#153 | Listener Q&A: Savings, 529s, retirement planning, conversion ladders, rentals, and more!

Episode Summary:

In this episode, we answer a bunch of recent listener questions.  We answer questions on partying off your mortgage versus saving more into a 529 for college, if now is the right time to put money into the market, how much money to keep in a cash emergency fund, and how to balance income while planning for early retirement.  We then discuss how to breakup with your financial advisor, rental properties, and Roth IRA conversion ladders.  

Episode Notes:

We start off by sharing a recent listener story and win, and then dig into some listener questions:

• Should I pay off extra on my mortgage or save more into a 529?
• Is now the right time to start putting money into the market?
• How much money should I keep in cash in an emergency fund?
• Do you track your tax payment in your spend tracker or your annual expenses?
• How should I plan for and balance where my income comes from in early retirement versus later in life from retirement funds?
• How do I break up with my financial advisor?
• How did we get our first rental property, and how much did we put down?
• Would we consider an airBNB property versus a long-term rental?
• Can you share a more detailed explanation about Roth IRA conversions and Roth IRA conversion ladders?

Top 3 takeaways:

1. Send us your questions! 
2. We will answer them directly or in an episode like this.  
3. If you send us really detailed questions it’s sometimes hard for us to answer without knowing more about your personal situation.  We have considered doing some financial coaching, but likely won’t do anything with that until later in 2022 after the summer, or in 2023.  But feel free to reach out if you’re particularly interested and eager to learn more.

Show references:

• Friends on FIRE episode #025 – College – Choosing your Approach
• Friends on FIRE episode #27 – Why Tracking Net Worth Matters
• Friends on FIRE episode #15 – Expense Tracking Gone Wild
• Net worth tracking spreadsheet
• Expense tracking spreadsheet
• Friends on FIRE episode #090 – Why you don’t need a financial planner