-
Which is Better Generational Renting or a 50-year Mortgage?
Recently, Ms. Constance Carter, Wealth Advocate, wrote an opinion piece on “the 50-Year Mortgage Is a Trap, not a Path to Black Wealth.” She goes at length into contextually the 50-year home loan as a bondage, but that’s not accurate. Considering you can pay off your debt as soon as possible through expedited payments with your lender, her Op-Ed is far from accurate. Go beyond that, her attack on home ownership seems negligent to the point of full advocacy of becoming generational renters. Since the peak in 1860, black homeownership plateaued at around 44%. This wouldn’t be so bad if most of that ownership centered around the Boomer generation. You…
-
This is Why Early Retirement Goes Wrong!
I was watching one of my favorite ‘Retire Early and Travel the World’ couples the other day and found that they have been struggling. After watching the 1 hour and 23 minutes YouTube vlog, it was clear that they weren’t ready for retirement. To be fair, no one is ever truly ready to retire. Even the Financial Samurai blogger had regrets. In April 2024, they sold everything, and for the first few months, Gean and Kristine (Fire We Go) were locked in. Typically, people will downsize and even trade in their bigger homes for something smaller. In addition to this, this couple set out to see the world and take…
-
How to Navigate Finances in High Price-Inflation Waters. Q/A Recap
I was recently invited to participate in a panel titled, “How to navigate finances in 2025”. Given the change in the U.S. administration, global wars, and financial instability, this was the right call for Florida State University’s Black Alumni Association. By the time the bat signal went up, America dove $600 trillion into the muck of tariffs and supposed liberations. When the panel came around, we’ve all but rebounded. It’s pretty much pandemonium. JPMorgan said we are headed into a recession one day, and the next month stated that we will be in a +8% performance year. The financial experts don’t know what will happen at any given turn. Deuces…
-
Here’s How To Adjust Your Investment Strategy for the Rest of 2025
With all the noise from tariffs, wars and Trump, it's best to lean into your own investment strategy. It's ok to keep it simple.
-
How to Retire at 50. How Much We Intend to Spend Monthly in Early Retirement
With inflation, tariffs, and the changing geopolitical dominance, will this generation of Americans be able to retire? Maybe, you don’t know until you try. Most people don’t even think about retirement until they hit their mid-50s. By then, it’s harder to pull off without undue financial stress. As people approach the age of 59, they often consider transitioning into retirement with less than $200,000 saved. For most Americans, that transition culminates at 68 if their bodies don’t give out. By that time, navigating retiring successfully, will require significant adjustments to their budget and lifestyle. While every individual has different spending habits during their golden years, it’s important to note how…
-
How to Survive Trumpflation 2025 for Long-Term Investors
2025 is feeling more and more like 2022 for investors. As of March 2025, the S&P500 hit a massive correction cycle. We will likely be here through Q3 2025. 2023 seemed like a long time ago. The market rebounded and Nvidia $NVDA started to take off. Consumer savings were down, debt was up, yet consumer confidence gained. It was a year of pure American revenge-spending resilience. 2024 followed by a long-awaited shift in monetary policy. The Fed claimed an early victory against a recession that was long denied and all seemed to be leaning on our collective favor. Until… Housing demand stayed flat. Inflation spiked once again. Layoffs continued under…
-
What to Focus On In Order to Build Wealth in 2025
Due to higher-than-average returns in Q4 2024, financial experts are setting their expectations low. This way, we’ll feel less frustrated the next time some exogenous variable causes stocks to sell off again in Q1 2025. Unfortunately, they were right. The Trump/Elon administration rally was short-lived. As of February 26, 2025, Tesla’s stock price is down 20%. Bitcoin is down 8%. How the mighty have fallen. Flanked by increasing federal layoffs and higher energy costs, the average American household is surviving on the razor’s edge. Instead of focusing on stock market returns, I’m focusing on boosting our cash flow. Calculating the income coming in and doing the most with what remains…
-
The Election is Over, Setting Our $8M Wealth Goal for 2032
Finally no more election shenanigans, time to get back to building wealth again. Another added benefit of post-November, we can kiss the $12 billion election ad campaigns goodbye. It’s time for the Shen Yu ads to run through February 2025. Seriously, those election ads cost an estimated $12 billion. This is a hint for anyone who wants to pursue a political media, analyst, or strategist career. They get paid a median of $175,000 plus. That’s neither here nor there. For my household, it’s time to plan. In the shadow of election tension during Obama’s second term (2016), we realized that Investing (Not Policy) was our best bet toward financial freedom.…
-
Why Financial Freedom Should Be On Your Wealth Bucket List
Achieving financial freedom necessitates a Wealth Bucket List to prepare for retirement. The author emphasizes accountability, budgeting, and discipline as paths to personal finance success. Planning for retirement includes significant financial goals, a commitment to lifelong learning, and a passion for travel and service. The aim is to create a purposeful, fulfilling life post-retirement.
-
2024 Economic State of Hispanic Americans and its Long-Term Effects on Latino Wealth
Hispanic Americans have experienced notable financial growth over the past decades, with median wealth increasing from $10,000 in 1989 to $62,000 in 2022. This positive trend includes significant gains in equities and real estate post-pandemic. Despite challenges like high student debt and uneven homeownership rates, projections suggest Hispanic household wealth might become the second highest by 2050. Nonetheless, economic disparities remain, highlighting the need for strategic financial planning and education.
