As I was looking at my brokerage account, I noticed that I
Continue readingWelcome to the blog
I’ve seen a few articles on the Internet lately trying to determine how much money we need for early retirement. A lot of it has to do with your lifestyle. If you are someone who likes to travel, eat out, or go to shows, you may need more money to
Continue readingFirst Xbox Controller Sale
I sold my first Xbox controller of 2026 after taking a long winter break from Ebay selling. It only took about 30 minutes to find a buyer after listing a robot white model 1914. This is the second controller that had a broken trace under the right stick. Other than
Continue readingMy Only 3 Stocks
As I was looking at my brokerage account, I noticed that I only have stock in 3 companies. The remainder of my holdings are in either mutual funds or ETFs. One is a US based oil company, one is a financial services company, and the other is a radio frequency
Continue readingIran War Investment Loss
Today marks 26 days since the start of the war with Iran. So far, my investments have lost around $30k in value. That is a big number. You could buy a new car with that or make a down payment on a house. It doesn’t sound as bad if I
Continue readingZero Refund Zero Tax
Since I had no earned income in 2025, my tax refund is zero dollars. My investment income was less than the standard deduction, so I didn’t have to pay any tax. This is the 5th year in a row with zero refund and zero tax. In 2025 I did not
Continue readingTrump’s War with Iran
As of today (March 8th, 2026), Trump’s war with Iran has pushed my investment portfolio down by almost $15,000 in the past week. I asked Google AI if the president has the power to declare war on another country and this was the answer: “No, the U.S. President does not
Continue readingDivorced Spouse/Survivor Benefits
My girlfriend has reached her full retirement age for Social Security. But she wants to delay her application until she turns 68. The monthly payment would increase by $89. Since her ex-husband is still alive, and they were married for more than ten years, she could apply for divorced spouse
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