The Money Cruncher
Personal finance creator who critically evaluates “fintech banks,” account safety, FDIC/program bank structures, and risk.
Consistent ETF Investing Beats Market‑Timing Gambles
Trying to time the market is just another form of gambling. You can win a few times in the short term, but the odds are never in your favor in the long run. That's why I invest consistently in broad ETFs, regardless of price, for the long term. Odds are much better that way.
Control Quality, Allocation, and Holding Period to Win
No one knows where the market will go from here. We can’t control what it does. Focus on the 3 main things you can control: - quality of investments - correct asset allocation - your holding period That’s how you win in the long term
401k Can Fund Early Retirement—Rules Make Withdrawals Possible
Many finance bros say "don't max out your 401k, just get the match, you can't early retire with 401k" but that's not really true because: 1. rule of 55 (can pull at 55 if you quit your job) 2. 72t plan (can pull...
Sell Stocks Inside Roth IRA/401(k) Tax‑Free
Just fyi: You can sell stocks/ETFs/index funds inside a Roth IRA and 401(k)/403(b) without getting hit with taxes This is helpful if you need to change your portfolio within these accounts. Good to know.
Max Tax-Advantaged Accounts First, Then Low-Cost Index Funds
"I have $200k to deploy into the stock market. How do I do it?" I personally would: 1. increase 401k contribution to max allowed (~75%) 2. max out Roth IRA 3. max out HSA (if eligible) 4. put the rest into a brokerage account (I...
Emergency Fund, Clear Debt, Then Invest in VTI
"I inherited $1M at 30, what should I do?" I would: 1. Set aside 6-12 months of emergency funds in a MMF 2. Pay off any debt with interest of 7%+ 3. Invest the rest in $VTI What would you do?
Cash‑back Cards Turn Credit Cards Into Free Money
Dave Ramsey says that credit cards are a scam. But I get 9% cash back on groceries (Venmo promotion for 6mo), 5% back on Gas (Costco Citi), 5% back on Amazon, 3% back on everything else (Venmo promotion) That's literally free money. Be...
Home Sale Tax Exemption Stuck Since 1997, Needs Update
The capital gains tax exemption ($250k/$500k) on the sale of your home hasn't been adjusted for inflation since 1997. It would be ~$500k/~$1M today if adjusted. With the housing boom since 2020, should Congress adjust it for inflation?
Tiny Fee Gap Can Cost Tens of Thousands over Decades
$SPY (S&P 500 fund) has a 0.09% expense ratio. $VOO (S&P 500 fund) has a 0.03% expense ratio. A tiny 0.06% expense ratio difference can cost you tens of thousands of dollars over 30-40 years. Pay attention to fees.
Maximize 401k: Save $10k Now, Pay Less Later
Say you make $300k/yr in IL. That's a 35% marginal fed tax + 5% state. $24.5k 401k contribution will lower your taxes by ~$9.8k. When you are retired, you will likely be in a much lower rate, say 22% in this example. That's...
Shop Quotes, Save Hundreds on Insurance
Always get multiple quotes. When I was shopping for insurance, I got: - Geico: $163/mo - Mercury: $224/mo - Farmers: $255/mo - Allstate: $295/mo For the same policy coverage Easy savings for 30 minutes of work.
Missing a Few Top Days Slashes S&P Gains
If you invested $10k in the S&P 500 from 2005 to 2024, you would have ~$71k. BUT if you missed just 10 best days, the value drops to ~$32k. Missed 20 best days, and it's now $19k. Most of the BEST days happen...
Create a 10‑Minute Death Binder for All Accounts
If you died tomorrow, would your family know how to access everything? Banking, crypto, brokerages, your laptop... Here's how to build your "When I Die" binder in under 10 minutes:
Mega Backdoor Roth: Boost Roth Savings via After‑Tax 401k
Does your 401k have an "after-tax" account? If so, you can use the Mega Backdoor Roth strategy to invest $40,000+ to a Roth account in addition to your regular contributions. It's an amazing strategy to minimize future taxes on growth for high...
Bank Savings Earn 0.01%, T‑Bills Yield 3.5%
Big banks rip you off. BoA, Chase, and Wells Fargo pay ~0.01% interest on your savings. They earn BILLIONS off your cash by lending it out at 6.5 Instead of keeping your savings there, consider Treasury Bills paying ~3.5%, state tax free, backed...