An educational resource for people who want to invest wisely—without unnecessary complexity or “secret strategies.” The site breaks down the mechanics of investing: index funds, dividend-paying stocks, tax optimization, retirement accounts, and real estate as an investment vehicle.
Private non-traded REITs charge 12% in upfront loads and ongoing fees. Public REITs cost 0.12%. The returns are worse, the liquidity is worse, the math is obvious.
VNQ holds 160 REITs, yields 4%, and you never fix a toilet. The performance tradeoff vs. direct ownership isn't what most people think it is.
Tax-deductible going in. Tax-free growth. Tax-free withdrawals for medical. No other account does all three. The 2026 family limit is $8,550.
A 3% muni yield is a 4.76% taxable equivalent at the 37% bracket. For anyone above the 24% bracket, munis usually win in taxable accounts.
Under $94,050 in taxable income for a couple in 2026: your capital gains rate is 0%. Early retirees harvest gains tax-free every year for a decade.
Sell at 364 days: taxed at 37%. Sell at 366 days: taxed at 20%. That's $17,000 on a $100,000 gain — for two days of patience.
Bonds in IRAs. Stocks in taxable. REITs in Roth. This isn't optional for high earners — proper location adds 0.75% per year to after-tax returns.
The IRS lets you deduct $3,000 in net capital losses against ordinary income every year. Most investors never claim it. Here's the simple mechanics.
$10,000 in SPY from 1994 with dividends reinvested is $130,000. Without reinvestment, $82,000. The compounding difference is 58% over 30 years.
25+ consecutive years of increasing dividends sounds like a screen for quality. It's also a screen that includes companies cutting R&D to make the streak.
A 2% yielder growing dividends 10% annually pays more in cash after 18 years than a 6% yielder with flat payouts. The math compounds faster than most expect.
SCHD yields 3.5% with dividend growth. VYM yields 2.9% with market-cap weighting. DVY yields 3.8% but has sector concentration issues.