Support Top Charities with Ed & Ann’s “Best Things First” Foundation
Release Date: 04/17/2025
Retirement Rookie: Worried about a Market Crash Right After Retiring?
Unconventional Wisdom
Being worried about a market crash right after retiring is a major fear for many people both before and after taking the plunge. I often hear these anxieties: “I’m scared to retire even though I have enough money in every projection. What happens if there is a market crash right after I retire?” “We just retired, but are hesitant to spend money in case we have a market crash.” You’re not alone—thousands of people have had the same worry. But does the data actually support this fear? In my latest podcast episode you’ll learn: Do we need to worry about a market crash right...
info_outline
Go Big or Go Slow: Why 10x Wealth Is Easier Than 2x
Unconventional Wisdom
♦Go Big or Go Slow: Why 10x Wealth Is Easier Than 2x♦ This title may be hard to believe, but it is a common theme in coaching for small business entrepreneurs. The concept is from the popular book "10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less" by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Most of us think about incremental improvements in our lives, not dramatic life-changing improvements. That would require a completely different way of thinking. The 10X concept works for entrepreneurs. You can also use the 10X concept to dramatically improve your...
info_outline
Why Renting Could Be Your Secret to Smarter Wealth Building
Unconventional Wisdom
Owning a home is unaffordable for many people today. Here is some good news! If you rent, you can grow your wealth as fast or faster using the same 2 ideas that benefit homeowners. Tenants have several major advantages over homeowners for wealth building. Many homeowners think their home is their best investment. But that is unfortunate. It is easy to find better investments with dramatically higher long-term returns. Despite the lower returns, homeowners on average are wealthier for 2 non-investment reasons. Tenants can use the same 2 ideas to grow as much or more wealth. In my podcast...
info_outline
How To Make Your Home A Good Investment
Unconventional Wisdom
Wait. Don’t people say, “Your home is your best investment? For many people, their home may be their only major investment. For them, that old conventional wisdom might be true. But that is unfortunate. It is easy to find better investments with dramatically higher long-term returns. Despite the lower returns, homeowners on average are wealthier for 2 non-investment reasons. In my latest podcast episode you’ll learn: How do homes compare to other growth investments for rate of return? Why is it unfortunate if your home is your largest investment? What are the 2 non-investment...
info_outline
Navigating the Financial Advisor Title Trap: Why Fee-For-Service Planners Are the True Superheroes
Unconventional Wisdom
Are you ever confused by all the different titles that financial planners and advisors use? What types of advice and services do they offer? Which one offers what you are looking for? When you have real worries or questions about your money, “who you gonna call?” Who is the super-hero of advice? In my podcast episode you’ll learn: When you want real advice, what are the most valuable types of advice to help you? What are the main titles planners & advisors use? What services and advice does each typically offer? Which type is the best to create a professional...
info_outline
Should I Delay CPP & OAS Until Age 70? – Complete Answer with Real-Life Examples (Updated)
Unconventional Wisdom
Most seniors start their CPP and OAS when they retire or at age 65, without evaluating the options. But many would benefit from delaying CPP until age 70. Here’s how to figure out what’s best for you. CPP and OAS offer cool opportunities to increase after-tax income, because seniors often have flexibility in choosing taxable vs. non-taxable income, and OAS comes with several “clawbacks” beyond regular tax. To spot these opportunities, you need to think creatively about pensions, tax, and investments. After 65, the biggest factors in deciding whether to delay CPP are whether...
info_outline
Should I start my CPP early? – Real-Life Examples (Updated)
Unconventional Wisdom
The most common CPP question I am asked is: “Is it smart to take my CPP early?” The answer to this question is different for investors than non-investors, especially growth-focused investors like most of our clients. In my latest podcast episode you’ll learn: Why should you ignore “CPP breakeven” calculations? Why are life expectancy stats understated? What is the best way to estimate your life expectancy? What happens if you are still working? How does your tax bracket each year affect your CPP? How does your CPP fit into your overall retirement income? Who should take...
info_outline
Why Don’t Most Financial Planners Plan Finances?
Unconventional Wisdom
What do you call a financial planner that does not plan finances? I know that sounds funny. But it is an important topic to understand. Most people assume that when they hire a financial planner, they're getting a personalized roadmap for their financial life. Yet surprisingly, that’s often not the case, and it can have a huge impact on your future. In my latest podcast episode you’ll learn: Why don’t most financial planners plan finances? What does Ed’s team see with the public? What is a financial plan? What difference does a Financial Plan make in your life?
info_outline
How to Reliably Maximize Your Retirement Income – Is the “4% Rule” Safe?
Unconventional Wisdom
You want to retire soon. What is the best way to set up your retirement income to give you the maximum cash flow that will reliably last the rest of your life? Many financial planners use the “4% Rule”, which says that you can, for example, withdraw $40,000/year rising by inflation for life from a $1 million portfolio. Is that safe? I studied 146 years of investment history. The conclusions are surprising: 1. Most of the advice seniors are given is not supported by history. 2. I found what really works to give you the maximum reliable retirement income – both how to set up your...
info_outline
Financial Advice or Financial Quackery?
Unconventional Wisdom
How can you tell whether financial advice you receive is real financial advice or financial quackery? Much of what happens in the financial industry is financial quackery, but because the common methods are familiar to most of us, they appear normal. You can’t really see how inadequate and funny many financial procedures are until you compare them to other fields. “Quackery” is a fun word that normally refers to medicine. It is a type of health fraud that promotes products and services that have questionable and unproven scientific bases. In my latest podcast episode you’ll...
info_outlineHave you ever wondered how much your donation really helps the poor? Or how much it really helps find cures?
Which charities help the poor the most for each dollar donated?
You can now donate to the most cost-effective charities in the world with Ed & Ann’s charitable foundation “Best Things First”.
In my latest podcast episode you’ll learn:
-
How did Ed & Ann get started looking for cost-effective charities?
-
Why is a cost-effective charity important?
-
How did they learn about GiveWell?
-
Why did Ed & Ann create a foundation?
-
How can you support the world’s top charities?
Enjoy!
Ed