This maximum HSA contribution overview has been updated with info for the 2025 and 2026 tax years. If you’ve been following this site, you know that I have long been a big fan of health savings accounts (HSAs) and have made the maximum annual HSA contribution when I was eligible to do so. There is […]

At that time, I thought I had FI figured out and was just living a “normal” life (so no need to talk about it anymore). Mad Fientist: Hey, what’s up, everybody. Welcome to the FInancial Independence Podcast. So three years ago in 2021, I decided to stop doing my annual updates. And if you’ve followed […]

I’ve been an investor in the stock market for 50 years. Here’s the one thing that will determine whether the market makes you wealthy or leaves you bleeding on the side of the road: What you do when the market drops. Market drops fall into three broad categories: Corrections, which are drops of ~10% Bear […]

– And by lately, I mean the past several years or more.  The value of the S&P 500 index of stocks, where most of us hopefully have a good chunk of our retirement savings stashed into index funds, is up about fifty seven percent in just the past two years. And it has more than […]

One thing that unites the world is the mobile phone. When you travel internationally, everywhere you go, people have their phones. Most hotels and many restaurants have Wi-Fi. Still, it’s much easier if you have mobile data when you’re out and about. You can call an Uber, look for restaurants nearby, or find walking directions […]