim of the Grand Canyon to admire the majestic vastness of the canyon. Many will hike on one of the trails that wind their way to the bottom of the canyon, but most of those hikers will turn around at the well-known Ooh-Aah Lookout Point, less than a mile into the descent. […]
November is one of those months that can quietly sneak up on your budget. Between Thanksgiving plans, travel, and the early start to holiday shopping, it’s easy to lose track of where your money is going. That’s why November is the perfect time to set a few intentional money goals. A little prep now can save you from financial stress later — and help you finish the year strong. Here are five smart money goals […]
If you’re like most of my clients, that annual open enrollment email from HR lands in your inbox with a mix of dread and confusion. Between comparing plan options, deciphering insurance jargon, and making decisions that will impact your family for the next 12 months, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. And if you’re the primary breadwinner in your household? The pressure to get these decisions right feels even heavier. The trust is that open enrollment […]
If you’ve ever wondered how scammers know so much about you – your name, relatives, addresses, and even old phone numbers – it’s because of data brokers. And most of that information is public. If you want to fight back, you need to get your data deleted. It is a time consuming process so you can pay a service or treat it as a “fun” weekend project that you can slowly chip away at. Here’s my guide to removing your personal information from data brokers. ⚠️ I’ve removed myself from all of these sites (not the super big one at the end though) and you’re welcome to search for me. It’s a painstaking process that I don’t recommend you try to do all in one weekend, unless you like this sort of thing. I’ll be honest, I kind of like this sort of thing. The challenge is that the data somehow always comes back because some other services reports it and so you have to periodically check – so if you do see my name, please let me know! Table of ContentsThe ApproachThe Process🔥 People-Search & Background-Check SitesDay 1Day 2📕Major Consumer & Marketing Data BrokersDay 3💳 Credit & Financial Data AggregatorsDay 4🗂️ Maintenance PlanSuper List of Data Brokers (For the Truly Ambitious) 😀 What is a data broker? These are companies that collect, analyze, and sell your personal information to marketers, background checkers, and sometimes scammers. The Approach There are several types of data brokers and we’ve broken them up into groups based on priority. We prioritized sites that let you search up people for data or background checks (like criminal records). Next, we focused on consumer marketing sites that collect information about your purchasing behavior for sake of marketing. Finally, we have financial and credit sites. We do not list every site that collects and sells your data. There are simply too many. But we list the high priority ones that have the most data and that appear most often in search engines. And yes, this will feel like whack-a-mole. Your data will come back, which is why some people prefer to pay a service to do this. The Process Search for your information on each site. Copy your profile URL. Click on the link below for the opt out form, fill it out. Confirm by email. In the lists below, I’ve linked to the opt-out page to start the process. In almost every case, they will need you to find your record on their site and get the URL for your profile. To find yourself, search for your name plus your city, state combo. If you recently moved, search for your previous city, state combo too. ⏰ Sadly, most of the time in this process involves the fake “waiting” screen as they pretend to look you up. Open multiple tabs at once to save time. Then, you fill out that form, enter your email, and they will take you through an email confirmation process. Once you’ve
Summary Welcome to our September spending post! This month, we spent a total of £3,558. September brought its fair share of everyday expenses, but one particular addition tipped the balance to being a very expensive month. Mrs Way has decided to do a 12-week programme with an online personal trainer, at the grand total of £1,500. This is an attempt to kick-start a fitness regime which has been a struggle for Mrs Way since our second son arrived in July 2024. So far so good! We’ve sorted our spending into the essentials – housing, food, and transport – plus a catch-all entertainment and miscellaneous category. As always, we’ll break down each area and give you the story behind any standout expenses. CategoryAmountNotes Housing£383See below Food£767See below Transport£482See below Entertainment/misc£1,926See below Total£3,558
Back during the egg shortage, the Ibotta shopping app gave away four dozen eggs to its users. Right now, Ibotta is offering a 100 percent cash-back deal on popular Thanksgiving food items: “Turkey roast” (more on that in a minute) McCormick gravy mix Idahoan instant mashed potatoes Jiffy corn muffin mix Edwards whole pie A free Thanksgiving turkey – is there a catch? Kinda-sorta. Those four free sides are available to any Ibotta user who […]
Using the right filing status can make a huge difference in your taxable income and your total tax bill. One of the most underused, legitimate filing status options is called Head of Household. And using this status instead of filing as single can lower your taxable income by $7,875 (for 2025). There are rules about who can use the Head of Household (HoH) status, but more people qualify than they realize. And you might be […]