Topic
FIRE & Retirement
Financial independence isn't about moving to a beach and never working again (though that's an option). It's about buying optionality — the ability to say no to bad projects, bad bosses, and bad situations. These posts cover the 4% rule, coast FIRE calculators, lean vs fat FIRE, and what the spreadsheet actually tells you about when "enough" is enough. Warning: once you run your FIRE number, you can't un-run it.
18 articles in this topic.
Featured posts
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NQDC Plans: Worth the Employer Risk?
Non-qualified deferred compensation can cut your tax bill, but the balance is an unsecured IOU from your employer. Here is when an NQDC plan is worth the risk.
13 min read -
Which Account to Drain First
Taxable, then traditional, then Roth is a fine default at 65 and a costly one at 45. The bracket-filling alternative, with the 2026 tax math worked out.
18 min read -
529 Plans and the Roth Rollover
The old objection to 529s, what if my kid skips college, just got a lot weaker. The SECURE 2.0 Roth IRA rollover changes the entire funding calculation.
11 min read -
Solo 401k vs SEP IRA
For most tech workers with 1099 side income, the solo 401k beats a SEP IRA. The math, the shared deferral limit, and the backdoor Roth trap that decides it.
11 min read -
A Roth IRA for Your Kid
Your teenager's summer lawn-mowing money can fund a Roth IRA that compounds for 50 years. Here's how custodial Roth IRAs actually work, funding trick included.
10 min read -
The 0% Capital Gains Bracket
The 0% long-term capital gains bracket lets early retirees harvest gains tax-free. Here's how it works, who qualifies, and the ACA subsidy tension you need to know.
10 min read
All FIRE & Retirement articles
- NQDC Plans: Worth the Employer Risk?
- Which Account to Drain First
- 529 Plans and the Roth Rollover
- Solo 401k vs SEP IRA
- A Roth IRA for Your Kid
- The 0% Capital Gains Bracket
- Health Insurance Before 65
- The Roth Conversion Ladder
- Financial Order of Operations
- Roth vs Traditional: Which One?
- Rolling Over Your Old 401k: A Checklist
- Savings Rate: The Only Lever That Matters
- Lean FIRE vs Fat FIRE: Pick Your Number
- Coast FIRE: The Lazy Path to FI
- Asset Allocation by Age: A Practical Guide
- 401k Math: What You're Actually Saving
- The 4% Rule: Does It Still Hold?
- Your FIRE Number: How to Calculate It