FIRE is a great example of how much retirement planning has changed over the last few decades. On one end of the spectrum, you have traditional planning with a financial advisor helping you accumulate enough money to retire at 65. On the other, you have FIRE- a lifestyle that prioritizes low spending and high saving…

Saving and investing money in tax-advantaged retirement accounts is one of the most common and effective ways to prepare for retirement. There are three different types of individual retirement accounts (IRAs)- traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and SEP IRAs. At their core, they are all investment accounts that offer tax benefits in exchange for setting your…

The revolution in remote work has left many office buildings looking like this: Which has led to major speculation over a potential commercial real estate crash. Here’s a few headlines on this topic from major news outlets from the last couple months: Forbes: Bracing For a Possible Commercial Real Estate Crash (5/1/23) Yahoo Finance: Commercial…

There’s an old maxim that says: “The older I get, the smarter my dad gets.” We’re not sure who said it, but it rings true for most people… especially when it comes to understanding how money works. We’re hoping as a LevelUp subscriber your quote sounds more like this: “The more I read the LevelUp,…

Monthly budgeting is a pillar of personal finance. By knowing where your money is going each month, and whether that allocation aligns with your goals, you can set yourself up for long term success. Here’s two potential strategies and our personal take on which one you start using today. The Envelope Method The envelope method…

On Wednesday, May 3rd, the Fed hiked interest rates to a target between 5% and 5.25%, the highest since 2007. And those last 4 words queued up a ton of speculation about recession fears; most of them incorporated this graph in some capacity. Source: CNBC, Federal Reserve Bank of New York On a surface level,…

Being on top of your personal finances often means planning for more than just yourself. If you’re starting a family, you’re familiar with the importance of additional savings. But knowing what to do and how to do it are not the same thing, especially when you’re planning for all the expenses of raising a child….

It’s no secret college tuition costs have ballooned over the last decade.  But the good news is that planning and saving  or these types of significant expenses is a core element of personal finance. And that’s what we’re all about.  So whether you’re pursuing your own degree or would like to plan for your children’s…

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Well, with the right beholder then, a piece of fine art- or any rare collectible for that matter- could sky rocket in value. In fact, the collectibles industry is set to grow 22% anually over the next 10 years, according to this report by Globe Newswire. Keep…