Hack Your Wealth
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Healthcare planning = retirement planning
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#95: The biggest concern many would-be retirees have, at least in the US, is the cost of healthcare.Not only is healthcare more expensive in the US th...
Real estate investing in short-term rentals and hotels
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#94: Real estate investing changed a lot the last couple years, but one asset class consistently punched above its weight: short-term rentals, a.k.a.,...
Health insurance for traveling early retirees
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#93: Early retirees often fill their early years in retirement with lots of travel. There is even a vibrant community of nomadic early retirees who tr...
How a female MBA early retired at 39 (+ her advice for women pursuing FIRE)
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#92: Most FIRE stories are of men. A lot seem to be of ex-software engineers (on blogs anyway). It’s rare to see profiles of early retired women, es...
Financial independence in healthcare: how a dentist built a $7M nest egg
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#91: It’s no secret that many healthcare professionals earn lots of money. So, you might think it’s relatively easy for them to achieve financial ...
How to pay for college
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#90: It’s back to school season, and that means it’s also the time of year for high school seniors to start agonizing over college applications.Ap...
How to do real estate due diligence when buying a home
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#89: Summer is fast approaching, and that’s traditionally when home-buying season ramps up.This week, I share insights on how to conduct due diligen...
Mega Backdoor Roth
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#88: Have you maxed out your backdoor + mega backdoor Roth conversions yet?For high earners, direct contributions to a Roth IRA, and tax-deductible co...
How the future of (remote) work is changing
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#87: Remote work and digital nomadism have always been of particular interest to folks in the FIRE community.After the pandemic, remote work was sudde...
Why the 4% rule doesn’t work anymore
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#86: Pretty much everyone in the FIRE community has heard of the 4% rule.It is the starting safe withdrawal rate number for a 30-year retirement horiz...
How current economic changes impact retirement safe withdrawal rates
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#85: Recently I’ve really started to notice the impact of inflation on daily spending. Have you?At first, it was just 1-2 things. Then it was a hand...
REPLAY: How to set and rebalance your asset allocation efficiently
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#84: Today's episode is about an important end-of-year planning topic: asset allocation and portfolio rebalancing.Many otherwise smart investors ...
Retirement withdrawal strategies: tax-efficient portfolio drawdowns
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#83: You’ve worked hard all your life. At retirement, it’s time to kick back and relax, right?Not so fast.You still have to get THROUGH retirement...
Annuities explained: are annuities a good investment for retirement?
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#82: Are annuities a good investment for retirement?With $250 billion in sales each year, and $2.5 trillion in retirement annuity assets under contrac...
Taxes on stock gains: how to avoid capital gains tax on stocks
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#81: With the market rallying like crazy this past year, you might have significant capital gains on stocks right now.Now might be a good time for som...
Teaching your kids about money and financial independence
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#80: Teaching kids about money isn’t easy, but it’s crucial if you want to boot them off your payroll after they graduate from school.But while fi...
College student financial aid changes coming to the FAFSA application
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#79: This one’s for you parents who have kids in college or soon going to college…In the COVID relief stimulus bill that passed at the end of 2020...
Money lessons for kids: Tips from other personal finance influencers
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#78: For this episode, I polled other influencers in the personal finance community to ask for their best tip on teaching money lessons to kids.I had ...
Financial literacy for kids: how to teach your kids about money
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#77: Teaching financial literacy for kids may seem like a tall order…when considering that financial literacy even for adults is a national deficien...
Language learning through travel immersion courses in early retirement
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#76: Retiring early to travel the world is a common goal for FIRE aspirants.But full-time travel can lose appeal quickly. Churches and temples quickly...
How this middle income couple built a real estate portfolio of 25 doors (in expensive California!)
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#75: Real estate investing might seem like something only wealthy people can do.It’s expensive, down payments can be high, and you may feel you don’...
How to early retire (FIRE) if your spouse isn’t on board
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#74: This week, I chat with Caroline Ceniza-Levine, a career coach now early retired, whose own spouse wasn’t on board with early retirement for man...
Stock option and RSU tax planning
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#73: One big reason the tech industry attracts a lot of talent: you get partly compensated in stock, and if you’re early enough at a company that IP...
1031 exchanges: what real estate investors need to know
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#72: This week, I invited Bill Exeter to teach us about 1031 exchanges. He is the CEO of Exeter 1031 Exchange Services and has been doing 1031s for ne...
Buying tax deeds to invest in real estate at a deep discount
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#71: Tax deed auctions provide an opportunity to buy tax-delinquent properties at a discount, wipe away existing liens and mortgages, and earn sizable...
Is rental real estate a safer type of “yield shield”?
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#70: Last time, we talked about the pros and cons of the “yield shield” and the impassioned views on both sides of that debate.But what if you sid...
Does a “yield shield” really protect against sequence of returns risk?
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#69: Last time we talked about using a “bond tent” strategy to reduce sequence risk in the years just before and just after retirement.In FIRE com...
How to use a bond tent to reduce sequence of returns risk
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#68: This week, in part 1 of a 3-part series on asset allocation, I talk with Karsten Jeske, CFA, about how to implement bond/equity glide paths, both...
Tax filing updates to be aware of this year (tax year 2020)
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#67: Given how big of a shock the events of 2020 were for just about everyone on the planet, what changes to the tax rules happened as a result?This w...
How tax lien investing works and how to buy tax lien certificates
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#66: Investing in tax liens may sound scary and complicated. But as you’ll see from today’s podcast interview, with a little bit of research upfro...
Marriage and money: why spouses fight about money, how to fight with empathy, and how to convince your spouse to FIRE
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#65: Last time we talked about money issues when dating.But dating isn’t the end game (for most).As the schoolyard song goes: “First comes love, t...
How to talk about money when you’re dating
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#64: How do you have difficult conversations about money when you’re dating? What words should you use? What do you do if the conversations go sout...
Asset location for non-traditional assets + considerations for early retirees
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#63: Last time, we talked about general asset location principles, plus best practices for major asset classes like stocks, bonds, and real estate.But...
What assets should you hold in each account to minimize taxes?
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#62: It might seem obvious that the best performing car isn’t just a function of the car itself…but also WHERE you’re driving it.Ferraris vs. Hu...
FIRE goal setting for the new year
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#61: All right champs – new year!That means a fresh opportunity for goal setting to transform your financial situation this year.To kick off the new...
How to FIRE with confidence, step by step
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#60: Over the past year, I’ve done various podcast episodes about early retirement. I’ve also had numerous guests share their FIRE stories.But wha...
How to pick the best index fund
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#59: It’s hard to consistently beat the market as an investor…but it takes zero effort to match the market.Picking good index funds lets you match...
How to set your target asset allocation and rebalance your portfolio efficiently
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#58: How to set your target asset allocation can feel like a mystery. How do you do it rigorously? How do you know what’s optimal?Rebalancing can al...
Why writing an investment policy statement will make you a better investor
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#57: When it comes to investment management, it is crucial to write down your investing goals/plan in order to stay disciplined as an investor and get...
Section 199A: how small business owners can skip 20% of their taxes
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#56: This week, I invited CPA Steve Nelson, whose tax blog I’ve followed for years, to chat with us about the details of how Section 199A works and ...
Election day special: potential tax law changes coming?
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#55: This week, I explain 6 key areas where there may be significant tax code changes under a Biden administration – including how these changes may...
How a self-directed 401k can help you beef up retirement investing, with Dmitriy Fomichenko
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#54: In all my prior jobs except the current one, I can now say in hindsight that my 401k sucked.It only offered 10-15 fund options…which is like be...
College financial aid tips and strategies, with Ann Garcia
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#53: No matter how you cut it, the cost of college these days is pretty crushing.And getting into your top choice college is well and good and all, bu...
How to get into the best colleges in America, with Shirag Shemmassian
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#52: The competition for admissions to the most elite colleges in America (think Ivy League, US News top 10) is fiercer than ever.That’s because top...
Estate planning basics: wills, trusts, power of attorney, and probate
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#51: Despite the pain (and cost) that not having an estate plan will cause your heirs, fully two-thirds of Americans don’t even have so much as a wi...
Social Security: How it works and optimal claiming strategies
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#50: Social Security is crucial to American retirement. 1 in 5 Americans and 1 in 4 families depend on it. That’s 65M people who will collect $1 tr...
How to use HSAs to avoid taxes and take charge of your healthcare, with the guy who implemented the HSA law, Roy Ramthun (aka “Mr. HSA”)
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#49: The Health Savings Account is an incredible tool to take greater control over your healthcare. It is the most tax-efficient investment account on...
How Medicare works: eligibility, enrollment, cost, and coverage options, with Danielle Roberts
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#48: Seniors often enter retirement (a) thinking Medicare is free, and (b) not at ALL clear how the details work – rules, restrictions, limitations,...
11 Essential Categories of Financial Info For Family Emergency Binders
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#47: In this week’s podcast, I explain how to create a family emergency binder using 11 essential categories of info to make it easy for loved ones ...
How to use whole life insurance to avoid taxes and grow wealth, with Eric Brotman
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#46: Most people know what life insurance is. But they tend to think of it as term life: fixed payments for 20-30 years that pay out a death benefit i...
How to retire early with kids (and not go broke), with Michael Quan
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#45: Early retirement must be executed differently, and very intentionally, with kids. There are no easy, silver-bullet solutions.I think about this ...
How personal tragedy motivated this engineer to achieve FI and retire early, with Adam Fortuna
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#44: One common trait of ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things is their ability to turn personal struggle and tragedy into resilient ene...
What a lifetime of travel taught these early retirees over 3 decades, with Billy & Akaisha Kaderli
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#43: People spend way too much time scrutinizing examples of early retirees who just recently FIRE’d and not nearly enough time on early retirees wh...
How 2 engineers quit their jobs to retire early and travel full-time, with Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#42: A big reason why I started HYW was to show how you can “hack systems” in large and small ways – whether related to taxes, travel, real esta...
Quitting the law: one lawyer’s unique path to financial independence, with Kevin Ha
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#41: Is it crazy to quit a high-paying law firm job to take a lower-paying law job (not in a law firm)?The majority of lawyers will say no. Because th...
How an unhappy lawyer retired at 33 to travel the world…and why she’s no longer doing it, with Anita Dhake
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#40: Early retirement may seem glamorous when you’re dreaming about it….Sleeping in every day. Going jogging mid-day. Picnicking on a random Tuesd...
How to attend any college for free, with Shirag Shemmassian, PhD
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#39: Everyone knows the cost of college is cray. 😖It can create serious retirement speed bumps for parents……and it only gets worse with every p...
How to financially prepare for starting a family with Kevin Mahoney
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#38: With all the ways your budget can explode after you start having kids, what can you do in advance to better prepare financially to reduce the fin...
6 budget items that soar when you start a family & how to save on them
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#37: It costs a pretty penny to raise a kid. I knew my expenses would go up with a kid in tow, but looking back I underestimated exactly how much the...
The shockingly un-simple math behind retirement safe withdrawal rates, with Karsten Jeske, PhD (Part 2)
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#36: Last week, we dove headlong into the wonky but uber-crucial topic of retirement safe withdrawal rates.My conversation with Karsten Jeske, PhD –...
The shockingly un-simple math behind retirement safe withdrawal rates, with Karsten Jeske, PhD (Part 1)
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#35: When it comes to early retirement the most important (and difficult) thing you have to grasp is your safe withdrawal rate.FIRE bloggers rave abou...
Mobile home park investing crash course with Andrew Keel
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#34: The extraordinary market volatility the last couple months has been enough to wrench the stomachs of even the most battle-hardened investors.Righ...
How the Home Sale Capital Gains Tax Exclusion Works
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#33: Each summer, the real estate market turns into a zoo as buyers and sellers play a big game of musical chairs. Everyone’s trying to get a new se...
Real estate investing through house auctions and hard money lending with Ethan Gao
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#32: The last few podcast episodes have explored alternate real estate investing strategies like large-scale multifamily and fix & flipping.But tw...
How to find, manage, and keep great tenants for your rental properties with Mark Ainley
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#31: So, we’ve been talking real estate the last few podcast episodes.So far, though, we’ve only talked about buying and rehabbing rental properti...
How to buy, rehab, and flip real estate remotely from out of state with Erin Helle
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#30: Juggling work and family is always hard.Adding serious real estate investing to the mix is even harder.But juggling toddler + newborn + investing...
Multifamily real estate investing: how to build a $175M portfolio in 7 years with Andrew Campbell
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#29: How do 2 guys working on their own build a $175M multifamily real estate portfolio in 7 years spanning 1,700 apartment units?That’s $25M of rea...
7 Powerful Ways to Invest in Real Estate
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#28: Ever notice that wealthy people tend to own real estate, and real estate investors tend to be wealthy? #NotACoincidenceI’m not talking Forbes 4...
9 Crucial Money Lessons Your Kids Must Learn to Succeed as Adults
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#27: Sometimes, you have to help loved ones learn a new skill, or else it actually becomes YOUR problem.Teaching your kiddos about money is one of tho...
529 college savings plans: rules, tax benefits, & qualified expenses
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#26: College affordability is tough but 529 college savings plans can help you boost college savings.529s have similarities to Roth accounts. They are...
College financial aid strategies to optimize your assets, income & EFC
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#25: If you plan to pay for kiddo’s college education, then get ready to potentially nearly double what you spent from 0-18.Right now, the average c...
Foreign earned income exclusion & expat taxes with Grace Taylor
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#24: Whether you retire early, take a sabbatical, or just take vacay, when you travel abroad there’s often multiple great opportunities to turbochar...
Opportunity zones explained: how they work & how to invest
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#23: Like learning how to optimize your taxes/wealth?Then heads up, because Opportunity Zones may be really relevant to you.In a nutshell: It’s a go...
Tax Loss Harvesting: Rules and Strategies with Bob Dockendorff
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#22: Bob Dockendorff, a lawyer, tax expert, and financial planner who focuses on tax efficiency in his wealth management practice, talks shop with us ...
How to earn 6 figures and legally pay zero taxes (updated for 2020)
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#21: The US tax system vastly favors leisure over labor. It favors people who just own things and sit around and collect rents over people who actuall...
CPT codes & ICD 10 codes: How medical billing & insurance claims work
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#20: I recently went through a medical billing hassle that was such a PITA that I decided to do a special podcast episode about it because it has such...
Growing an education blog for teachers with Paul Stevens-Fulbrook
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#19: This week brings another solopreneur interview. In episode 19, I talk with Paul Stevens-Fulbrook, a high school science teacher in England whose ...
17 essential questions to discuss with your partner about finances if you want to stay married
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#18: I discuss how to get aligned with your significant other / fiancé / fiancée / or even spouse when it comes to money and finances.Specifically, ...
How to maximize point redemptions for free flights with Sarah Maxwell
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#17: Last week I talked about how I treat miles and points as a tax-free asset class in my portfolio.That’s because they literally translate into th...
Credit card application tips for earning big sign up bonuses and rewards (what’s working in 2020) with Dave Grossman
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#16: Anyone who likes traveling (by definition, FIRE adherents) should pay attention to how to optimize and maximize their travel rewards portfolio.So...
5 major life expenses that get cheaper the better your credit score is
28 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#15: I share some tangible ways that high earnings + a high credit score actually make life cheaper (with better service, to boot)…which in turn acc...
How to increase your credit score (plus analyze and protect it) with Louis DeNicola
21 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#14: The credit score is the metric for how borrower creditworthiness is judged.In episode 14, I talk with Louis DeNicola a consumer credit expert and...
Becoming a YouTube travel influencer with Ernest Shahbazian
14 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#13: Many folks dream of getting paid to travel. For Ernest Shahbazian, his side hustle as a travel content creator allows him to do just that.In epis...
Growing multiple niche blogs with Jeff Campbell
07 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
#12: Ever wonder what type of solopreneur businesses are possible to help you build additional income streams?A big part of the HYW podcast will be in...
8 key takeaways from a study of 150 millionaires
31 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#11: I share some personal thoughts on FIRE and 8 key takeaways from a recent study of 150 millionaire interviews.I share why there is no guaranteed p...
The pros and cons of robo-advisors
24 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#10: We talk about the pros and cons of using a robo advisor. Are the advantages of automating your portfolio management worth the costs and downsides...
16 essential estate planning checklist topics to protect your family and give you peace of mind
17 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#9: We discuss the details of actually HOW to do estate planning, including the 16 essential estate planning checklist topics you need to prepare or u...
Why estate planning is so critical for wealth preservation
10 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#8: I discuss why estate planning is so critical for wealth preservation. This episode is part 1 of 2 and covers big picture questions around the “w...
3 levels of financial independence: why hard work alone may not get you into the top 1%, but how it’ll get you to FI
03 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#7: We talk about the importance of luck when it comes to FIRE. How important is it for FIRE? Can you achieve FIRE even if you aren’t particularly l...
2020 federal income tax brackets and retirement contribution limits
26 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#6: I summarize the most important changes to the federal tax brackets and retirement contribution limits to be aware of in 2020.What you’ll learn i...
How to be strategic with your retirement accounts with Roger Ma, CFP
19 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#5: Roger Ma, an industry recognized CFP, talks with me about how high earners can optimize their retirement accounts and avoid common mistakes.What y...
IRAs, Roth IRAs, and how to get the tax benefits of BOTH
12 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#4: We discuss IRAs and Roth IRAs – the "consumer retail" cousin of the 401k / Roth 401k. We also show you how the Roth laddering strategy...
Everything you need to know about 401Ks
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#3: I discuss a comprehensive framework for understanding how 401ks work and how to use them strategically.What you’ll learn in this episode:Origins...
My 4x4 FIRE framework for creating and protecting wealth
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#2: I discuss my 4x4 FIRE framework for methodically planning, building, and protecting financial wealth/independence. Centered around earning, saving...
Why I started Hack Your Wealth
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
#1: I share why I started Hack Your Wealth, my personal story, how I once lost 1/3 of my savings, what change my thinking afterward, how that motivate...