Financially Independent Teachers: Recent Episodes
Dave Fleischer
Welcome to the Financially Independent Teachers Podcast- where educators come together to discuss their journey on the road to financial independence. Now, please join our cohosts, Dave and Brandon as they prepare to help other educators GET FIT with their finances. Thanks for joining us!
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Megan is a New Bern elementary PE teacher who is "Dave-ish" when it comes to Mr. Ramsey's plan. Their family uses the Every Dollar app, and keeps track of every dollar that comes in.
The dollars that Megan brings in is where it gets interesting. A NC Unicorn with masters and nationally board pay, Megan also drives the school bus, making an extra 10k+ each school year. In addition, she runs summer camps for her local parks and rec. She even helped one of her kids get a gig helping a local catering business. Guess what? Megan decided to get on board, too!
Through all the extra hard work and debt payoff, she made a commitment that when she had kids, she would always take a two week vacation with them each year. Even though she could have been debt free by now, she is balancing travel, family, extra work and the debt.
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Brian is a father, husband, educator & coach in small town Nebraska. He enjoys travel, the outdoors, camping & sports. As a high school science teacher, Brian coached four sports & mowed lawns in the summer to stay ahead between athletics, travel & kids' activities. Like many young educators, his family was living paycheck to paycheck, blindly putting money into various "investments" & hoping someday they'd have money for retirement. He had no formal financial education, little understanding of account types or investing vehicles, & no goals or investing strategy. One thing he had going for himself was being debt-averse...but they still always had debt. Somewhere in the messy middle, Brian started learning about finance & his missteps. Over time he read & listened to dozens of finance books, consumed thousands of hours of podcasts & YouTube, & used & created several tools to streamline & automate our finances. What started as a dream of F.I.R.E. (financial independence retire early) eventually evolved into a business model around financial planning for educators. Now his goal is to help others on their financial journey. After 18 years in the classroom, Brian is now full blown in the finance world.
Brian's Website
https://youreverydayroi.com/
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Eric's story is rooted in real-life experience. After a divorce, he found himself rebuilding as a father of three children. Along the way, he met an incredible woman, and together they committed to paying off debt and creating a strong financial foundation. As Eric learned more about managing money, he began teaching personal finance to high school juniors, turning a personal challenge into a professional passion. Today, after seven years of marriage, Eric and his wife make budgeting and financial planning a priority, and that commitment has helped them build a thriving life together. Together, they are now NW millionaires!
Financial success wasn’t the result of having all the answers from the beginning—it came from being willing to learn, make adjustments, and keep moving forward. That mindset has transformed their finances, strengthened their marriage, and given Eric the opportunity to help the next generation make better financial decisions than many of us weren't taught to make.
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Eric walked away from his W2 job in education at the age of 50. He didn't have enough years of service to access his pension at 50, but him and his wife had over 1 million dollars in a taxable brokerage account to live off of in retirement. One day, the pension will come, until then, Eric still works as an educational consultant.
With a paid for home, Eric and his wife plan on eventually selling, whenever their find their "forever" location. Currently, they are adventuring throughout the US doing what they call SLOMADING. Annoyed with quick travel and only seeing the "touristy" spots, they are dabbling into a slower paced travel, utilizing platforms like Furnished Finder to stay for 2-3 months in one spot, living like a local.
So far, they have tried this approach in Omaha, NE...Coastal NC/SC, and their next pit stop is in the high desert in NM. They are trying to find their retirement spot, and they will travel the nation until they do so!
Check out their website...Early Exit, Open Road!
https://earlyexitopenroad.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTKcQtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFOWTNMSWJ6N2FoNnpDdU1vc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHufomQCj17Inha7QhA-h8YJ-i_sjVzwXouhUiLNhi6CUdJ0hb2tTRPf9QRZS_aem_x2wxbnS0VvlcraB6cB-Lpg
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These married NC music teachers are making it happen! Mid 30's and maxing out Roth IRAs, two future NC pensions in their early 50's, social security in the future...they will have a combined income of 130kish in their 60's. They take advantage of their time off in the summer by running a fireworks rent for 2 weeks each summer. They hustle extremely hard for the two weeks leading up to the 4th and make TWO MONTHS worth of teacher income in those two weeks.
They are Dave Ramsey inspired, but have had to work through different financial backgrounds to come together and "make it happen" on their NC teacher salaries.
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16-year veteran math teacher, Noah started his journey in education through ACE, The Alliance for Catholic Education, at the University of Notre Dame. During this program, he moved from Indiana to Florida...making less than 25k as a catholic school teacher. After completion, he moved home to suburban Minneapolis to teach HS math at his Alma mater.
While teaching, Noah also began side hustling as a black jack dealer at a local casino, and as a DJ... all while keeping rent low, living with 5 buddies in a multi-family housing unit. Home was great, but adventure called. Soon, Noah was off to teach internationally in Vietnam, where he met his now wife who is also an international educator. Low cost of living in Vietnam and the lessons learned living off of less than 25k in Florida enabled Noah to save and invest thousands.
Expecting their first child this summer, Noah and his wife have realized a lifelong dream to life in Europe and are both teaching in Prague.
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After graduating from South View HS in NC, at the age 19, he was homeless, in debt and sleeping in his car. Today he has built a multiple 7-figure business and coached millions of people out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle. As a minority who did not grow up wealthy or with any financial literacy, he has made it his mission to equip people in the same scenario to break generational wealth gaps.
A recent study found that 39% of American workers say living paycheck to paycheck would actually be an improvement to their current financial situation, with 44% over-drafting their bank accounts the month prior.
This summer, Anthony's newest book will help inspire you to not live check to check .
https://stoplivingpaychecktopaycheckbook.com/
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Paul is a recently retired teacher from Maine, but growing up on a farm caused him to inherit his family's frugal nature. Newly retired, Paul has been scheduling opportunities to share his presentation to help teachers called "The Hidden Cost of Time". Paul is on a mission to help save teachers from high fee investments and has a passion for helping others build financial independence.
Starting in the late 80's, Paul was tricked into the typical tax-deferred annuities by the sharp dressed person giving out free Pizza in the teacher lounge. Once he discovered the truth of the high fees, he became a big believer in low-cost index funds and ETFs.
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Reid says a frugal lifestyle is as regular to him as brushing his teeth each day. From McDonald's worker, to Econ teacher, to Econ professor, and reservist in the military...Reid has done it all!
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Nancy, transitioned from a career in corporate Human Resources to the world of secondary education at the age of 42. After two decades of teaching, she is preparing for her final act...one last year. On this episode, Nancy shares five pieces of advice to consider before exiting your career. She has been strategically planning for this moment the last few years,
If you want to hear more about her financial journey, listen to episode 159 and 213 as she goes into more detail.
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"The math works for everybody, but not everybody loves math". Ed Brady is the son of a teacher and author of the new book "Awaken Your Financial Star", which highlights the Star Method. Ed's STAR method reframes personal finance into four core components: Saving, Time horizon, Asset selection, and Real returns. Looking at wealth through this lens provides an approachable, success-focused lesson in understanding why financial progress often stalls and how to mitigate and adjust for a winning long-term outcome.
https://youtube.com/@edwardmbradycfarealtor?si=T99-fl_1VV-usAIm
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Tom Bernard is in the financial field, married to a public school teacher, and teaches personal finance courses at the City College of San Francisco. His mission? Tom wants to help the average person understand wealth-building and how the S&P 500 actually works. Tom has been there, done that, and got the T-Shirt by trying to BEAT the market with individual stocks....but coming up short of market returns. Now, Tom has become an expert on the S&P and loves the low fees and simplicity of index Funds
This year, Tom released his new book titled "The Index of America"
Key Insights from The Index of America Include:
- The Power of Simplicity: Why broad-based index investing consistently outperforms complex, high-fee trading strategies over the long term.
- Historical Context: How the index has evolved since 1957 to reflect shifting global influences and technological revolutions.
- Wealth Compounding: A clear guide for students, new investors, and seasoned professionals on how disciplined participation leads to long-term stability.
https://www.amazon.com/INDEX-AMERICA-WORKS-SHOULD-INVEST-ebook/dp/B0GPHQVRTL
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David Norman retired last school year with 31 years under his belt as a NC HS Social Studies teacher and baseball coach. David is now running Norman Financial Coaching and supports teachers in a variety of ways with their finances. David has a wealth of knowledge about teaching and growing your wealth, we hit on a variety of subjects during this introduction to David Norman to the FIT audience.
Below is a little about David and his thoughts on teachers and the "vow of poverty" we take to go into education.
The Teacher's Myth...
You took a vow of poverty when you became an educator.
I have been a teacher all of my life, or so I have been told. I started getting paid to teach in 1994. While my career is certainly in the later innings, I have found my 3rd or 4th rejuvenating burst of energy as I transition into full time financial coaching even as I help launch the Economics and Personal Finance curriculum for our State, District, and my School. As my National Board Certification and almost two decade role as a NB Facilitator for my District has taught me, the single most important element to a child's learning is having a highly qualified and motivated teacher. Even the most dynamic teachers, however, cannot be at their best if they are stressed, exhausted, or unduly frustrated. Financial stress can create and compound the above and has made a good many of my colleagues question their career choice, some even leaving the profession as a result. My mission is to show teachers a way to have their cake and eat it too. We can, and many do, build wealth even as we fully engage our students and make a career out of our calling. The belief that teachers take a vow of poverty once they commit to a career in education is a myth! In fact, this myth applies to many middle-class incomes, not just educators. While "you didn't get into teaching for the money," may be true, it doesn't mean we shouldn't challenge the narrative that teachers are destined to live paycheck to paycheck, holding on for dear life until eligible for their pension. In fact, if we are intentional with our money, the teaching profession affords us many opportunities to build wealth that others do not have. Equally as important, the far more valuable commodity of time is more readily available to us than in most professions. Taken together, time and a new money mindset can be powerful tools to both create a comfortable post-teaching life, as well as a tremendously rich journey throughout our careers.
https://www.normanfinancialcoaching.com/
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Kevin is a former Long Island music teacher AND a very high level musician himself. Having understood the classroom, the students, and the demands of teaching, he ultimately made the decision to leave the classroom and start his own business doing speaking engagements to students across the country.
At one point, he went to pick up a $20 pizza, but knew he only had $17 to his name. Credit cards were maxed out, nothing in checking or savings. All of these experiences led him to where he is today as a successful speaker and businessman.
Kevin talks about how to get out of debt and some interesting things to consider with the advent of AI and how it can help teachers in a variety of areas.
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For many teachers, we only have 20-25 school days left in the 25-26 academic year! In honor of counting down to summer, Dave issues a 21-day money challenge. Whether you want to start NOW and finish the challenge before summer, or you decide to launch at the beginning of summer, this challenge will give you the frame work to reach new financial heights!
The challenge for each day should usually take you less than 5 minutes. Stacking these little daily challenges over the 3 week time period will change your finances FOREVERRRR! Tune in to see how many of the challenges you already do.
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Gary taught high level math for almost 20 years in California, but is now enjoying the FIRE lifestyle and early retirement. Although he won't receive his CA pension until 55, he has enough investments working behind the scenes to provide a nice retirement in the future. His wife is still working for a handful of years, so he doesn't have to worry about the health insurance piece, but before they are both 50, they want to be retired together.
In his downtime, Gary offers free financial services for educators and shares some of the biggest roadblocks teachers face. In addition, he will share insight on "how much do I need invested to retire". Run your numbers and see how close you are!
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Jermaine was a guest on FIT back on Episode 249 in early January. On that episode, Jermaine shared how he was making almost 2k per month moonlighting as a DoorDash delivery man. After learning Jermaine's story, he looked in the mirror and said it is time for a change. As a husband and father of three, 45-year old Jermaine, realized he is essentially starting from nothing...enough money to pay the monthly bills BUT...
-Zero in savings
-Debt on a Jeep
-No investments
-Nothing for retirement
As co-workers and new-found friends, I offered Jermaine some FREE FIT financial coaching. We got started on January 15th and he is back to give us his first update, just months later.
During this time period, a car broke down, wife saw 30% in reduced hours, mother was diagnosed with cancer, and DoorDash was shut down by the biggest winter storm ENC has faced since the 80's. Did Jermaine meet his goals? Where is he now? This episode will address Phase I and II of Jermaine's story...
Phase I-Jan 15 to Feb 1
Phase II-Feb 1 to April 15
Listen in as we try to take Jermaine from just scraping by, to a life of future abundance and security!
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Traditional, Pre-Tax, Roth, Post-Tax, Brokerage Accounts...these investment accounts can be so confusing, especially to newbies. Do you want to pay taxes now or later? Is there a better time to convert funds during a particular time of life?
I've talked to many teachers who don't know the difference between Roth and Traditional accounts. Some have tens of thousands of dollars in a traditional 403(b) or 401(k) accounts, but didn't find out about a Roth (tax free growth) until it is "too late". Good news...former HS math teacher (turned Financial planner), David Gourley is back on the FIT podcast to share how you can move funds from one investment account.
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Rachel has had a lot of financial ups and downs, but finally got serious about her money three years ago. A speech therapist, Rachel didn't get started in her career until 31, so she felt like she felt like she had a late to start making "adult money". Rachel lives in a very high cost of living area and she works full time in the local public schools, while also work a side job doing telehealth to support her financial goals. Life changed when her son was diagnosed with leukemia in 2024 and Rachel has learned the true meaning of an emergency fund and preparing for a rainy day. Currently raising her 3 kids solo, she continues to learn and grow in her financial education. Learning more about her finances makes her feel hopeful for the future!
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NJ high school teacher is married to NJ high school EC teacher. Before having their first child, they caught the FIRE bug in their early to mid twenties. They didn't do it forever, but they lived on a very modest 40k per year in annual spending for a handful of years while investing around 80K each year (combined). This early maximization caused them to become teacher millionaires before the age of 35. After having a daughter and moving from being renters to homeowners, they no longer invest at such a high rate, but they don't have to. They are now COAST FI.
Projection Lab
Nectarine
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There is a big difference between being high net worth and income producing assets. Sure, a paid for house is GREAT...BUT, it is not going to make you any money (unless you house hack). Good intentions can lead to a BAD retirement. The Millionaire Math Teacher is here to discuss all the things you might not think of when it comes to planning for the future...whether retirement is 20 years away or a few years away.
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Louis is a soon to be retired California middle school math teacher, and he is thankful to have started investing as a young teacher, however, he was setup by the classic "sharp dressed man" in the teachers lounge...high fees, subpar investment options. In addition, Louis didn't fully understand investing, so he went the ultra conservative route..2%-3% growth. Through trial and error, he went from conservative investor to single stocks...now, he has settled on target date funds and low cost index funds.
How much does he make in CA? When did he hit millionaire status? How does he view cars? Will he be able to flip the switch from frugal saver to a more loose spending style in retirement? All of these questions and more are answered on this episode!
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Brandon is a 27-year old teacher from KY...although current pension rules are different, he falls under their old pension rule, which will enable Brandon will to able to retire with a full pension after 27 years of Kentucky service. Because he started teaching at the ripe age of 21, he will start collecting a $60,000 per year pension at 47...with non contributory healthcare until 65
In addition to his pension, he has rental property and anticipates 10k per month from his rental portfolio. He is projecting a retirement of 15k a month at 47.
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Jessica has been teaching in Florida since 2003, although she did some investing while in HS, the personal finance bug caught her in her 40's. We discuss the power of teachers understanding all of the investing buckets available to them, the messy middle of life, raising 3 kids, and how personal finance education can transform our students and our teachers. Like most people, she wishes she understood the power of the 457(b) as a young teacher, and she doesn't want any other teacher to feel the way she once did. Knowledge is power, and Jess is empowering her family, students, and colleagues!
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Married (PA) teacher's Dale and Kendra love taking advantage of their summer time teacher schedule. Each year, they load up and hit the road with their twins and make memories together that wouldn't be possible without the schedule of a teacher. In PA, they have the option to take a lump sum instead of their pension. Instead of having "golden handcuffs", they will take the lump sum and both retire before 50.
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A married Michigan teacher couple uses each summer to scratch their travel itch. Last summer, they spent over 50 days in Europe. Before that, they spent much of summer in Indonesia. This summer, they are headed to Belgium! With a combined teacher income of around 135k, they own a home, have 500k invested in the stock market, and save for their summer vacations. Starting with Dave Ramsey and the Minimalists helped lead frugal lives with intense desire to be debt free, they are now working on accumulation. This teacher duo is FIT approved!
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Early in their marriage, Dave and Stephanie took part in a local Dave Ramsey FPU class. After "graduating", they started using the cash envelope budgeting system. Fifteen years later, and some financially milestones met, they decided to switch to strictly credit cards, as long as they didn't carry any monthly debt. After 6-8 months of this system, they realized they weren't maximizing their financial lives. Tomorrow, they are back on the envelopes and they share why.
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On this week's episode, I welcome national financial voice and host of the Personal Finance Podcast, Andrew Giancola back to the show. He shares the importance of automation and how to set up your accounts and make your personal finance life automatic! This is a must listen if you want to successfully set up your accounts and bills.
Check out Andrew's Money Automation Checklist
https://courses.mastermoney.co/automate-your-money-checklist
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No lotto winnings, no inheritance, no real goal of becoming a millionaire. However, a 42-year old Cobb County GA PE teacher recently crossed over $1,000,000 in investments. Now in his 20th year teaching, he moved from NE Ohio to ATL as a 22-year old... with $1,000 to his name. 20 years later, he is in the double comma club. He has no children, has never been married, and is taking advantage of the aggressive GA salary schedule by maxing out his higher education to earn more, all while coaching, and side hustling.
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A little over five years ago, Dave started Financially Independent Teachers...a passion project to inspire other educators to get smart with their money and maximize their finances. Up until the birth of FIT, Dave and his wife Stephanie started getting very serious about finances (mid 30's), shocked at how much time they had wasted in the past.
Some might call it extreme, but the couple wanted to get back on track and ahead of the curve, so they lived strictly off of Dave's teacher income and side hustle money, sold cars, downsized houses and started investing. Being in a family of 4 while living off of one spouses income for a handful of years meant lots of sacrifice, but the experience showed Dave it CAN BE DONE.
Last summer, Dave (host) was approached by the Bigger Pockets Money Podcast to share his personal finance journey. Dave was featured on Episode #650. Check out Dave's story as he gets transparent with his journey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAgJgSFOkVE&list=PLZAaD29urNMNjO9TJq1LJulMZO9MPr6sw&index=60
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This week, I interview Jermaine, a TA and coworker at Jacksonville High School. At 45, with the last of his three kids almost out of college, he's ready to start his financial journey. From working for the Philadelphia Eagles to being a real estate agent, and having a video production company, Jermaine made the move into education last year. For the next 12 months, Jermaine will be going through FIT financial coaching. Follow along as we document Jermaine's money progress in 2026 over multiple episodes throughout the year.
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Greg is a retired teacher living in the Dallas area who decided to come back to the education space and work part time. Even though he has a net worth of 6+ million dollars, Greg had a major health scare that had him start making some critical lifestyle decisions as he heads toward full retirement. His advice to teachers is to think BEYOND the financial numbers as you plan for retirement. Check out his story!
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In our last episode of the season, I welcome back fan favorite, Justin Garritt back on the show to discuss 8 timeless lessons surrounding our lives and money. In addition, we are joined by Justin's wife, Paulina, as she shares insight on the topic as well! Have a great holiday season!
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The Millionaire Math Teacher shares his year in review with the FIT audience. How much did his investments produce this year? How much did he spend? Where did he travel? John is a retired NC HS math teacher, married to a retired RN. Together, they now have a NW of around 2.3 million dollars. They did all of this with little inherence, all while raising 3 children. Over the last 10 years, compound interest and exponential growth have really kicked in.
In a bit of a plot twist, 2025 saw John temporarily come out of retirement to be a long term math sub at his old school. What was the experience like? Could he imagine still having to teach on the day to day in his 60's IF he didn't have his nest egg? How would like be different without his portfolio. All of this and MORE!
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On this episode, we welcome Lucretia Ryan back to the show! Raised by educators in NYC, Lucretia has a heart for teachers and providing her expertise and free resources. With recent changes, SS is now on the table for ALL teachers, even if you don't pay into it as an educator. Have you paid into it in the past? Should you get your 40 quarters to get SOMETHING?
Lucretia Ryan is the founder of FinancialFreedomforWomen.org. She is a financial writer, educator, and philanthropist. After graduating from Cornell University and spending her career at IBM, Lucretia is now helping women to gain financial independence. Her goal is to simplify complex saving and investment decisions to help women make financial decisions that are in their best interest.
Because Lucretia does not accept any fees, commissions, advertising, or donations or sell any financial products, she is able to expose the hidden fees and financial traps and help women avoid being taken in by financial predators. She conducts pro-bono, one-on-one retirement optimization workshops for women so they can understand their retirement options and make educated financial decisions. She teaches “Financial Literacy” and “Medicare: What the Insurance Companies Won’t Tell You”.
https://www.financialfreedomforwomen.org/
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
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Last November, North Carolina elected a new state treasurer, Brad Briner. Briner, 47, has 25 years of experience managing investments and recently retired as co-chief investment officer from Willett Advisors, the firm that manages assets for Michael Bloomberg. He studied economics at UNC Chapel Hill (Morehead Scholar) and has an MBA from Harvard. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife and four children and serves on the UNC Board of Trustees.
On this episode, we learn a little bit about Brad's background and ask questions about the NC pension and the new raise to healthcare premiums in NC.
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After achieving financial independence for herself and her family through real estate, Whitney knew that she didn’t want her knowledge to go to waste. So, she developed a wealth-building blueprint for her daughter, which became her new book, Money for Tomorrow. In it, Whitney teaches you how to build a wealth legacy that will endure for generations to come and ensure that your descendants won’t gamble or spend away your life’s work.
Whitney turned to wealth-creation strategies to build sturdy financial freedom for herself and her family.
Whitney is now on a mission to help families implement sound financial principles to create passive income and long-term wealth for generations to come.
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We've all seen the Ramsey Solutions research, "teacher" was the third most common career in his survey of 10,000 millionaires...Do most teachers think it is possible to join that club...after 20 years as a teacher, I would say the answer is a resounding NO. As the FIT Podcast has shown time and time again, there are PLENTY of net worth millionaire educators. No, this doesn't mean they have a briefcase with 1 million dollars worth of cash. However, it does mean that when you add up the individuals assets and subtract their liabilities, they have a net worth of one million dollars. In this episode, Dave will lay out a road map for young teachers and run through how it is possible.
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James Stout has been a teacher for 25 years in North Carolina. Investing in his first mutual fund at 12 years old, James as always had an affinity for money and planning for a brighter future. After seeing many of his colleagues struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, James put advice together in the form of his new book to help out the educator community. James has plenty of experience seeing basic money principles work in his own life, as he has become a net worth millionaire teacher! In this episode, we discuss teacher pay, pensions vs. match, retirement, budgeting, hope, and much more!
GET THE BOOK!
https://www.amazon.com/Educators-Financial-Journey-Finances-Brighter-ebook/dp/B0FLZTCN5Y/ref=books_amazonstores_desktop_mfs_aufs_ap_sc_dsk_0?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=fsiMs&content-id=amzn1.sym.299f645c-0a78-440a-94a2-fb482e7cb326&pf_rd_p=299f645c-0a78-440a-94a2-fb482e7cb326&pf_rd_r=138-2852063-4480255&pd_rd_wg=U0uez&pd_rd_r=eb957c13-77cd-4ec4-9539-a8aed978013a
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Matt and Lauren are both 43 years old while living south of Nashville, TN. Matt has his own practice as a vet, but relies on his wife for her health insurance. Matt is the child of a teacher and has a heart for educators, he says we actually make the best pet owners! Listen in as we talk to this husband/wife duo about how Lauren's "Steady Eddy" job as an educator enabled Matt take chances on his career and how it has all shaken out.
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Scott is a NC custodian, married to a 30+ veteran NC educator...together, they have a NW of around 2 million! Scott's wife retired with 30+ years of NC service and is back in the school system while collecting her pension. Scott is also retired, he became a custodian to give back to his community and be on the same schedule as his wife. Growing up in Western PA, Scott remembers what it was like to be a student who received free and reduced lunch. Now, he gets the chance to inspire students at Jacksonville High School and make a difference every day!
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Matt and his wife just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, they have two kids, one in college and one getting ready to graduate from HS. Matt didn't enter education right away, but his wife was a teacher while he was a financial advisor and computer programmer. Even though he took a 50k pay cut to become an educator, he has never been happier, and him and his wife are well on their way to financial independence.
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The BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL...will it hurt me? Will it help me? No, this isn't a political episode AT ALL...However, we welcome Sean Mullaney, the FI Tax Guy, to the show to discuss how this new piece of legislation will impact teachers and middle income earners and their money.
Sean Mullaney is an advice-only financial planner and the President of Mullaney Financial & Tax, Inc. Through Mullaney Financial & Tax, Sean provides advice-only financial planning for a flat fee. He is the co-author, with Cody Garrett, of the book Tax Planning To and Through Early Retirement. Sean writes the Plutus Award winning blog FITaxGuy.com on the intersection of tax and financial independence. He also has a personal finance YouTube channel.
Sean has discussed personal finance and tax on numerous podcasts, including ChooseFI, The Stacking Benjamins Show, How to Money, and BiggerPockets Money. He has been quoted in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and MarketWatch.
Check out Sean's new book on tax planning!
https://www.amazon.com/Tax-Planning-Through-Early-Retirement/dp/B0FNNVXY16
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Dave's parents just celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary. How did they navigate raising 2 kids on one income? What tips and advice do they have for managing family, finances, and investing? Listen in as we touch on a variety of personal finance topics and talk about the lasting impression his parents made on him!
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For many of us, we are 4+ weeks into the new school year (ok, not you NY friends)...now that we have some of the 25-26 school year under our belt, and we can catch our breath, Dave has 10 financial recommendations for the new school year. Listen in follow the list of these 10 money moves to finish the year strong! Hope everyone is having a great start to their year!
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When should I retire? When I retire, what am I going to do to keep me busy? You don't want to miss this episode with Coach Leary, a recently retired NC high school history teacher and coach who started his own college prep coaching business. Having guided his own two children through the the college process (UNC and Wake), Eric and his wife learned a lot along the way. Now, they are applying it to help others.
With over 30 years of dedicated service in education, Eric Leary brings exceptional depth and versatility to his role as both educator and mentor. As a high school teacher, he has expertly guided students through college preparatory and future-ready curricula, while also serving as an academic advisor across various grade levels, supporting students in navigating course registration and academic planning. Eric's commitment to developing well-rounded individuals extends beyond the classroom, where his leadership as head coach for both baseball and football programs has produced remarkable results, with multiple former players advancing to collegiate athletic careers. His holistic approach to education—combining academic excellence with athletic discipline—has established him as a respected figure whose influence continues to shape the success of generations of students.
https://www.learycollegeprep.com/
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Ryan is a Texas business teacher who co-authored a Texas retirement book with Karl Fish, specializing in the Texas pension system. Two and a half years ago, Ryan was on the show and had a net worth just over 600k. Today, Ryan is knock knock knocking on MILLIONAIRE status. Ryan's main message in this episode is that teachers need to learn the rules to the "game" when it comes to their pension and benefits.
Texas book - https://a.co/d/evuKOg5
Whole Books Series - https://fischlearning.com/tldr/
TCTA FAQ page about Rule of 80/90 - https://www.tcta.org/professional-resources/teacher-employment/benefits/trs-retirement/trs-faqs
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Making it work with what you have, Curtis didn't grow up with money, but now has 5 units on a single teacher income in Washington state. I often say "can one move change your life?", for Curtis, he says "can two moves change your life?"...his answer? YES! After buying some rental properties, Curtis fell in love with real estate to the point of now teaching AND being an agent. Lots of sacrifices have been made to end up where he is, this is a story worth checking out!
Follow Curtis:
Instagram instagram.com/peturnedre
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@PEturnedRE
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As always, the FIT FAMILY stepped up to the plate with some AMAZING questions for a special Q&A episode with two FIT legends! In this episode, we tackle a variety of questions from our audience about 457(b)'s, 403(b)'s, IRA's, retirement, asset allocation, pensions, investment strategies, fees, and much more! Sorry if we did not get to your question, there was only time for so many!
Justin's Website: https://garrittfinancialsolutions.com/
Gerry's Website: https://www.millionaireeducator.com/
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Becky and Rusty went from 3 doors to TWENTY SEVEN in less than five years. How the heck did they make this happen? What are some creative ways to go about financing rentals without using a traditional loan from a bank?
How can a HELOC give you a leg up in growing your investment portfolio? What role do stocks play in their current portfolio now that they have 27 rentals? How much do they gross each month on their rental income?
How does being a good teammate in a marriage relationship help grow your wealth and family? Is money the main thing, or is there more?
All of this and more!
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Becky and Rusty were a typical middle class family with a duplex and their single-family home. Becky was a music teacher (public and private), while Rusty worked at the local paper mill near Roanoke Rapids (NC). As a family, their average gross salary per year ranged from 100k-125k per year.
In part I, we talk about how the couple who has been married for 26 years met, their roles in the workplace, raising 3 kids, and how being a teacher can position you to make an even bigger impact with rental properties in the town you teach in. We also dive into their drive to learn more about the stock market and invest their time, money and energy into learning more, turning some family pain into gain.
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Anthony Michael is a NJ teacher who shares info behind his new book “The Teacher’s Guide to Financial Wellness.”
https://www.amazon.com/Teachers-Guide-Financial-Wellness/dp/B0FBTMK3P7
We talked about:
📚 Why he wrote the book
💸 Real-life money lessons from our upbringings
📈 How educators can build a path toward financial independence—without burning out
Whether you’re a new teacher or a veteran, this episode is packed with insights to help you take control of your finances and future.
👉 Tune in, share with a fellow educator, and let’s keep the conversation going. Link in bio!
TeachersWealthHealth #FinanciallyIndependentTeachers #TeacherFinance #EducatorEmpowerment #TeacherMoneyMatters #TeacherFinancialWellness #FIREmovement #TeachersOnFIRe #DebtFreeTeachers #TeacherLife #PersonalFinanceForTeachers #TheTeachersGuideToFinancialWellness #TeacherPodcastFeature #InvestingForEducators #BuildWealthNotStress
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Trevor was teacher and coach (public and private), but left NC for a private sector opportunity. During this time, he had to do something with the townhouse he owned, but would no longer be living in...so he listed on Airbnb. Has it worked out? How was being an Airbnb host 700 miles away at his new job?
After a handful of years in the private sector, how did he wind back up as a teacher/coach again? As a single income earner, how did he manage to buy a few properties? Now that he is back in NC, what will he do with his old primary home that became an Airbnb?
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Kim Butler is the co-host on the Prosperity Podcast, and she is the daughter of two educators. On this episode, Kim shares her insight and expertise on TWO major topics...
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A topic that is not often discussed...how to set up and structure your bank accounts. According to Kim, how to structure your bank accounts and direct deposit could be a multi-million dollar decision.
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How to appropriately handle money responsibilities and expectations when it comes to raising our children. According to research, raising a child in America today will come with around a 200k price tag, and this does not include college!
https://prosperitythinkers.com/special/financiallyindependentteachers
https://prosperitythinkers.com/kim-butler/
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Janet is entering her 20th year as a teacher. After spending her first 18 years as a middle school teacher, she recently made the switch to HS. In this episode, she discusses the "reset" having been at one school her entire career, the journey of wanting to retire early to know seeing herself teach well into her mid 50's, retiring from NC and hopping the border to SC to make 140K per year, and living life to its fullest while also wanting to be financially independent.
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After moving halfway around the US for college, the travel bug came again with a move overseas. With college came student loan and credit card debt...or what we usually call "normal". While overseas, our guest meets the love of her life, a German citizen with a completely different culture surrounding money. Unfortunately, the family dealt with historic flooding in Germany, leaving the family to ponder their future and move to Wisconsin.
After moving back to the US, our guest and her husband completely started over with new careers. From trials and tribulations that became life or death, to balancing living in the here and now BUT being smart, this story will inspire!
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Dave has cut grass, pressure washed, and given private pitching lessons as previous side hustles...last week, he gave Door Dash a shot. In this episode, Dave and his wife (Stephanie) discuss their experiment Dashing in Jacksonville NC for one week. What did they learn? Is it worth it? Hear all of their thoughts and how it could impact your financial future! Teachers, this episode is for you!
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We have discussed SO many side hustles on the FIT Podcast...pressure washing, baby sitting, lawn care, mail box beautification, Door Dash, tutoring, Airbnb cleaning, private lessons, and much more! In past episodes, we have even talked about teaching abroad...what if I told you there is a way to teach abroad but you don't have to resign from your current teaching position?
Megan is a Raleigh elementary teacher who is getting ready to head to China make some extra cash this summer while on the adventure of a lifetime. How much will she make? How long does it last? What is provided during the stay? Tune in to find out if this might be a summer side hustle in your near future!
CHECK FOR INTERNATIONAL SUMMER JOBS HERE!
https://ddcacademy.org/
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Stephanie taught English for 30+ years in North Carolina. Unfortunately, throughout most of her career, she was not privy to financial literacy. Did she invest? If so, how much and in what? How is she making it in retirement off of her NC pension? As the saying goes "hindsight is 20/20"...what advice would she give to teachers who are currently working to prepare for life after education? Tune in to hear her story!
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In this conversation, Jillian and Dave discuss the concept of mini retirements and how they can lead to a fulfilling lifestyle while pursuing financial independence. They discuss "mini retirements" throughout your career, emphasizing the importance of taking breaks, traveling, and spending quality time family. We explore the challenges and benefits of unconventional choices, the gradual transition to early retirement, and the value of practicing mini retirements to prepare for a fulfilling post-work life.
Surprise...teachers are uniquely equipped to give this practice a shot, EVERY SUMMER!
Here are some of the links that she might have mentioned based on the direction our conversation during the show:
- Website: https://retireoften.com/
- Book Purchasing Link: https://lnk.to/retireoften
- Free Opt-In Worksheets:
- Planning: https://retireoften.com/mini/
- Negotiating: https://retireoften.com/onemonth/
- Social Media:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillianjohnsrud/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillianJohnsrud/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-johnsrud/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JillianJohnsrud
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Sweet 16...21.....these are HUGE milestone birthdays in life! Does the party end at 21? Tune in as I talk about MAJOR milestone birthdates that play a large role in your personal finance life. Spoiler alert...21 is just the beginning of the FUN!
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Pat has been on DOZENS of cruises and was inspired to start her own social media page, giving tips and tricks to first time cruises and veterans alike. Have you ever considered a cruise or do you like to travel in general? Pat discusses the fun of cruising, how to find a deal, tips for packing, cruise line stereotypes, cost, and much more! As we prep for summer, it is time to start thinking of having fun!
Check out Pat's Youtube channel below:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCGeGT70LAHp6eUiXbCkMGw/videos
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Daniel has been teaching in NC for almost 30 years. Unfortunately, the first few decades of his career, he wasn't very informed on his NC teaching benefits, his pension, or investing. Whether you start to learn in your first year or toward the end of your career, it is never TOO late! Now, Daniel is investing, becoming an expert on all things NC teacher benefits, and is even teaching colleagues in the Charlotte area about their benefits. If you want to hear someone who has had a life changing money mindset shift, you won't want to miss out!
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Cody Garrett (not to be confused with our good friend, Justin), is a CFP and a regular on the ChooseFI message boards and FB group. By know, most of us know about the Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b)...but many of us (myself included) have been in the dark about a taxable brokerage account. Cody is here to talk about all the positives of having one of these amazing accounts. Remember, after you retire, you won't be able to contribute to your workplace 403(b), 457(b) etc. Also, you need EARNED income (pension doesn't count) to still invest into an IRA. Personally, I opened up a taxable brokerage account when the market dipped in COVID and I like to call it my "opportunity fund". It has been a major blessing to our family!
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Eric is a teacher and coach in the Boston area. In the episode, he lays out ideas for building financial success in a HCOL, we discuss renting vs buying, and his mini stint with financial independence when he moved his family to France for a handful of years. What did he enjoy? What were the pros and cons of living internationally?
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Nancy is in wrapping up "Act II" of her life journey. Act I was living in Ohio and working in HR in the corporate world. Act II brought her to the beaches of NC to become a CTE teacher at Jacksonville High School. With a few decades of teaching under her belt and only a few years left until retirement (Act III), Nancy has been gazelle intense, working on having her financial house in order as she gets ready to ride off into the sunset and travel the world as a part of her final act.
Nancy first appeared on FIT last year on episode 159 (check that out to hear more about her personal story). Since then, she has officially become a net worth millionaire and is helping others along the way!
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While cruising the Western Caribbean, I had GRAND plans to read a book a received for Christmas titled "The Bucket Plan: Protecting and Growing Your Assets for a Worry-Free Retirement"...well, sometimes grand plans do not come to fruition! Luckily, we had a 6 hour wait in the Miami Airport, so I had a chance to finally read that book that I had planned on reviewing earlier in the week.
In this episode, I give a brief review of the book and highlight the 3 main buckets to store your money as you prepare to exit working. The NOW bucket, the SOON bucket, and the LATER bucket.
Which accounts go in each bucket? How should you think about retirement? Check out the highlights of the book in this week's episode!
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John Chester, the Millionaire Math Teacher is back on the show to continue our discussion on the current state of the stock market. As a retiree and in his late 60's, what is his perspective on the market? Will he get out? Will be buy more? We talk about his portfolio and diversification allotment.
How do you mentally and emotionally handle large swings of 50k+ gains/losses? All of this and more!
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What a crazy week! The stock market is down around 10%...should I keep investing? Should I sell? What can I control when we face these uncertain times? Former teacher and current financial advisor, David Gourley joins us on the show, almost in REAL TIME to discuss!
David is a former coach and high school math teacher, helping teachers from around the country build their financial foundation and grow their wealth. Check out David's website below!
https://www.k-12planning.com/
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Allison has been a history teacher in NC for over a decade. Currently, she is teaching at a Charlotte area Early College and has taken on the task of learning new curriculum by teaching NC's new EPF course.
The theme of Allison's story is resilience! Like many, she has regrets on how she used her student loans in college and has worked hard to overcome her mistakes. From credit card debt, and student loans to co-signing on a student loan for a former partner, Allison's pre EPF life gives her lots of content to share in class.
Now, Allison has opened some high yield savings accounts, mastered a budget with her irregular income earning husband, started investing, improved what she calls her "tanking" credit score, and is a go to for colleagues to learn from.
Her future is bright as she can see the light, even as a teacher in NC!
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Paul has been a dedicated public educator for over 24 years. His goal is to blend the love for education with a passion about finances to help lay out a strategic plan to assist teachers with their retirement goals. Many financial advisors and supplemental retirement plans have both outrageously high fees mixed with limited knowledge about Ohio (or other state) pension plans. Paul believes that teachers deserve fair, specific and detailed assistance from someone who understands the profession.
Listen in as Paul shares his journey from investing as a teen to now assisting his district with low cost investing options like Vanguard for his teachers. In addition, Paul is speaking to prospective teachers at local colleges and sharing financial independence so they don't make the mistakes that most of us made starting out!
CONTACT PAUL:
https://www.gwteachers.com/
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Fritz Gilbert is an expert in the retirement space, and he is back on FIT to discuss the Top 5 Retirement Regrets and how to not make those same mistakes. You only get one chance at retirement, let Fritz (a retiree who has intensely studied retirement) help give us all a leg up on our future!
Check out his website:
https://www.theretirementmanifesto.com/blog/
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
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Stac
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
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Jeff lives south of Charlotte, across the border in Rock Hill SC. He is in his 30th year teaching, all at the time school but actually retired after his 28th year. He is now "double dipping" and making well over 130k to teach in South Carolina. A divorce in the middle of his teaching career really made Jeff rethink finances as he enrolled in FPU and went on to lead many through the program as well. Now, Jeff is teaching AND has also launched his own financial company called Venables Financial Solutions. Check Jeff's media presence below:
Business Website: https://venablesfinancialsolutions.com/
Blog: https://teacherretirementor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15aaxKGXxu/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
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There are some important milestone birthdays in life...16, 18, 21, 59.5, 62 and 65. What is special about 65? This is the age you transition to Medicare. Did you know? There are two main choices in your healthcare at 65...Traditional Medicare OR a Medicare Advantage plan. Lucrecia Ryan takes us on a journey on which plan she likes best and why. As a 42 year old, I think a lot about retirement and investing, debt etc. However, I am pretty green when it comes to healthcare. This was one of the most informative episodes I have been a part of.
**THIS EPISODE IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE****
About Lucrecia
After graduating from Cornell University and spending her career at IBM, Lucretia is now helping women to gain financial independence. She writes articles to simplify complex saving and investment decisions to help women make financial decisions that are in their best interest.
Because Lucretia does not accept any fees, commissions, advertising, or donations or sell any financial products, she is able to expose the hidden fees and financial traps and help women avoid being taken in by financial predators. She conducts pro-bono, one-on-one retirement optimization workshops for women so they can understand their retirement options and make educated financial decisions. She also teaches Financial Literacy, as well as Avoiding Medicare Pitfalls for Women.
Lucrecia's Website:
https://www.financialfreedomforwomen.org/
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
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Dennis is retired from the military, but recently made the move to work with special needs students in the public school setting. With the wiring to always want to help others AND have some work flexibility, Dennis and his wife have both found themselves working within the school system.
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
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In 2011, Adam and his wife married with a net worth of ZERO. In 2025, their net worth has climbed to 1.7 million! Adam is a community college professor and his wife works part time as a substitute teacher. Although their family has W2 income of less than 100k per year, their lifestyle is enhanced by owning 3 rental properties. Listen in as Adam shares their journey from nothing to almost being a multi-millionaire...all on around 65k per year.
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
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Zach graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in finance. In his mid 20's, he was clearing 100k+ and his wife had income as well. Even though he knew WHAT to do with money, the temptations that we all face (cars, travel, eating out) proved to be a major roadblock to building financial independence. After taking a pay cut to teach, Zach and his wife have tracked every dollar and are now making financial progress. Zach shares his journey and some of the important lessons he has learned along the way. Now, he is helping other individuals as a financial coach and has a passion for helping navigate others from not making the same mistakes he once made.
Zach's Info:
· zach@fjfcoaching.com
· Free “Limiting Money Beliefs Booklet by going to fjfcoaching.com/FIT
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
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Episode 200 is here! What better way to celebrate 200 than you sharing your wins with the FIT Family!
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
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Kevin is a SS teacher/coach from Long Island, went to college in Upstate NY, but landed in the DC suburbs in Prince William county. Like many teachers, Kevin and his wife were "just getting by" as they had a 2k per month daycare bill in his mid 30's. Once the kids made their way out of daycare, they redirected their old payments to 457's, 403's, and eventually got into the real estate game. With only a handful of years left in education, Kevin discusses what their retirement plans at the beach might look like, how they are navigating paying for their kids college, and how involved he will be "working" in retirement.
Is it possible to go from a net worth that is treading water to a millionaire teacher in less than 20 years? Check out Kevin's story to find out more!
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
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From single parent to married again...Virtual HS Spanish teacher in her 24th year and auto worker husband are approaching NW millionaire status and just paid off their home. They each went through tough divorces with spouses who never got on the same page financially. After both went through tough financial issues in their first marriages, they wanted their lives to look different in chapter two.
SHARE HOW FIT HAS IMPACTED YOU FOR EPISODE 200!
https://forms.gle/RiqfrUzZJsMVJQ8T8
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
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Greg is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and has settled in Colorado after studying abroad and moving back to the states. Greg was able to buy his first house from an amazing program that enables teachers to buy a home for 50% of the listed price via the "Teacher Next Door Program". Greg and his wife enjoy frugal living and taking advantage of the amazing 457(b) that many teachers have access to. This will enable them to enjoy an early retirement.
"Because teachers play a vital role in community revitalization, HUD provides a significant incentive through the Good Neighbor Next Door Program. This program offers eligible teachers the opportunity to purchase a home at a remarkable 50% discount off the list price. However, it’s important to note that the availability of Good Neighbor Homes is extremely limited. While specific restrictions apply to this program, they do not affect other homes purchased through the Teacher Next Door Program, which offers additional benefits like grants and mortgage assistance to help teachers achieve homeownership."
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/reo/goodn/gnndabot
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Today's guest is Justin Garritt, he is the founder and owner of Garritt Financial Solutions, a financial planning and investment management firm that guides educators, young professionals, healthcare professionals, and first responders to become intentional, secure, and confident about their hard-earned dollars by creating and implementing a financial plan to reach their goals.
Garritt Financial Solutions offers ongoing comprehensive financial planning, project-based financial planning, student loan planning, and investment management.
He and his team work out of Baltimore MD, but serve clients virtually around the country.
Justin's team's website: https://garrittfinancialsolutions.com
Click here to schedule a discovery call with Justin's team.
Previous FIT Episodes with Justin:
Episode 137
Episode 95
Episode 44
Episode 12
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Danny was a special teacher in Georgia and is the author of four personal finance books - "The Wealthy Teacher: Lessons for Prospering on a School Teacher's Salary (JAN 2018), "A Bright Financial Future: Teaching Kids About Money Pre-K through College for Life-Long Success" (SEPT 2014), "A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money" (SEPT 2011) and "How To Survive (and perhaps thrive) On A Teacher's Salary" (OCT 2007).
Danny's everyday approach to managing money has led him to appear on over 50 television shows including Fox & Friends, Fox News Channel's Happening Now, The CBS Early Show, CNN's Newsroom, HLN's Weekend Express, The 700 Club, CNN's Your Bottom Line, Fox News Channels' America's News HQ, ABC News Now, Fox Business Network's Varney & Company, HLN's The Clark Howard Show and MSNBC Live. He has also been interviewed on over 600 radio shows and featured in numerous publications including Yahoo.com, Money Magazine, CBS MoneyWatch.com, FoxBusiness.com, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, ABCNews.com, Woman's Day, Consumer Reports, CNN.com, Forbes.com and The Huffington Post.
Danny wants to show others if this school teacher can do well with money, they can too. He is living proof that a family can live wealthy on little money.
To learn more about Danny please visit www.wealthyteacher.weebly.com
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Charlotte and her husband grew up on Long Island in NY. Floundering with their finances into their mid 30's with a few young kids at home, they decided to flee NY for a most cost effective lifestyle in SW Ohio. Selling their home in a HCOL enabled them to pay off their debt AND pay cash for a house north of Cincinnati. Shortly after their move, they were introduced to Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps and worked through the process in 7 years. Charlotte didn't start teaching in the classroom until 38 but has retired at 50 (along with her husband). From Ramsey to FIRE, this couple has made big moves and already have their 20 something children on the path to financial independence as well.
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The FIT Family tree is growing! Brendan is a Durham NC history teacher who is a former student and colleague of a previous FIT guest. Inspired by his former teacher/coworker, he went from saving money to understanding the basics of the stock market and the power of a Roth IRA and becoming an investor. Brendan has maxed out all NC pay scale upgrades by becoming a National Board Certified teacher and was fortunate to be locked into to masters pay.
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Ryan was a teacher in Colorado but retired early at 50 years old. In this episode, he discusses what it is like to retire early when all of your friends and spouse are still working. Ryan believes in a philosophy that he calls "more F money"...Fun, Future, and Philanthropy.
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Brendan has been a math teacher for over a decade in the Baltimore City Schools. Growing up in the suburbs of Philly, he found plenty of opportunity in Baltimore as a teacher and now teacher/coach. With a salary of over 120k, he will discuss maximizing the opportunities that are available to educators and how to take advantage of them.
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How much money do you need to have per month for retirement? On this episode, Chad lays out his plan, numbers, and thought process.
Chad and his wife are both NC educators. Chad grew up on government assistance in a one bedroom apartment in NYC before moving to NC to teach world history. Through all of the trials and tribulations, these two NC educators are approaching a two million dollar net worth (no inheritance and no lotto winnings).
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As teachers, we often say, "there is no such thing as a dumb question"...unfortunately, many Americans are struggling financially and don't ask for help. In this episode, we look at some of the basic questions Americans don't ask but should.
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David Gourley and his wife both taught in our public schools for around a decade, his passion for teaching and helping others transformed from the classroom to financial coaching. Now, David is advising teachers with their money.
https://www.k-12planning.com/links
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Drew is an LA PE teacher who is utilizing his former college athlete swim skills as a lifeguard to bring in an extra 30k per year as a side hustle.
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Paige is a NC school counselor who faced over 40k in debt. Over the last 4-5 years, she has become completely debt free and is now working to making her first home purchase. Paige has made many sacrifices to put herself in this position by attending community college, driving to university vs. the dorm life, and living back home upon getting her first job in education. Self admittedly, Paige says she was a ZERO out of TEN when it comes to understanding personal finances as a beginning counselor, now she is guiding and helping others!
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You've heard the education buzzwords and cliche's...Piggyback, Differentiation, Pivot, Fidelity, and the idea of the FIXED mindset vs. a growth mindset. As a teacher or middle income earner who believes financial independence is possible, you will often get pushback from individuals who think you are borderline crazy for believing it is possible. This bred the idea of the concept of a FIT Mindset vs. a FIXED Mindset. What is the difference? Take a listen and find out!
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Kristen is a former NC teacher who moved back to her home state of NJ to resume her career in education back home. Kristen is a teacher and union president for her district and has a passion for dissecting teacher pay scales from around the nation. In this episode, Kristen talks about some of the high and lower salary teacher pay scales she has seen, as well as the places in the US that provide the most bang for your buck
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Ben is a recently tenured Orchestra teacher just south of NYC in NJ. Ben is one of the first followers of the FIT podcast and was guest way back on episode 121. Since his last interview, he has earned a masters degree, bought a house and continued to invest. Ben recently went through the FIT "Find Your Freedom" coaching session and he is back to share his findings. During the meeting, I revealed some crazy numbers for what his retirement MIGHT look like.
If you are interested in singing up to a Freedom Meeting, click on this link:
https://calendly.com/getfiteducator/find-your-freedom-meeting?month=2024-09
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Liz is a former SC educator who is married to a South Carolina teacher. After a decade + in the classroom, she now works with the state, guiding college medical students on personal finance and navigating student loan debt. Passionate about personal finance AND married to a personal finance teacher, Liz and her husband work together to manage their different money personalities. There are so many good nuggets in this episode, you won't want to miss it.
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Mary Ann Sullivan has done it all! Classroom teacher, instructional coach, admin, and work at the district office. She has recently moved out of education with an "early" retirement but is coming back to be a CFP and help teachers with their finances. On this episode, we discuss 403(b) and 401(k) rollovers, Roth conversions, roadblocks for teachers and their finances PLUS much more!
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Teachers have TWO days of New Years!
- Back to school
- January 1
Dave and Brandon discuss things to think about with your finances, life, and school year as the majority of NC teachers get students back this week!
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Brandon and Dave discuss the American retirement crisis. On a recent CBS special, it was revealed that over 50% of Americans who "retire" don't actually have enough money to do so. In addition, 20% of Americans age 65+ have had to reenter the workforce.
In this episode, we will highlight a Florida couple who has had to go back to work at ages 66 and 77 years old. What mistakes did they make to put themselves in this position? How do you know you are ready for retirement? Learn from their mistakes and cruise into a better situation that you had during your working years!
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John and his wife are both California educators, nearing the end of their teaching careers (2-7 years left). John is a middle school music teacher and his wife is a primary school educator. Even though John didn't read his first book on personal finance until the age of 40, he is on fire for everything related to personal finance and has been focused on catching up. From learning woodworking skills and carpentry to renovate their home, John and his wife are the epitome of those who continue to reinvent themselves.
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Miguel is an ESL teacher in the Chicago area who has an amazing story! He left his home country of Venezuela with little to nothing to his name before coming to America on a visa to learn English. Whil. e here, he met his now wife and ended up moving to the US permanently
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Do you have kids? Grandkids? Nieces or Nephews? Will you potentially have kiddos one day? In this episode, Dave and Brandon discuss some qualitative and quantitative tips and tricks to set kids up for success.
529's to Roth
Authorized Credit Card Users
Financial Modeling
Brokerage Accounts
Talking Money
...More!
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Jackie Cummings Koski, is a personal finance educator & consultant. After overcoming poverty, divorce & single motherhood, Jackie reached F.I.R.E. in her 40s, making less than six figures. Before retiring, she grew her wealth to over $1 million and her story and personal finance tips have been featured on CNBC, Forbes, and Market Watch. She holds the Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Financial Counselor credentials. Her commitment to educating and empowering Americans in the area of personal finance earned the policymakers and was officially recognized with a Congressional Commendation for her accomplishments in the field of financial literacy from the US House of Representatives.
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Guest favorite, Gerry Born (AKA Millionaire Educator) is back on FIT to take part in a special FIT Q&A episode. Gerry gives us a quick 5 minute life update and then dives into around 15-20 questions submitted by YOU, the FIT Family! Gerry covers a wide range of topics on this show and it is always a good time hearing his perspective.
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Gary and his wife Kim started their teaching careers in Vegas but quickly realized they could earn much more in their native home in Alaska. Because of their hire date, they were able to teach 20 years in AK and immediately draw on their pensions, netting them 6k per month. Retirees before the age of 50, they searched for the perfect retirement home and settled in northern AZ.
In "retirement", Gary is an Alaskan trail guide for a portion of the year and Kim just accepted a job at the local college. The couple just became net worth millionaires (including home) but are working toward 1 million+ in liquid assets.
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Retired after 30 years of teaching in Texas, Chris has a net worth of almost 2 million. Chris was the breadwinner for the majority of his career as his wife dropped in and out of the workforce to stay at home and raise their kids.
In this episode, Chris talks about how he got there and things to do as you prepare for retirement. You won't want to miss his journey, it wasn't always easy!
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Throughout our journey on the FIT podcast, we've discovered a theme...many teachers have multiple streams of income. This show highlights some of the side hustles we've heard our teacher guests utilize to get out of debt and supercharge their investments.
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Joel is a teacher and wrestling coach who makes it clear that his family isn't cheap, but they are frugal. At 36 years old, he negotiated with his school and recently took the year off. During this time, his wife is stepping away from education which was scary, but that’s about as fearless as it gets! Joel has started two businesses has learned a whole bunch along the way. In school, he switched from the classroom to physical education, which has reduced his grading etc.
They are debt free, mortgage free and are living the dream of financial independence in their 30's!
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Brian Preston is the founder and host of The Money Guy Show and Managing Partner and co-founder of Abound Wealth Management (an RIA with around $1 billion in assets under management). With over 25 years of financial planning experience, he loves helping people implement simple financial strategies that go beyond common sense. He started podcasting as a passion project in 2006 out of pure enthusiasm for this new medium that allowed him to share the good news of financial strategy with the masses. Fast forward to today, and The Money Guy Show is its own enterprise, helping millions of individuals build wealth and own their time through podcasts, YouTube videos, courses, social media posts, and more.
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Ray Tran is the son of immigrant parents and is a financial literacy teacher, wealth/real estate coach, and real estate investor residing in Brooklyn, NY. After graduating with a degree in Financial Economics, Ray began working at Ernst & Young. Despite his initial enthusiasm, he soon realized that the corporate world did not fulfill him so he quit his corporate job after realizing his true passion was to teach/educate others.
Ray's life was thrown a major curveball when his father passed away shortly after he graduated from college. Ray saw his father dream of what retirement would be like when he'd get to his 60's but never had the change to enjoy it before passing. Ray is now the founder of RT Invests where he provides wealth coaching/mentoring to students and adults of all ages. His ultimate aim is to inspire others to break free from the rat race and generate income through asset ownership and passive income streams.
After HS, Reese joined the military and learned about retirement planning on accident in Korea. He is now 34 with a net worth of roughly 950k and has taken zero loans to buy anything besides mortgages. Reese made all the silly mistakes as a new teacher such as opening a 403b with Equitable but learned from being burned. From then, he made finances his passion.
Reese and his wife and alternated their educational pursuits leading to her just finishing her doctorate and Reese working to finish his masters. Reese sayings staying out of debt is a must for middle income earners. In his experiences working with nurses, teachers, military members and many more, the biggest issue being 2 things: Cars and eating out. Life is challenging and to short, but with the right plan and mindset, it can absolutely be rewarding and prosperous.
Jason and his wife have two young children and are both teachers in Mississippi. Jason has become an expert in the area of benefits and the pension in his home state. He is now sharing his passion for understanding these benefits will all teachers in his state. Although he knows he could be making more money in the private sector, he says that all of the benefits of teaching, especially early retirement, are way too much to give up. Jason and his wife both plan on retiring before 50!
Tiffany began as a teacher in GA and was married to a teacher for over 15 years. However, they could never get on the same page in regards to their money. However, as she went through a divorce, Tiffany has been able to improve her financial situation and learn more about finances. Increasing her knowledge has become important of her long-term goals. In order to learn, she went back to school to become a CFP. Currently, she is working to help other educators, in particular school nutrition professionals (operations' staff) to become financially literate. Some key important steps for Tiffany has been making career moves to strategically increase her income in order to maximize her GA pension.
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The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Sean Mullaney is an advice-only financial planner and the President of Mullaney Financial & Tax, Inc. Through Mullaney Financial & Tax, Sean provides advice-only financial planning for a flat fee. Sean writes the Plutus Award winning blog FITaxGuy.com on the intersection of tax and financial independence. He also has a personal finance YouTube channel and wrote Solo 401(k): The Solopreneur’s Retirement Account.
Sean has discussed personal finance and tax on numerous podcasts, including ChooseFI, The Stacking Benjamins Show, How to Money, and BiggerPockets Money. He has been quoted in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and MarketWatch.
Sean entered financial planning as a career changer. In his previous career he worked for Deloitte & Touche and PwC, including over 6 years in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services practice. Sean is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in California and Virginia. He is a member of Measure Twice Planners and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. For more on Sean’s professional background, please visit his LinkedIn profile here.
Sean and his wife Catherine live in Woodland Hills, California. Outside of professional pursuits, he enjoys spending time with his wife, travel, the comedy of Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, and New York Jets football.
https://fitaxguy.com/
The discussion is intended to be for general educational purposes and is not tax, legal, or investment advice for any individual. Dave and the Financially Independent Teachers podcast do not endorse Sean Mullaney, Mullaney Financial & Tax, Inc. and their services.
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The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Is the grass really greener on the other side? Many teachers are filing for the exits to leave education but Nancy did the opposite. Nancy spent in the private many years sector in HR before moving into her role as a Career and Technology teacher in NC.
What are the pros and cons of each? Many teachers (myself) only know education...K-12 to college and then right into the classroom.
Only a few years away from retirement, Nancy is continuing to learn about personal finance and how to maximize her situation as a single income earning teacher.
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The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
What is the S&P 500 and why is everyone talking about it? Lucretia is the daughter of two teachers and spent 20+ years working for IBM. After digging into teacher retirement options, she realized teachers all over were getting the raw end of the deal with high fees and bad products.
This has led Lucretia to retire early and start a passion project to help people build wealth and do it all for FREE!
Check out her website for free articles and articles geared toward teachers.
https://www.financialfreedomforwomen.org/**.
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The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Dave is a natural saver, Stephanie is a natural spender and BIG giver. Together, they have been trying to make financial headway by living a very frugal and debt free lifestyle. In December of 2019, their world was rocked as Stephanie was diagnosed with an aggressive and fast moving cancer diagnosis. Last summer, Stephanie's dad was in a life changing car accident that left him in the hospital for 5 months and is now having to learn how to walk and eat again. How can you you save, invest AND try to make family memories before the kids leave the house? In this episode, they discuss the thought provoking ideas of the top selling book "Die With Zero".
ABOUT THE BOOK...
Imagine if by the time you died, you did everything you were told to. You worked hard, saved your money, and looked forward to financial freedom when you retired.
The only thing you wasted along the way was…your life.
Die with Zero presents a startling new and provocative philosophy as well as practical guide on how to get the most out of your money—and out of your life. It’s intended for those who place lifelong memorable experiences far ahead of simply making and accumulating money for one’s so-called Golden Years.
In short, Bill Perkins wants to rescue you from over-saving and under-living. Regardless of your age, Die with Zero will teach you Perkins’ plan for optimizing your life, stage by stage, so you’re fully engaged and enjoying what you’ve worked and saved for.
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The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Trevor and his wife are both special education teachers in the Bluegrass State. In addition to Trevor's role in the classroom, he is also the varsity HS basketball coach at his high school. Together, they paid off 140k of debt in a 3 year period. You don't want to miss this incredible story!
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The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Rachel has been teaching for 11 years, makes around $55,000 per year AND she is on pace to retire early and become a net worth millionaire...her NW is currently 500K at 32 years old! Her husband is also a middle income earner in the world of education and Rachel is on a mission to help teachers believe they can do it, too!
Check out Rachel's fun and informative videos on Instagram @teachertomillionaire
-Educating teachers about their money
-Providing content we never learned in school
-Sharing actionable money tips
-FREE downloads!
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The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Eric is a single teacher in Minnesota with a net worth north of 250k. Eric is currently a math interventionist and now has a much better work-life valence than being a classroom teacher. How can a 35 year-old making less than 60k make this happen? Listen to this week's show to find out!
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The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Gavin has spent 15 years in the classroom with public and private school teaching experience in Southern California and calls himself the opposite of the FIRE MOVEMENT. Gavin is married with two young children under the age of four while his wife stays at home. Gavin's net worth has hit the double commas and he is now a net worth millionaire.
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The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
We are thrilled to have former colleague and friend, Brandon Akins back on the show! Brandon was the FIRST guest to ever record with us on the FIT Podcast in 2021. How does Brandon manage being a dad (x2), coaching, side hustles, marriage and mindset? Check out his powerful podcast where Brandon talks about running his race and not being concerned about the opinions of how others choose to spend their time or money.
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
In a throwback to the early days, we have some bonus content for you! This is such good information, we had to keep recording! Chris Nye joins Dave and the Millionaire Math Teacher and he has been featured on the popular 403(b) Wise mini series titled "Learned By Being Burned" and has developed a passion for teaching his fellow teachers about the dangers of high fees and investment education. Not only is Chris a teacher, he is also a financial planner who specializes in helping teachers. Chris is living it in his own life AND professionally helping in the lives of others.
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Angie is a North Carolina educator in her 30th year! Single with no kids, she started her life over at 50 years old with debt and very little invested. Today, she has over 200k in investments and is debt free (besides her home). Angie started out as a agricultural teacher and eventually moved into a CTE position. During her "starting over" period, Angie went back to school to get her masters degree and is now a 12-month employee as a Digital Learning and Teaching Facilitator for multiple schools in Onslow, County NC.
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Connor and his wife are both teachers in Illinois who came on the FIT Podcast in Season #2. Connor is back to check in with an update to his financial plan as well as their most recent decisions on being landlords and starting a new side hustle.
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
The gap between financial stress and financial peace is littered with traps, myths, distractions and slick marketing designed to keep you brainwashed and in debt. In Breaking Free From Broke, George does the research for you and exposes the money myths and traps about:
- Credit cards and credit scores
- Student loans and car loans
- Mortgage mishaps and mistakes
- Investing traps and get-rich-quick schemes
- Marketing and consumerism tactics
George shares the story of how he broke free from debt and went from a negative net worth to a millionaire in less than 10 years. He tackles the best excuses and worst myths head on, building a bridge with truth, knowledge and hope. By the time you’re done with this book, you’ll be confident in your ability to buck the toxic money system, ditch debt, and build wealth.
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Sarah is an 8th grade English teacher who also serves as the department chair at her school. Sarah and her educator husband both teach in Los Angeles California, which has an extremely high cost of living. They started in their 20's like most teachers, student loan debt + credit card debt but really wanted to own their own home. In order to realize their dream of home ownership in a HCOL area, they learned to be frugal and fearless with their decisions. Sarah says they haven't done everything perfect, but their story shows you can still be successful with your money, even in a high cost of living area on two teacher incomes.
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Brandon and I are excited to launch Season Number 4 of the Financially Independent Teachers Podcast. We are so thankful for the FIT Family and all of you supporting the movement of providing hope for teachers and their finances.
Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8
Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Jordan is a former educator in Minnesota and has been involved at a variety of levels in education. Jordan started at Roth IRA as an 11th grader in HS but also went down the road of day trading, crypto and says he has made just about any mistake you can imagine. Even though Jordan is out of education, he is currently married to a middle school teacher. They invest in the 457(b), Roth IRA's, and have a few 529's set up for their kids. Listen in as Jordan talks about a wide array of financial and life topics!
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
This week, Dave and Brandon were interviewed on the Teach and Retire Rich Podcast. With their permission, we are sharing their interview with us at FIT.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Muskee has been teaching for 18 years in Maryland. Although he is wired as a saver and never wandered into debt, he wasn't exactly being very intentional with his money either. To make major progress, multiple side hustles and building his house with his own two hands, Muskee's story covers nearly EVERY topic in personal finance.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Dave and Brandon are big believers in financial coaching. For most, a one-time financial coaching session help create a vision for staying on the path to financial independence and the simple path to wealth! Whether you are killing it or whether you feel like your finances are getting killed, something can be learned.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
The Godfather of FI is back! JL Collins, author who wrote the foreword to The FIT Position is back with the sequel to best selling book The Simple Path to Wealth.
Have you ever wondered how all kinds of people from all over the world gain control of their finances, attain FU money and achieve financial independence? Are you looking for ideas on how you can better follow the Simple Path to Wealth? Would you like to pull the FI finish line closer?
Through fascinating first person accounts this book reveals the various ways people have applied the lessons of the Simple Path to Wealth to their own lives to pursue FI and live their best life. Some have been able to travel the world with their young kids for a year while others have drastically cut back their working hours to spend more time with friends and family. It’s incredible to see how others use their new found freedom.
Ultimately this book shows you some of the vast possibilities that pursuing the Simple Path to Wealth can provide you and your family.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Benn has been teaching and coaching for over a decade in a charter school in Western Massachusetts. He worked with his district to add more affordable investment options and maxed out his salary by "moving lanes" on the teacher pay scale.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Emily is newly married and just became a mom, she recently decided to step away from education and move into a full time financial coach, helping teachers with their finances. Have you struggled with the decision to stay in education or move in an alternative direction? Emily details some of the thought process of getting out of Ed and how she combined finances with her husband. Emily also talks investing, social security and the teacher pension.
Check out Emily on social media:
Instragram:https://www.instagram.com/teacherfinancialcoach/?hl=en
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Justin is back to give us the most recent news regarding public student loan forgiveness. Justin Garritt is a former Maryland teacher turned financial advisor. On this episode, Justin does a deep dive with us the latest regrading loan forgiveness and important deadlines.
Justin's Website
https://garrittfinancialsolutions.com/
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Justin Garritt is a former Maryland teacher turned financial advisor. On this episode, Justin does a deep dive with us regarding open enrollment, health benefits and options for teachers to store their money and legally hide money from the IRS. According to Justin, "Part of why America’s wealth gap is widening is because our financial system is not set up to support middle class Americans. It infuriates me that selfless and dedicated educators are kept from the high-quality, unbiased, affordable financial services often reserved for those contributing far less to society. So-called “financial professionals” who earn commission by selling you expensive life insurance plans or unnecessary 403b products do not deserve your trust or investment! I am tired of seeing my fellow overworked, underappreciated, service-minded Americans have their financial futures taken out from under them, unable to live the life of their dreams. Educators, young professionals, healthcare heroes, and first responders deserve better."Justin's Website
https://garrittfinancialsolutions.com/
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Aaron and his wife are both teachers in NE Ohio. A few years ago, Aaron started getting serious about personal finances. Through podcasts and reading, Aaron quickly realized the importance of investment fees and started the process of getting out of AXA/Equitable. Aaron has been married for 8 years and has two young children.
On this episode, we discuss student loan forgiveness, how much he invests, what he invests in, Ohio teacher pensions and more. Aaron and his wife are projected to make around $150,000 per year on Ohio pensions ALONE when they are 62.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
YANELY ESPINAL is a Brooklyn-born ball of energy! She's an educator with a gift for storytelling and a passion for explaining financial concepts in a straightforward way. While working as an elementary school teacher, she decided to change her financial life by paying off $20,000 of debt in just 18 months.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Courtney is a single teacher in Colorado. An avid hiker and thrill seeker, Courtney has self admittedly been a spender for most of her life. After a near tragic car accident, her life changed
forever. Courtney received a small financial sum from her accident and she did not want to "blow" her opportunity of getting on track with her finances. She has only been on this financial journey for less than a decade but is inspired to make baby steps to her end goal of having the OPTION to retire early from teaching. Living near a local college, she recently started house hacking and renting a spare room in her condo to a college student.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Dave and Brandon share FIVE things that you need to be thinking about with your money right now. This episode hits on those who have lots of debt and those who have conquered debt and are ready to take their financial game to the next level.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
The Millionaire Math Teacher is back on FIT to discuss a variety of topics, most importantly, estate planning. Unfortunately, John's father-in-law recently passed and John and his family have been handling the estate of the late family member. Is a will enough? How about a trust? What else should we be doing to ease the burden on the family we leave behind. John has been knee deep into all of these topics and more over the course of the last few months and he shares what he has learned and how he will adapt with his own children.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
So, you have your emergency fund built or building...you are on your way to being debt free or you ARE debt free. Now what? In the book "The FIT Position", Dave and Brandon share what the most recommended order of investing operations should be for teachers and middle-income earners. Based on hours of interviewing successful teachers and millionaires, this episode discusses what we've learned.
All Episodes
Andrew from The Personal Finance Podcast is back for Part II of our interview. Andrew comes from a family of educators and has quickly become one of the fastest growing names in the personal finance community. In this episode, we talk to Andrew about million dollar money decisions we make each day...from investment fees to what we drive, Andrew lets us know what to be looking out for on the path to building wealth.
Andrew is the host of the Personal Finance Podcast where he reveals all of his personal finance, money, investing, business strategies, income sources, stock, and real estate investing tips so that you can build more wealth than you ever thought possible. Discover how to increase your income at your job and create multiple passive income streams that work for you, so you have the time and freedom to do what you love. Whether that’s travel, or having freedom from your day job. Since 2013, Andrew has been sharing the wins and losses of his personal finance journey. You will learn how to invest to create wealth in stocks, index funds, real estate, building businesses, and side-hustles. You will learn how to save more money, get a raise, set up simple budgets, build habits, personal growth, and money hacks that will take you to the next level with your finances. Take control of your money so you can live a stress-free, rich life.
Andrew Giancola comes from a family of educators and has quickly become one of the fastest growing names in the personal finance community. In this episode, we talk to Andrew about the idea of generational wealth for our children, grandchildren, nieces/nephews and our students.
Master Money reveals all of his personal finance, money, investing, business strategies, income sources, stock, and real estate investing tips so that you can build more wealth than you ever thought possible. Discover how to increase your income at your job and create multiple passive income streams that work for you, so you have the time and freedom to do what you love. Whether that’s travel, or having freedom from your day job. Since 2013, Andrew has been sharing the wins and losses of his personal finance journey. You will learn how to invest to create wealth in stocks, index funds, real estate, building businesses, and side-hustles. You will learn how to save more money, get a raise, set up simple budgets, build habits, personal growth, and money hacks that will take you to the next level with your finances. Take control of your money so you can live a stress-free, rich life. Anyone can be wealthy, Andrew will show you how. Hit subscribe and get ready to change your life.
Rose is a school counselor who has developed a passion for personal finance. In addition to her job at the school, she founded "Teacher Talks Money" which she is the CEO. Like many in education, Rose didn't know much about finances when she started, but her thirst for being a lifelong learner has her on a quest to never let that happen to her colleagues.
From Andy's Website: https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/about/
I’m a husband and father to two awesome (and crazy) kids and we hail from the great state of Michigan. Since I’m all about my family, my goal is to give them the best life possible and strengthen our family tree for generations to come.
In 2016, I got so geeked about this topic of family financial independence that I decided to start a blog and podcast about it. It began as a hobby and then morphed into a fun side hustle when people started to enjoy the information I was sharing. Fast forward to today, I’ve left my corporate event marketing career behind and am now a full-time content creator. Truly a dream come true!
I’ve had the pleasure of sharing our family journey on topics like:
- How We Paid Off $50,000 of Debt in Less Than 1 Year
- The 7 Steps We Took to Become Mortgage Free by 35 Years Old
- How We Became Millionaires in Less Than 10 Years (starting from -$50,000)
By sharing our family’s financial journey, we’ve had the great opportunity to be featured in major media outlets like Time, CNBC, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and NBC News!
It was a huge surprise to me when the first news outlet called me out as a “Personal Finance Expert.” Honestly, I didn’t feel like an expert … I just felt like a normal guy who was dedicated to helping his family get to the next level and loves helping other families do the same.
Gerry Born is back on the FIT podcast to give an update on his current situation, answers some questions submitted via social media, and discusses the super power of the 457(b).
Gerry's Blog Page:
http://www.millionaireeducator.com/
Erica is a Missouri educator who has net worth over 700k. Erica married young and went through a divorce but persevered and stuck to her goals while furthering her education during a trying time. Erica has since remarried and combined with her firefighter husband, they are quickly approaching millionaire status (before age 35). Erica has moved from the classroom to being a reading specialist and has even started her own Teachers Pay Teachers account and created her own toy company. Erica is afforded extra time with her side hustles due to a 4-day work week in her school district. Check out Erica's inspiring story!
Check Out Erica's Teachers Pay Teachers website:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Simplified-Classroom
Check Out Erica's Toy Company:
https://lindquistlane.com
The Working Genius
Identify their natural gifts and find joy and fulfillment in their work and life.
In this episode, Ben lays out the path for financial success for young teachers! He made his share of mistakes in his early 20s but Ben's pre-30 heavy lifting of index fund investing is starting to reap its benefits!
Brandon just spent 40 hours training NC teachers on how to be an effective classroom teacher in the area of personal finance and economics. Were the teachers receptive? Does Brandon think it will "work" with students? Dave has been teaching the course for two years and he shares his thoughts as well as a few student success stories. Almost half of the US is now REQUIRING students to take a personal finance course to graduate.
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Greg is a 55-year-old retired teacher/coach from Texas who has a 5 million dollar net worth. Greg has had multiple stints in education over the course of a 20 year teacher. During a large part of his teaching career, Greg also served in the Air Force Reserves. Greg and his wife have owned less than 10 cars (combined) in their lives and are raising their family of four in a 1500 sq foot home. Greg is the classic "Millionaire Next Door."
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
The best day to start investing was yesterday. The next best day to invest is today! At FIT, we believe teachers should begin with the end in mind and reverse engineer their career. Knowing your projected SS, pension and other retirement numbers will help shine the light to a bright retirement. What IF you have never taken the time to do this? What IF you have ZERO dollars invested for retirement and no nest egg for your future? In this episode, Rich shows us how a teacher with no retirement and debt can head into retirement and STILL be successful. No, it wasn't due to prior "Bridge" planning like a 457(b) or rental real estate...Rich used his skills as a teacher, retired at 50 and started an entirely new career. Now, Rich is on the path to being a net worth millionaire at 62 years old.
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Eric learned about hard work as child, growing up as the son of small business owners of a restaurant in Cape Cod. Frugality has been a way of life for Eric as he has taken his bike to work, had roommates and packed lunches to save money. After college, Eric moved to Europe for a period of time and is currently in France on sabbatical from his teaching job. This fall, Eric heads back to the US and will be getting back in the American classroom as a foreign language teacher.
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Chad has been teaching math for almost a decade in North Carolina. He is a Marine Corps Veteran and has spent many years in the private sector before getting into teaching. Chad isn't worried about net worth millionaire status but is choosing to live his rich life traveling and spending time with his family. With the real estate market being hot, Chad and his wife decided to sell and cash out while they could. Instead of renting for years, they made the decision to purchase a camper that they can one day rent out. In addition to teaching, Chad's side hustle pressure washing business makes him over 3k extra per month.
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Jade and her Husband Sam married in 2007, one week after college graduation. They had $280K just in student loans! In addition, they also had credit cards, two cars we couldn’t afford, and a small townhome to round it out.
But in 2008, they started listening to The Ramsey Show and learned all about the Baby Steps and what we needed to do to become debt-free. It took them a while to shake their old habits, but once they truly got fired up, they did whatever they could to earn more money—from substitute teaching, to teaching voice lessons, to designing websites, to hosting jet ski tours, to working at a vinyl tint and lettering garage. They even house hacked and sacrificed personal space by getting roommates.
Jade and Sam eventually made their way on the Ramsey show to do their debt free scream and she could have never imagined that she would one day become a Ramsey Personality.
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Dave and Brandon started the FIT podcast a little over two years ago. We had no idea if the show would last 10 episodes, let alone 100+ with a book coming out this summer! As the show has grown and we have picked up many listeners, we felt like it was important to share a little about our own money journey and the WHY behind FIT. Thanks for being a part of the FIT Family!
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Patricia Saylor is the founder of Saylor Financial Fundamentals, and author of The Novice Investor's Guide to Stocks, Funds and Options. making stock market investing accessible for novice investors. She is also the Head of School at Solterra Way Cottage School, providing educational assessments and academic support to private students.
Patricia is a lifetime educator. After her retirement from a 30-year career as a public school teacher and administrator, she grew both of her small businesses from side hustles to main gigs.
She has an MA in Linguistics from Gallaudet University and a BA in Spanish and Education from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is conversant in Spanish and fluent in American Sign Language.
Patricia's website! https://www.saylorfinancialfundamentals.com/
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
David is back to discuss some important info regarding the most recent updates with student loan relief. David came from a two teacher household. When he started getting serious about our finances, he didn’t know where to turn. One advisor that we reached out to had a minimum of $250,000. Another worked for one of the high cost 403b companies that wanted to his family into an annuity for their retirement account.
David left teaching to help other teachers because navigating the financial world alone can be challenging. One giant piece of that puzzle for many teachers is having student loans. David has gone through extensive training to be able to serve teachers with great care in handling their personal situation!
https://cslainstitute.org/advisor/david-gourley/
Sign up for David’s newsletter!
https://tinyurl.com/TPR-Newsletter
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Rachel Cruze, NYT best selling author and daughter of Dave Ramsey joins FIT to discuss teachers, habits of frugality, fearlessness, and being a lifelong learner.
https://www.ramseysolutions.com/rachel-cruze
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Teachers, we often dream of the day that we are eligible for our pension and can retire. Our guest (Fritz) wasn't a teacher but both of his parents were educators. Fritz started early retirement in June 2018 at the age of 55, and he is passionate about the lessons he has learned along the way. Fritz and his wife sold their primary home “in the city” and moved into a cabin in the North Georgia mountains as part of their downsizing strategy for retirement: Retirement In The Blue Ridge MountainsFritz enjoys helping others on their journey to and through retirement. His byline is “Helping People Achieve A Great Retirement”, and that’s his goal with The Retirement Manifesto. https://www.theretirementmanifesto.com/
Fritz has received recognition his blog from various organizations.
- Winner of the Plutus Award (blogging’s “Academy Awards”) for Best Retirement Blog.
- Selected one of the Best Retirement Blogs of 2020 by Smart Living.
- One of the 10 Fastest Growing Personal Finance Blogs on the planet by MoneyMow.
- Ranked #4 of “10 Retirement Blogs Worth Reading“ from The Balance.
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Author and Ramsey personality, Kristina Ellis is back on the show! Kristina is here to discuss the three imperatives of our upcoming book. Be Frugal. Be Fearless. Be a Lifelong Learner.
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
JL is considered by many to be the "Godfather" of the Financial Independence movement and is the author of The Simple Path to Wealth. It has sold over 400,000 copies and has been published in Korean, Japanese and German. Deals are signed to publish it in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Russia, Poland, Spain, Brazil and in Arabic.
His second book, How I Lost Money in Real Estate Before it was Fashionable, released in November 2021 and his next book project, announced here is due out in 2023. The working title is Pathfinders: Traveler’s Tales from the Simple Path to WealthIn this episode, JL chats to provide hope to our middle income teacher audience! JL will also be writing the foreword to the upcoming book from Financially Independent Teachers titled “The FIT Position”
https://jlcollinsnh.com/
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
A decade ago, Brooke (35) and her law enforcement husband (42) had to finance a lawn mower and AC unit because they didn't have the money to pay cash. Today, their net worth is quickly approaching 500k. To supplement her income, Brooke pursued and received her National Board Teaching Certification (6K a year raise) and started an online Etsy store. Even though they have three kids under 12, Brooke and her husband are on pace to be multi-millionaires before they reach 65 years old. As an NC teacher, Brooke actually makes more than her husband but that hasn't slowed this NC couple down!
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Nick Loper has been out of the rate race of "work" for over a decade. Now, Nick helps coach others to follow their passion and learn how to make money with their skills. Nick hosts "The Side Hustle Show" and it is a top-rated podcast featuring the ideas, actions, and results you need to start and grow a successful business.
Teachers, we can't always control WHEN we get raises from our district/state. However, you might have a side hustle in you!
https://www.sidehustlenation.com/side-hustle-show/
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Andrew Hallam is the international best-selling author of Balance: How to Invest and Spend for Happiness, Health and Wealth; Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School and Millionaire Expat: How To Build Wealth Living Overseas. Profiled on such media as CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal, he's also the first person to have a #1 selling finance book on Amazon USA, Amazon Canada and Amazon UAE.
"Before my 20th birthday, I started to invest. By the time I reached my late 30s, I had enough money to retire. Yet, I still tap danced to work each day. But I had options: to quit, travel, volunteer or work part-time. My wife and I now couple our passion for travel with talks around the world. I also continue to write for several publications, including AssetBuilder, Swissquote and Canada’s National newspaper, The Globe and Mail. As you might have guessed, I no longer think about working “as little as possible.” Sometimes, I work hard. Other months, I choose to hardly work. I love this variety. It gives me choices as to where and how I spend my time."
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Next Gen's mission is that every U.S. high school student will graduate having taken a one-semester course in personal finance by 2030, they started in just one high school: Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, CA in 2010.
Tim is an entrepreneur with a passion for education. Tim volunteered to create and teach a personal finance program from scratch at ECP. After witnessing firsthand the multigenerational impact that a personal finance course could have, he wanted to share with a wider audience.
In 2014, NGPF decided that every single student deserves high-quality personal finance instruction. From Day 1, they made sure every NGPF service would be free so cost could never prevent learning.
Since then, NGPF has built an unstoppable team! Their small but mighty team of outstanding former educators creates engaging curriculum and facilitates professional development that honors and respects teachers.
Next Gen advocates alongside communities with a collective mission to bring financial education to every single high school student in the U.S. by 2030.
https://www.ngpf.org/
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Jeremy Schneider retired at 36 and currently has a net worth of over $4 million. Now, Jeremy has turned into a TEACHER of personal finance to show others how you can do it, too!
Jeremey runs the uber successful "Personal Finance Club". The world of money and investing is confusing. There’s a multi-trillion dollar financial services industry ready to take advantage of you. But financial literacy can help you navigate this world of money. Personal Finance Club gives simple, unbiased information on how to win with money and become a multi-millionaire!
https://www.personalfinanceclub.com/
Check out our new website!https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT coachinghttps://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Ramsey Personality, George Kamel joins the show to talk about teachers, frugality and building wealth!
Check out our new web site:
https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Sign up for FIT Coaching
https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4
Talking Trading - Expert trading tactics so you can excel in the sharemarket.
This is how traders and investors excel.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Keeping It Real-Estate Show
Helping Investors Achieve Financial Freedom Through Multifamily Real Estate
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Dave and Brandon hit TRIPLE DIGITS as we hit the big 100! Listen in for the three big announcements we have for 2021. Thank you to everyone who has helped make FIT grow and become what it has turned into so far. Now, the march to 200!
https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/
Teachers, I think we can all agree that we would like to get paid MORE! However, what is realistic and how do we differentiate between educators who are highly effective or just skating by?
Ryan is an 11th year teacher in Dallas, TX who started his career in the hospitality industry. Long and late nights and weekends inspired Ryan to make the move into education and start his career over. After starting his adult life with over 50k in debt, Ryan and his wife are now on track to be net worth millionaires. Tune in to see how Mr. Cruz's teaching of Dave Ramsey's Foundations course for high school students changed his life as an educator, inspiring him to lead by example and practice what he was preaching in class.
Catie and her husband Chris both work in the education field in North Carolina. How can a NC educator couple with two kids give, pay off debt and build wealth? Tune in as Catie shares the inspiring story of her and her teacher husband BOTH losing their jobs on the same day during the economic recession of 2008-2010, side hustles, house hacking, near death Covid experience AND paying off 25k in debt.
There are many trials and tribulations during our lives, Catie and Chris have overcome many and are now on pace to have a net worth of $500,000k in the next 3-5 years.
We are thrilled to be back for Season #3 in 2023! Dave and Brandon chat about the previous season and how to look at your finances via percentages as a framework to have a better understanding of where your money is going.
Check us out on Social Media...
https://www.facebook.com/getfiteducator
Merry Christmas! We have an EXTRA long show for you this week! Episode #95 will be the last episode of 2022. Listen all at once or divide it into two and enjoy! Dave and Brandon welcome back a great friend to the show, Justin Garritt. Justin joined us last season for a fun and inspiring episode on next level credit card rewards hacking. Part I of this episode shares the story of Justin going from Baltimore teacher to being a financial planner who helps teachers get on track with their money. Part II is Dave, Brandon and Justin having a little fun with the audience and quizzing the listeners on some personal finance knowledge. Listen in and see how well you score!
Check out Justin's firm below...
https://www.garrittfinancialsolutions.com/
Amy Goss is one of the top mortgage specialists in the Carolina's! Amy joins us this week to discuss a variety topics related to real estate and mortgages. A few things we touch on this episode...interest rates, how to raise your credit score, first time home buying strategies, differences in mortgage products, mistakes made when purchasing a home and how to purchase a second home or rental property. This episode is for newbies, current homeowners and individuals looking to go beyond just one property.
Amy is licensed to help individuals purchase a home all along the east coast. Below is her contact information...
https://branches.guildmortgage.com/nc/jacksonville/amy-goss-468-rgago.html
Dave's older sister joins the show to talk about how her frugal and fearless views on personal finance have enabled her to have a net worth of over 300K on a salary of less than 50k per year. Her story takes us from being a first gen college student to quitting and taking on a factory job all the way to going back to college to get her degree in Business. Kathy is a major supporter of her local public schools and is a city councilwoman in her hometown in NE Ohio.
Cheryl has been teaching for 10 years, before that, she was a married stay at home mom to four kids for 21 years. After being married over 20 years, Cheryl faced the situation of divorce. She had zero dollars in a joint checking account and over 50k consumer debt that she knew nothing about. This forced her to totally start over financially.
Fast forward, she bought a home in 2020. Finished her masters in 2020 and in January of 2021, she decided that she was going to get totally out of debt. Cheryl paid off her car loan, grad student loans and all consumer debt in 18 months. Now, she is investing and saving about 35-40% of her teacher income. Tune in for an episode on Grit, Determination, Perseverance, Planning, Reading and Dreaming.
In this episode, Dave and Brandon had the pleasure to chat with the "White Coat Investor", Jim Dahle. Sure, teachers deserve a pay raise and are often underappreciated in society, however, pay raises won't solve an individuals financial issues if we don't have a plan. Jim shares the mistakes of high income earning, discusses investing, pensions, the being an educator and much more!
James M. Dahle, MD, FACEP, FAAEM is a practicing emergency physician and the founder of The White Coat Investor. After multiple run-ins with unscrupulous financial professionals early in his career, he embarked on his own self-study process to become financially literate. After seeing the benefits of financial literacy in his own life, he was inspired to start The White Coat Investor to assist his colleagues. Dr. Dahle remains committed to the original mission of The White Coat Investor to “help those who wear the white coat get a fair shake on Wall Street.” He currently serves as the CEO, a columnist, and the host of the podcast.
https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/
Allison started her career as an investment advisor but quickly realized she had a passion for helping and teaching people, not being a salesperson. With over 20 years of experience in the classroom, Allison and her retired firefighter husband have a net worth north of 800k and will be investing over 50k this year! Even with two teenage boys in the home, Allison's family lives off of less than 30k annually. Listen to the show to check out her amazing story!
Connor and Danielle are newlyweds who work and teach in the suburbs of Chicago. Both join the show to share their goals and accomplishments as they get ready to hit the ground running as they appreciate their 30’s. This is a great convo as they share how their two teacher household operates!
Dwight is a trombonist and businessman who has traveled the world as a professional musician. In addition to his personal music skills, Dwight has also spent time in the classroom as a music teacher. Check out Dwight's story as he talks about the "Poverty Mentality" vs. a "Wealth Mentality".
Heather is a third gen educator who is currently teaching in California . On this episode, Heather discusses how she and her husband were not on the same financial page and how she took learning about personal finance into her own hands. Sadly, Heather's husband (also a teacher) unexpectedly passed away, leaving Heather to raise three young children on her own. Heather walks us through the process of navigating this difficult journey from being married to being a widow.
In this episode, Dave and Brandon discuss some of the key terminology that teachers need to know on their path to financial independence. Investing can be a very scary and intimidating topic, we hope to make it a little more digestible with the content in this episode. Join as as we get back to the basics and define some of the most widely used investment terminology on our show. We want NO teacher to be left behind!
The Millionaire Math Teacher joins Dave this week as we interview Mark, an English teacher from Australia. Mark is a first year teacher, the youngest in a family raised by a single mother. Mark shares an extraordinary story as he learned frugality from his birth mother but he also learned from his mother in law to learn investing and the idea of being financially independent
Teachers, we are more powerful than we know! Not only do teachers have skills in the classroom, many of those skills can be transferable to the private sector. On this episode, Alek shares the story of recently leaving the classroom as a NC music teacher to starting his own music academy. Check out his info below
https://www.triadmusicacademy.com/
Facebook: Triad Music Academy https://www.facebook.com/triadmusicacademy
Instagram: @triadmusicacademy https://www.instagram.com/triadmusicacademy/
Dave's cousin, Keith joins us for this episode. Single and on an Ohio teacher income, Keith has amassed over 500k in investments over the course of his veteran teaching career. How did he do it? How is Keith passing on his knowledge to his students, colleagues and his daughter? Listen in to find out!
There are so many individuals that make a school successful. In this episode, Dave and Brandon has the pleasure to host Sonia, a school speech therapist in Florida. During Covid, Sonia used social media to advance her personal finance skills and set herself up for a bright future!
This summer, Dave and his family rented a Tesla Model 3 and drove it to Dave’s IB training in Tampa Fl. The trip was 750 miles each way and we had lots of charging stops along the way. In this episode, Dave discusses his experience driving a Tesla for the first time and the Millionaire Math Teacher joins us to talk about what his experience as a Tesla owner has been like. As more EV’s hit the road, this is an important discussion to have if you are looking at a new to you vehicle in the next 3-5 years.
Marlin is a former college basketball player turned teacher, coach and is now an administrator and both he and his wife are in education. Throughout the episode, Marlin shares their ups and downs on the road to freedom and financial independence. Though they've shared mistakes and successes along the way, Marlin's view on their journey is simple, "no losses, just lessons".
Dave and Brandon talk money and things we need to consider as we head back to school! We hope everyone has a GREAT year!
An important part of learning in ANY area of life is being able to understand the basic terminology of the topic being discussed. This is Part I of what we are calling "Decoding the Language of FIT". In this episode, Brandon and I break down and have a talk about some often used terminology that regularly gets discussed on our show.
Part I: Budgeting and Savings
Dave and Brandon had the pleasure to interview Jeff York, recently retired CA custodian. Jeff spent 33 years as an elementary school classified staff member in Northern California. The Wealthy Custodian retired having never made more than 41k in a year. Check out his story!
David Gourley is a friend of the show and has recently transitioned out of teaching and into the world of money as a financial planner. Even though David is no longer in the public school system, David knows the "teacher life", as his wife is currently a HS Spanish teacher and he grew up in a two teacher household. David will be joining us on Thursday, August 11th at 8 PM ET for a special student loan forgiveness webinar.
The cost of attendance is $22 and the link to sign up is below:
https://calendly.com/getfiteducator/student-loan-forgiveness-webinar?fbclid=IwAR3JV8tZx7v244riQXW3po7d6aRWb62fqqHAYnDfpExbtkAafoqMvlqM3Y8&month=2022-07
How can a teacher get involved in the short term rental game (Airbnb, VRBO etc.)? This week, we meet with STR experts who discuss how to get started and what is realistic when it comes to launching your first short term rental.
Annette and Sarah met at a Columbus (OH) city council meeting to advocate for fair short-term rental regulations. Sitting side-by-side, they shared their love for hosting and the business of short-term rentals with each other. Their testimonies at the city council meeting paid off! And the experience kindled a friendship that eventually lead to the Thanks for Visiting Podcast.
Visit their website!
https://www.thanksforvisiting.me/
Mary Beth Franklin is a Social Security strategies and Medicare retirement speaker who is passionate about retirement income strategies.
She has a long-time interest and expertise in retirement issues, Social Security, and taxes, with a background in the federal budget, international trade, and Capitol Hill as it affects personal finance.
Mary Beth Franklin is the President of RetirePro and a Contributing Editor to InvestmentNews. She has served as a Senior Editor to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and a Syndicated Columnist for Maturity News Service/Third Age Media, using her background as a Capitol Hill reporter.
Evan and his wife (both NC educators) have been teaching just over a decade. Like most, they didn't have a very strong financial background when they met and struggled living paycheck to paycheck. Evan shares their powerful story of going from money being a major stress in their lives to now owning a rental property and a great small business that gives their family financial wiggle room.
Can a teacher really become financially independent? Brandon and Dave will discuss their different perspectives! Let us know what your thoughts are on social media!
In this episode, Brandon and I were honored to chat with JL Collins, leader and legend in the financial independence community. JL is the author of The Simple Path to Wealth. It has sold over 400,000 copies and has been published in Korean, Japanese and German. Deals are signed to publish it in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Russia, Poland, Spain, Brazil and in Arabic. His second book, How I Lost Money in Real Estate Before it was Fashionable, came out in October 2021.
Check out out JL's website:
https://jlcollinsnh.com/
Giving Opportunity JL Cares Deeply About:
https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/870490211
Retired (38 years old) California music teacher, Crystal Parker Duffy is back on the show to discuss her move from Southern California to lower cost of living Iowa. How did a teacher retire so early? What is life like after one year as a retired educator? Crystal gives us an update on her FIRE journey to early retirement.
Brandon and Dave have Gerry Born (Millionaire Educator) back on the show! Gerry has a wealth of knowledge on a variety of financial topics and in this episode, he is here to MAINLY discuss free college credit alternatives and how it can save folks money. Gerry has earned over 5 years of FREE college credit by taking these accredited programs and has his HS age son on his way to a debt free degree.
Dave and Brandon discuss the 7 levels of financial freedom. Half of America will never get out of level 2 according to research.
Summer is almost here! What are some things teachers should be doing to get financially prepared? Take a listen as the guys discuss 10 things you should be thinking about before we end the school year.
Aaron is a central Ohio HS teacher who is also married to an Ohio educator. Between teaching and his side hustle as a photographer, listening to the FIT podcast has helped his family become laser focused on their financial journey. Consistency, teamwork, frugality, side hustle, debt free, balance has led to a net worth of around 500k at 38 years old. After quitting their teaching jobs in an HCOL living state to move to a lower cost of living area, this couple is on track to be financially independent!
Tens of thousands of teachers will be retiring this summer, hopefully they had a FIT mindset with their money over the course of their career! Brandon and I occasionally get negative feedback on our excitement over investing and "making it" as a teacher. In this episode, we will take a look back at the REAL data of how the S&P 500 has performed from 1992-2022 and look at the "what ifs" to see what could have been.
S&P 500 Return Calculator- https://dqydj.com/sp-500-return-calculator/
Compound Interest Calculator- https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/investment-calculator
It took John (retired NC math teacher) and his nurse spouse 30 years (27-57) to become net worth millionaires. Due to exponential growth and a hot market, it only took John 6-7 years to turn his 1 million into 2 million. Check out John's story of never making more than 55k per year as a NC math teacher to now being a multi millionaire!
One of the top reasons teachers say they leave the profession is due to the combination of being in debt combined with living on a fixed income. Shaun is an educator in Texas who is getting ready to host the Rich Educators Summit, a free event to help teachers get out of debt and get motivated to gain financial freedom. If you are interested in joining other teachers and learning from some of the top teacher voices in the finance world, sign up with the link below to join this free event. The event runs from May 12-14.
https://www.richeducators.com/summitregistration
Dan is back for the part II of our interview as he gives us a deep dive into the investment world available to educators. For additional info on the 403b, check out Dan's new podcast mini series that highlights the 403b. The new podcast Learned by Being Burned is now available on all major podcast outlets.
Check out Dan's site for more info!
https://403bwise.org/
403bwise was launched in March 2000 by Dan Otter and John Moore, two educators fed up with the lack of objective 403(b) information available to participants. If information was provided at all to employees, it was usually through sales pitches in classrooms, lunchrooms and union offices. In fact, Dan first learned about the 403(b) when a representative waltzed into his classroom one afternoon pitching something called “TSAs.” He declined to enroll. It was only several years later that he learned this salesperson was selling high-fee variable annuity products.
In the years since our launch, 403bwise has been mentioned in Kiplinger Personal Finance, Money Magazine, Los Angeles Times, The NY Times, US News & World Report, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. Dan has appeared on NPR and on Bob Brinker's radio show. In 2012, Money Magazine named him a Money Hero for his "extraordinary efforts to improve others' financial well-being." Additionally, he is a two-time winner of The National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators, Inc. (NAGDCA) Media Recognition Award. While John left in 2005 to pursue other endeavors, the goal of the site remains the same as the day it launched: education and advocacy.
In 2019, 403bwise became a non profit organization that Dan runs full time, thanks to a generous donation from Tim Ranzetta, the founder of Next Gen Personal Finance, a non-profit organization that connects educators with free resources, professional development, and advocacy tools in order to equip students with the knowledge and skills to lead financially successful and fulfilling lives.
Dan is a former journalist, and a veteran teacher. He has taught elementary school (California), middle school (Maryland and New Mexico), and high school (New Mexico). He has taught in-service teachers at California State University Fullerton, American University and the University of New Mexico, where he earned a doctorate in Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies. Dan is the author of Teach and Retire Rich and Financial Literacy for the Young (and the Young at Heart).
Brandon and Dave welcome George Kamel , personal finance expert with a counter-cultural approach to money. He is the host of The Fine Print, The Ramsey Show, and EntreLeadership podcasts on the Ramsey Network. Since 2013 George has served at Ramsey Solutions where his goal is to help people spend less, save more, and avoid consumer traps,so that they can make the most of their money. Follow George on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or find out more about him online at ramseysolutions.com/personalities.
Dave and Brandon discuss some of the concepts in the book "Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires & Middle Class". Some of these points can be controversial!
From the book....
• Millionaires think long-term. The middle class thinks short-term. Create a clear vision of the life you desire, and focus on it.
• Millionaires talk about ideas. The middle class talks about things and other people. Ask some positive “what if” questions every day, and bounce ideas off successful people who will be honest with you.
• Millionaires work for profits. The middle class works for wages. Take calculated risks and learn to take advantage of good opportunities.
Tony Bradshaw grew up in a lower income neighborhood in Nashville, TN. In early 1996, he realized he was mismanaging his money and knew something needed to change. That’s when he set out to learn how to handle money better. After learning how to handle money at age 25, Tony made his millionaire choice, his choice to become to become a millionaire by the age of forty. He accomplished his goal in 2011.
After gaining a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Tony spent the first six years of his career as an engineer and computer network administrator. In 2001, he entered the financial education world as part of an internet business and development group where he spent 16 years bringing financial education teaching and products to the online world.
During his journey, Tony realized his own message and vision for helping people with their personal finances, and in June 2017, Bradshaw began writing The Millionaire Choice with the vision of helping everyone he could to become millionaires no matter their income, ethnicity, or financial situation. He aspires to create a movement of financially educated and wealthy people who will make it their mission to fight poverty and help those in need across America and the world. He calls it The Millionaire’s Manifesto, and you can read it at www.themillionairechoice.com.
Tony resides in Franklin, TN with his wife whom he married in 1998. Together they continue to mentor their six children about life and money.
Upon graduating from college (debt free), Connor moved back home with mom and dad to save money. Instead of increasing his lifestyle with a new car and other expenses, Connor saved and lived below his means, eventually leading to a pursuit of buying real estate. In this episode, Connor talks about his mindset shift with money over time and how he built a net worth of around 200k as a single teacher before turning 30 years old.
After getting married, Kevin and his wife (also a teacher) were both working in the state of Florida as educators. As a couple, they decided they wanted something different and proceeded to move and teach in Saudi Arabia. Upon fulfilling their contract in the Middle East, they moved further east and are in the midst of their first year teaching at a private school in India. Although teacher pay is about the same (or less) than it was in Florida, Kevin is now able to save over 75% of their family income due to the low cost of living.
- Challenges of teaching overseas
- Benefits of teaching overseas
- Path to ALMOST being a net worth millionaire
- Raising kids in a new country
- How to become a international educator
Here are a few links to search international teaching jobs
https://www.searchassociates.com/
https://www.iss.edu/
https://teachoverseas.uni.edu/
Kevin's blog:
https://twoteachertrek.com
In 2013, University of Chicago Professor Harold Pollack hosted a casual online video chat with author Helaine Olen. In the video, Pollack and Olen dig into some of the points Olen made in her book, Pound Foolish. They agreed that most people are given bad advice from financial advisors and that the best financial advice doesn’t have to be extensive or complicated. It can fit on one index card.
Shortly after the interview, Pollack went online and posted an image of a simple index card that listed what he thought were the most essential principles of personal finance. And the post went viral. It captured the attention of academics, economists and newsgroups. In response, Pollack and Olen decided to team up and expand upon their index card idea in a book titled, The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated.
Brandon and Dave make it through most of the principles from the book and give their opinions.
Upon HS graduation, Chris enlisted in the USMC and has worked his way up the enlisted ranks in a very quick manner. Chris didn't necessarily know what to expect when joining the military, but after 14 years of service, his story can provide insight for any parent, teacher, counselor who might be guiding a young adult in this area. Part I is designed to be able to play to a student who might have questions about the benefits of serving the country.
This episode is split into TWO parts:
Part I: Basics of the military and what to expect
Part II: The story of Chris on his way to FI
In Episode #51, Dave and Brandon have the privilege to interview the newest Ramsey Personality, Kristina Elli. On the first day of high school, Kristina Ellis's mom--a single, working mother who lost her husband to cancer--informed her that she could not financially support her after graduation. Kristina would need to find her own way to pay for college. As an average student with less-than-impressive test scores, Kristina realized she would have to sell herself to scholarship committees if she wanted to stand out. That's when she devised the plan that led to her receiving over $500,000 in scholarships--enough to pay for her full education at a top- 20 university, all the way through her doctoral degree, and make her dreams come true. Give this episode a listen and share it with HS age students to avoid student loan debt.
Check out Kristina's book below!
https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Scholarship-Winner-Secrets-College-ebook/dp/B00BWDDSM6
Dan Sheeks is the owner and founder of SheeksFreaks LLC, an online community to help young people live their best lives by making smart money decisions. He has been a high school business teacher in Denver, CO for eighteen years, and he’s passionate about teaching teenagers personal finance, passive income, real estate investing, and early financial freedom strategies so they can live their best lives.
Have a teen in your life? Most teenagers are told about only one financial path: Work until you’re old and then retire. But what if you want to spend your adult life traveling, creating, or bettering the world instead of working all day, every day? In episode 50, we interview the Author of "First To A Million", Dan Sheeks and explore the many advantages of FI while explaining the secrets of investing, living frugally, and maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset.
Check out Dan's book below!
https://www.amazon.com/First-Million-Teenagers-Achieving-Independence/dp/1947200461
Scott Fritz is a Pennsylvania elementary teacher who has had quite the financial education over the last 30 years. From being 50k in debt to being debt free and co-authoring a book on personal finance for educators, Scott has learned a lot.
Check out Scott's book below!
https://www.amazon.com/Financial-Employees-Pennsylvania-Optimizing-Decisions/dp/B09H9472XJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2CJWBYTXLEU0X&keywords=karl+fisch+pennsylvania&qid=1643166375&sprefix=karl+fisch+pennsylvania%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-1
Josiah is a history teacher and coach in Van Wert Ohio, married to an in-home daycare owner. How does a teacher with two young kids confront an accumulated debt of over $130,000? Josiah's story was recently featured on the new documentary titled "Borrowed Future". Take a listen as we get to hear how Josiah details his plan to get debt free!
10 years of marriage, 6 moves, 2 kids, cancer, no initial ER fund, investing, real estate, Airbnb, Giving...Dave (Host) and his wife (realtor) discuss their financial journey in this two part episode to kick off season #2!
10 years of marriage, 6 homes later, 2 kids, cancer, no ER fund, investing, real estate, Airbnb, Giving...Dave (Host) and his wife (realtor) discuss their financial journey in this two part episode to kick off season #2!
Dave and Brandon discuss what we learned in our first season of existing in the podcast world. Thanks for all of your support and enjoy the hard earned break!
Free flights, free lodging and discounted rental cars sound good to you? You don't want to miss our repeat guests discuss credit cards and travel rewards in our second to last episode of season #1!
Where do teachers fit in on the socioeconomic scale? Are teachers middle class based on the data but not functionally middle class? Dave and Brandon discuss this hot button issue in Episode #43!
Rob is a Maryland HS teacher who just authored his second book. His newest title is called "M Is For Money", a children's book that teaches kids the ABCs of money in an age appropriate manner. If you have kids, nieces/nephews, grandchildren or work with kids as a teacher, this book is a must have for your library! We often hear on the show "I wish I would have known about this money stuff earlier!"...Rob's book helps start the process now!
Check out the new book below!
https://www.amazon.com/M-Money-Rob-Phelan/dp/1737149001/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=M+IS+For+MOney&qid=1637671421&s=books&sr=1-2
How did Rashad and his teacher wife go from bankruptcy to a net worth over 500k? Rashad shares the trials and tribulations of how him and his wife are on pace to be educator millionaires in the next 5 years after hitting financial rock bottom just a decade a go.
Check out Rashad's Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAV2cWBpO2xc-l4BcKrj55A
Brandon is back on the show and we discuss 10 financial things that you need to accomplish before the start of the new year!
Mike Turchan moved from NE Ohio to suburban ATL upon college graduation. Originally thinking he would only be gone for a few years, he is now in the midst of his 16th year teaching at North Cobb HS. Mike discusses advancing his education to maximize his GA teacher pay, side hustles, credit cards, maxing out retirement accounts, travel and how a minimalistic lifestyle has him on pace to be a millionaire before age 45.
Aaron and his wife (both teachers) live in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. Aaron and his wife come from a long line of dual educator families who have navigated their finances on teacher salaries. In this episode, we discuss Aaron's journey to become a PE teacher, get married, have a child, decisions on whether to buy or sell their home, types of investments and potential cost of high investment fees. Over the last year or so, Aaron is becoming more intentional with his finances and is learning more and more as he goes!
This week's guest is a former roommate of Dave's in North Carolina. AJ and his teacher wife Amy moved from Ohio/PA to NC upon college graduation. However, once they had children, they decided to move back home to PA to be near family. At his new teaching job, AJ quickly made friends with a few fellow teachers and they decided they wanted to get in the real estate game. Instead of having all of the pressure to handle rental properties individually, the team of 3 works together and each person brings their own unique skill set to the operation.
If you are a teacher who is interested in real estate but do not want to have to save all the cash or handle all of the potential headaches, maybe forming an LLC with a few colleagues/friends is a good way to get your feet wet.
Check out the story of how a two teacher family became part owners of 6 rentals and have their own primary residence.
Jake is a 33 year old personal finance teacher in Southern CA. After using a variety of resources to teach his students personal finance, Jake decided to write his own book that serves as a road map for success in the financial world. Jake serves up lots of great advice in this episode. His book would make for a great Christmas gift or graduation present.
Here is a link to his book!
https://www.amazon.com/How-Adult-Personal-Finance-World/dp/B08ZVZKD2H
Nancy is a retired HS Spanish teacher/administrator who suffered the tragic and unexpected loss of her husband while raising their two teenagers. Nancy discusses some of the successes and mistakes her family made when it came to proper planning and thinking about the unthinkable. Living trust, will, life insurance and more.
Eric is a former middle school PE teacher who is now a teacher educator at Illinois College. His wife is also a high school teacher, so the family is fully immersed in the education profession. Eric is passionate about finances and recently published a book about the pension system in IL which is located in the link below.
Link to the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/TL-Financial-Retirement-Optimizing-Decisions/dp/B098S1DYCT
In this episode, Dave and Brandon take a look at the 7 different money personalities and discuss how your money personality can shape your future.
Dave welcomes Dr. Eric Creeger to the show in Episode 32. Eric and his wife are both Texas educators who have developed numerous side hustles over the years which has enabled Eric to retire before 50 years old. Both educators are in their second marriage and started over with nothing around 30 years old. Over the course of their 18 years of marriage, they went from a net worth of zero, to over 1 million dollars! One of the keys to his early retirement was not letting lifestyle creep happen in housing and the family vehicles.
“Get good grades, get a college degree, take student loans, get a good job, and sit in a cubicle for 40 years.”
Like everyone else he knew, Bryce Stewart believed this was the only realistic Economic Life Plan.
But through real estate investing, he was able to retire from his middle school teaching job at age 35. He now spends his days with his wife and four daughters, free from the bondage of a traditional job. He loves to golf, supports Young Life, is involved at his church, tosses a mean frisbee, coaches his daughters’ lacrosse teams, plays guitar too loud, takes his wife on adventurous vacations and is an avid reader.
He hopes to inspire and instruct others to follow a similar path toward Financial Freedom while they are still young enough to enjoy it!
Check our Bryce's new book!
https://www.brycestewart.net/new-book
The housing market is scorching hot right now and In this episode, Dave and Brandon interview Stephanie Osborne Fleischer (Dave's wife) a multi-million dollar producing real estate agent in Eastern NC. What should you look for when buying/selling? How do you find the right agent? All of the questions are answered and more!
Ben is a millionaire educator from Ft. Collins Colorado. He has a wealth of knowledge on teachers, financial independence and believes financial literacy is a critical social justice issue in America. Ben's financial life changed by listening to a story on NPR and finding a community of like-minded individuals on bogleheads.org.
Chris is a middle school science teacher who lives in Queens NY and uses his athletic training background to side hustle his way to an extra 20k per year in income. Chris drives a paid for 10 year old car and lives in modest housing to save money and invest.
Brian joins the show to discuss getting out of debt and shares how his family is making it happen as a two teacher family with two young children. Brian teaches in one of the fastest growing districts in Missouri and uses his background in athletics to win with money. From humble beginnings and paying off 80k in debt to a potential retirement income of 10K+ per month!
In this episode, Dave and Brandon discuss the top 10 mistakes teachers make with their finances. We share mistakes we have seen over the course of our few decades as educators. Naturally, many of these problems aren't for teachers only but pop up for many middle income earners.
Dave and Brandon had the opportunity to welcome our first administrator to the show. Kevin has risen through the educator ranks fast as he is a former math teacher who starts his first year as a head principal this fall (under 30 years old). He is married to a teacher and they discuss their plan to financial independence. Discussions on investing in real estate and the stock market!
Jason is a tenured professor who has had a major financial turnaround (1.2 million)! In our interview, Jason gives advice to HS and college students as well as some of the money lessons he has learned when it comes to navigating a successful marriage.
In this episode, Dave and Brandon have a casual conversation about investing and some of the investment vehicles available to educators. Keep in mind, neither are certified financial planners, we are just here to have some fun and give opinions on what we do.
If you are interested in meeting with a CFP who is licensed and has the heart of a teacher, check out two of our former FIT guests and their info below.
David Gourley (Episode #6) https://davidgourley.as.me/schedule.php?fbclid=IwAR1Iv6QOkHVXAPLOmmRMRv-mPcrtFcSfANt1QEphG4aEXfymGYZPSI12-Z8
Justin Garrett (Episode #12) https://www.garrittfinancialsolutions.com/
Paige is a soon to be 2nd year guidance counselor at Jacksonville HS in NC. Paige graduated from Dave's 6 month "GET FIT" financial coaching program and paid off just over 24k during the last 10 months and is contributing $150 per month to her ROTH IRA. Paige has made many sacrifices to get where she is and hopes to be debt free in the next 18 months.
The word BUDGET is a very controversial word. In this episode, Dave and Brandon share their personal budgets and talk about how they factor into financial independence.
Dave and Brandon's "Mini Summer Episodes" continue as they discuss their perceptions of wealth and the realities based on research.
Emily is a former engineering student who found a passion for education and teaching after college by teaching in international, public and private schools. Emily discusses the financial awakening she had in her early 30's and talks to the show about how she manages being a teacher in a high cost of living area like NYC. Emily has made it a personal goal to help other educators learn about their benefits and maximize their careers to the fullest!
Happy Father's Day Everyone!
The first of our "mini" summer episodes...Dave and Brandon discuss summer income or "side hustle" opportunities for educators. We discuss what to look for before determining if the juice is worth the squeeze to make extra income.
Work for someone else?
Try to become an entrepreneur?
Adjust budget to save money and not have to work?
Short term vs. long term
Much More...
Gerry (Spanish Teacher) and his teacher wife started with humble beginnings. In their early thirties, they had $45,000 of student loan debt and both of their cars were kaput. Over an 18 year period, they went from having a net worth of ZERO to just over 2 million in 2021. Along the way they've have had many adventures, travel, an incredible son, and lots of fun. How does a teaching couple from GA invest over 50k per year?
Check out his web site below!
https://www.millionaireeducator.com/
Victor is a fist generation US citizen and PE teacher in the Raleigh, NC area. He started his financial journey in 2020 and has a path to financial freedom paved for the future. Listen as he discusses how he and his wife have had to get on the same page and do a complete mindset change. Victor is wired as a natural spender and his wife is the natural saver.
Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Elon Musk, Block Chain technology....You cannot escape these topics on social media, the news and pop culture. In Episode 15, we have the pleasure to interview 28 year old Western NC Science Teacher, Aaron Littlefield. Aaron has been studying Crypto for 4-5 years and stands by the statement "I'll be shocked if Bitcoin is not worth 100k per coin next year". The goal of this interview is to have Mr. Littlefield make the concept of this new technology understandable to fellow Crypto newbies like Brandon and I. We know Crypto is controversial and feel you should never invest in what you don't understand. Get out your pen and pad and jot down some notes so you become more well versed in the Crypto Craze!
Crystal Parker Duffy is a soon to be retired (37) California HS choir director. She recently wrote the book "Retirement For Teachers". In this episode, we discuss basic retirement strategies for educators, investment plans and her journey to financial independence. If you would like to enter a drawing to win a free copy of her book, visit the Financially Independent Teachers Facebook page and fill out the Google Form!
Maurice Atwood grew up without many of the things we have grown accustomed to in the United States. Running water, electricity and having three meals a day were not always a guarantee throughout his childhood. Fast forward, Coach Atwood is arguably the greatest HS wrestling coach in NC history with 19 state championships. Coach is a self described a "survivor" and his experiences growing up have shaped him to be a giver. He has helped numerous friends, colleagues and students over the course of his teaching career. Even as a NC teacher, he has a paid for property, purchases vehicles with cash and is the proud owner of 3 Bitcoins. Give this episode a listen as coach talks about being content and living UNDER his means while giving back!
Justin Garritt is a Baltimore City math teacher who was so underwhelmed with sales folks coming into our schools selling teachers bad insurance products, he decided to go back to school to become a financial professional. Even though Justin is now a financial advisor and owns his own firm, he still doubles as a middle school teacher and coach. In Episode 12, Justin shares his financial journey and gives basic investment information and financial strategies can that benefit anyone, especially educators. Mr. Garritt is also well on his way to become an Everyday Millionaire by age 35.
Check out Justin's business, Garritt Financial Solutions below...
https://www.garrittfinancialsolutions.com/home
Chad is a Durham NC history teacher who moved from NYC to the Research Triangle almost 20 years ago. Chad and his wife are both HS teachers in NC and have two children in NC public schools. This is the follow up to the can't miss episode as Chad details his journey from growing up in a one-bedroom apartment on government assistance to projecting his net worth to be multi-millions at 60. In part II, we cover the basics of investing.
- Rule of 72
- Rate of return
- Types of Retirement Accounts
- Roth vs. 457
- Index Funds
- Investing Platforms
In our first ever two-part interview, we get a chance to chat with Chad about financial independence from the view of an educator. Chad is a Durham NC history teacher who moved from NYC to the Research Triangle almost 20 years ago. Chad and his wife are both HS teachers in NC and have two children in NC public schools. This is a can't miss episode as Chad details his journey from growing up in a one-bedroom apartment on government assistance to projecting his net worth to be multi-millions at 60. Even with four people in the household and living in a HCOL area, Chad and his wife live off of one of their teacher salaries and invest the rest.
Part II of Chad's interview will be released next week and will be specifically on investing.
In episode nine, Rob Phelan joins us to share his wealth of knowledge on financial independence. Not only does Rob share details of his personal journey to FI, he also discusses how educators can spread the word to their students and set them up for a better financial future. Rob is a math/personal finance teacher in Maryland, he is also a coach, author and business owner. Thanks for listening!
You can find Rob and his many ventures below...
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ChooseFI Foundation (www.choosefifoundation.org)
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The Simple StartUp (www.thesimplestartup.com)
In episode eight, Dave and Brandon interview Rob, a 5th year high school math teacher. How does a single NC educator "make it" on one teacher salary? Give this episode a listen as Rob shares the story of purchasing his first home (15-year mortgage) and discusses the impact of putting money into a ROTH IRA each year. Thanks for listening!
In episode seven, Dave and Brandon interview Ed and Erin, a married NC high school math teacher duo. Believe it or not, they actually became millionaires before their 50th birthdays! According to Chris Hogan's book "Everyday Millionaires", teacher is the third most represented career for net worth millionaires in the United States. How can a young teacher become financially independent? What playbook did this couple use to become millionaires themselves? Give them a listen as they humbly provide the details of their millionaire journey!
In episode six, Dave and Brandon interview David (AKA The Budget Teacher), a former Missouri high school math teacher. David shares some personal financial stories and reveals how he and his wife (a HS Spanish teacher) lived off of one teaching salary while investing the other half of their family income. Fast forward, The Budget Teacher has transitioned into financial coaching in pursuit of helping other teachers get their finances in order. More specifically, David has received training and certifications in the area of public student loans and helps educators navigate the student loan forgiveness process. This interview could potentially save a teacher $5,000+ dollars! Enjoy!
In episode five, Dave and Brandon interview Mike, a veteran NC middle school math teacher. How did Mike and his wife (also a NC teacher) accomplish paying off THREE properties before 40 years old? Listen as Mike shares the story of paying off two rental properties and their primary home while giving listeners tips on what to look for when investing into real estate.
In episode four, Dave and Brandon interview Angie, a veteran NC educator. How does Angie accomplish maxing out her IRA and 457 accounts on a single teacher income? Angie shares her story of paying off over $50,000 of debt to being a self taught educator investor. Thanks for joining us as Angie shares her inspirational message of "It is NEVER too late to get started".
In episode three, Dave and Brandon interview Chad, a HS math teacher who has made upwards of 3k-4k in one week at his side hustle. Chad did not go to college until his mid thirties and started teaching less than 6 years ago. Take a listen as we discuss some of the extra jobs or side hustles we have picked up to help "make it" as teachers.
In episode two, Dave and Brandon interview John, a retired NC math teacher. How did John and his wife (nurse) build wealth raising three children in a middle class home? What advice did he give his children who are now building their own wealth? Take a listen as John shares his story and drops some wisdom for fellow teachers, brand new and veterans. We are excited to get inside the mind of a millionaire educator!
Cohosts, Dave and Brandon introduce themselves in the first episode of the Financially Independent Teachers Podcast. After a brief intro, they interview 11-year NC public educator, Brandon Akins, whose wife is also an NC educator. Brandon shares his background in education and describes how two NC teachers are working toward financial independence as an educator family.