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Always Remember: Work is a Temporary Transactional Opportunity
About 13 years ago, I started my first job at MegaCorp. It was an exciting time. Lots of hard work, but MegaCorp came with a good salary, supplemental stock vesting, and some really nice benefits, like...
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Should you Get Rid of your Financial Advisor (& Become your Own)?
I probably won’t make any new friends with this one, but since this year is already 4 of the worst years in U.S. history rolled into one, with 6 months to go, F$@# it. Gotta keep it 100, as they say....
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Contentment Versus Upgrade Consumerism
Back in 2007, Mrs. 20SF and I moved into our second home. We sat down in our new living room with a giant built-in entertainment center as the focal point, and stared at our tiny little television...
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The FIRE Post: A “FIRE” Definition & Status Update
I’m long overdue to share some big personal finance news with you: I’m unemployed! Or, FIRE’d (read on for a “FIRE” definition if you’re not sure what that is)! Or both? It’s complicated. You decide....
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Where to Get Free or the Cheapest Flu Shots (Updated 2020 List)
I’ve completely revised and updated this article to cover where to get the cheapest or even free flu shots this year – and yes, you should get a flu shot this year. As if we needed more to worry about,...
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2020 & 2021 Maximum 401K Contribution Limits
The IRS has announced the 2021 maximum 401K contribution limit, which is the max you can contribute to a 401K in a given calendar year. The 2021 maximum 401K contribution limit will be the same as the...
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2020 & 2021 Maximum IRA Contribution Limits
The IRS has announced the 2021 maximum IRA contribution limit, which is the max you can contribute to your IRAs in a given calendar year. The 2021 maximum IRA contribution limit will be the same as the...
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2020 & 2021 Tax Brackets & Standard Deductions
The IRS has released the 2021 tax brackets (a bracketed rate table for the IRS federal income tax rates) and standard deduction amounts, and there are a number of inflation adjustments over the 2020...
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Capital Gains Tax Rates & Overview (Updated for 2020 & 2021)
Capital gains tax rules do not make for a particularly thrilling topic. But, seeing that this is a personal finance blog geared towards young professionals and we should all be investing as early as...
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Saver’s Tax Credit Qualifications for 2020 & 2021
The Saver’s Tax Credit details below have been updated for the 2020 and 2021 tax years. What is the Saver’s Credit? The Saver’s Credit (aka the ‘Retirement Savings Contribution Credit‘) is a lesser...
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Vote!
Tens of millions of service men and women, activists, volunteers, and other heroes have fought, suffered, and given their lives for us to have the right to vote in a free and fair democracy. By no...
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FIRE Update: 6 Months
As I recently shared, back in late April I became unemployed after declining a forced job relocation and a COVID hiring freeze. While that may sound awful to many, I don’t see it as such. It is...
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Rakuten: $40 Welcome Bonus Promo (Easy Money)
I’m a big fan of free/easy money promotions, as I’m sure you are too, and this is a good one from the Rakuten shopping portal in advance of the holidays (for a limited time only). Rakuten (formerly...
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A Guide to ACA Open Enrollment
The Affordable Care Act lives on, and with a Biden administration taking over in January, it’s safe from meeting its demise through executive or legislative branch changes until January of 2025, at...
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Save Money on Amazon: A List of Amazon Discounts, Promos, & Price Hacks
Let’s start this saving money on Amazon guide with a few disclaimers. First – spending money you wouldn’t otherwise spend is not saving money. Second – only buy stuff from Amazon (or anywhere) that you...
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The New $300 Donation Tax Deduction in 2020: Details & Reminder
As we near the end of the calendar year, I wanted to draw special attention to what I am guessing is a little known new $300 charitable donation tax deduction that is potentially available to all...
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The Best HSA Account Administrators (Updated for 2021)
If you don’t have a good HSA account provider, there’s never been a better time to move your HSA funds to a new one. This article will review my updated research and picks for the best HSA accounts...
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The Best Credit Cards for Costco Purchases
It seems like an ever-increasing share of my grocery and household purchases has shifted to Costco, to the point where having the best credit card for Costco purchases has been a serious cost saver for...
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Tax Extenders for Energy Efficiency, Tuition, Medical, & Mortgage for 2020
As we close in on the end of 2020, I wanted to remind readers of the restored tax breaks (officially referred to as “tax entenders”) for 2020, as you may still be able to take action on a few of these...
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What’s in the 2nd COVID Bill? Details on Checks, Unemployment, & More
Happy holidays! A 2nd COVID-19 relief package was passed by Congress and signed by the exiting President this past weekend. It’s not nearly as generous as the 1st COVID package (The CARES Act), but it...
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