If you’re saving for retirement, a broad market index portfolio is typically a good option. Investing in a target date fund or S&P 500 index fund, for instance, are low-cost ways to gain broad market exposure. However, newly published research indicates there may be a significantly more lucrative way to handle your nest egg.
A financial advisor can help find the right mix of investments for your retirement portfolio. Find a fiduciary advisor today.
An analysis from Dimensional Fund Advisors suggests retirement savers can do better than following the standard advice to use index funds, for instance, to get a balanced portfolio. Portfolios built with a focus on size, value and profitability premiums can generate more assets and better longevity than broad market portfolios, according to the DFA research. In fact, a DFA researcher calculated that a portfolio that emphasizes these premiums would leave a hypothetical investor with at least 20% more money by age 65, even if market returns were less than the historical average.
“These results are encouraging. A portfolio that incorporates controlled, moderate premium exposure can strike a balance between higher expected returns than the market and the cost of slightly higher volatility and moderate tracking error,” DFA’s Mathieu Pellerin wrote in his paper “How Targeting the Size, Value, and Profitability Premiums Can Improve Retirement Outcomes.”
“As a result, targeting these long-term drivers of stock returns is likely to increase assets at the beginning of retirement.”
What Are Size, Value and Profitability Premiums?
As part of its research, DFA compared the simulated performance of a broad market index portfolio – represented by the Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) 1-10 index – against that of the Dimensional US Adjusted Market 1 Index.
The DFA index comprises 14% fewer stocks than the CRSP index and places a greater emphasis on size, value and profitability premiums. Here’s how the firm defines each:
Size premium: The tendency of small-cap stocks to outperform large-cap stocks
Value premium: The tendency of undervalued stocks – those with low price-to-book-value ratios – to outperform
Profitability premium: The tendency of companies with relatively high operating profits to outperform those with lower profitability
As a result, the DFA index is more heavily weighted in small-cap and value stocks, as well as companies with higher profits.
Premiums Produce Better Retirement Outcomes
To test the long-term viability of its premium-based portfolio, DFA ran an extensive set of simulations and compared the results against the CRSP market index.
First, Pellerin calculated 40 years’ worth of hypothetical returns for each portfolio, assuming an investor starts saving at age 25 and retires at age 65. Both portfolios are part of a glide path that starts with a 100% equity allocation and beings to transition toward bonds at age 45. By age 65, the investor’s asset allocation eventually reaches a 50/50 split between stocks and bonds.
Then, he calculated how both portfolios would fare during the investor’s decumulation phase. To do this, DFA applied the 4% rule. This rule of thumb stipulates that a retiree with a balanced portfolio can withdraw 4% of their assets in their first year of retirement and adjust withdrawals in subsequent years for inflation, and have enough money for 30 years.
DFA tested the portfolios using both historical returns (8.1% per year) and more conservative returns (5% per year).
When applying the historical rate of return, the portfolio that targets premiums would be worth 22% more than the broad market portfolio by the time the hypothetical investor reaches age 65. In the lower growth environment, the DFA portfolios would still deliver 20% more median assets than its counterpart, according to the research.
The hypothetical investor would also have a lesser chance of running out of money with the DFA portfolio. Using historical returns, the premium-focused portfolio failed just 2.5% of the time over a 30-year retirement. That’s nearly half as many times as the market portfolio, which posted a 4.7% failure rate.
That spread grew even larger when Pellerin ran the simulations with more conservative return expectations. Over the course of a 30-year retirement, the DFA portfolio ran out of money in just 12.9% of simulations when annual returns averaged just 5%, while the market portfolio failed 19.9% of the time.
Bottom Line
Investing in index funds or target date funds that track the broad market can be an effective way to save for retirement, but Dimensional Fund Advisors found that targeting stocks with size, value and profitability premiums can produce better retirement outcomes. When comparing a broad market index to one that focuses on these factors, the latter produced at least 20% more median assets and had lower failure rates.
Retirement Planning Tips
How much will you have in savings by the time you retire? SmartAsset’s retirement calculator can help you estimate how much money you could expect to have by retirement age and how much you’ll potentially need to support your lifestyle.
Retirement planning can be complicated, but a financial advisor can help you through the process. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Patrick Villanova, CEPF®
Patrick Villanova is a writer for SmartAsset, covering a variety of personal finance topics, including retirement and investing. Before joining SmartAsset, Patrick worked as an editor at The Jersey Journal. His work has also appeared on NJ.com and in The Star-Ledger. Patrick is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where he studied English and developed his love of writing. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, trying out new recipes in the kitchen and watching his beloved New York sports teams. A New Jersey native, he currently lives in Jersey City.
KrowdFit is a digital wellness engagement platform that makes it possible to earn cash-back rewards when you use its app to track activities like steps, sleep and meals. The company also offers the $0-annual-fee KrowdFit Wellness Rewards Mastercard, which can help improve your financial fitness when you spend on self-care.
Cardholders can earn an impressive and uncapped 4% cash back on an expansive list of eligible “health, wellness, medical and lifestyle partners” — including Walmart and Target — in addition to 2% back on grocery purchases and 1% back everywhere else. Better yet, those rewards are issued instantly, so you won’t have to wait until the end of your billing cycle to redeem them.
According to a KrowdFit representative, you’ll need a FICO score above 650 to qualify for the card, which comes with a virtual card number for immediate use upon approval.
Here are five things to know about the KrowdFit credit card.
1. Earn outsized cash back on wellness purchases and more
The KrowdFit Card offers 2% cash back at grocery stores (excluding membership stores like Costco) and 1% cash back on all other purchases. While those rates are unspectacular, the card stands out thanks to the breadth of categories that qualify for its stellar 4% rate. Some of those categories include:
Food: Restaurants, specialty markets and “miscellaneous” food stores.
Health care: Medical and dental providers, health insurance and drugstores.
Wellness: Massage parlors, spa services, and health and beauty shops.
Clothing: Family clothing stores, sports apparel and shoe stores.
Outdoor activities: Public and private golf courses, country clubs, and sporting and recreational camps.
Transportation: Including boat, motorcycle and snowmobile dealers.
Discount stores: Including Walmart, Target and others.
As of this writing, more than 30 merchant category codes (MCC) qualify for 4% cash back — a massive number for a no-annual-fee card that doesn’t require active management, such as tracking a bonus calendar or opting into bonus categories.
Also, if you make a purchase that you think should qualify for bonus cash back and it doesn’t, you can request to have the MCC code added to KrowdFit’s list.
2. Get one year of KrowdFit Premium and extra cash giveaway entries
Like many apps, KrowdFit has two versions: a free one with advertisements, and a premium one without the ads that promises a few additional perks. Cardholders will receive a one-year complimentary membership to KrowdFit Premium, normally $1.99 per month.
To incentivize healthy living and activity, KrowdFit offers cash giveaways that are paid out Monday, Wednesday and Friday of every week, in addition to a $5,000 physical activity cash giveaway on the first day of every month. The more you use the app to track things like sleep, diet and activity, the more entries you get.
3. See your credit line and interest rate before the hard pull
When you apply for a credit card, the issuer will typically conduct a hard inquiry to determine your creditworthiness. That inquiry can often lead to a temporary decrease in your credit scores, even though it’s generally conducted before you know what credit limit and interest rate you’re being offered.
But the KrowdFit card lets you see whether you’ll be approved — including the credit limit and interest rate — before you receive a hard pull. That way you know exactly what you’re being offered and whether it’s worth the impact to your credit scores. A hard pull is conducted only after you accept the offer.
Who doesn’t want to be rewarded?
Create a NerdWallet account for personalized recommendations, and find the card that rewards you the most for your spending.
4. Receive an instant virtual card number
Once you accept the credit line and interest rate provided through the preapproval process, you’ll immediately receive a virtual card number. This number gives you instant access to your credit line and can be added to your virtual wallet or used online for purchases.
Once you receive the physical card in the mail, simply replace your virtual card number with the number on the front of your card.
5. There’s no sign-up bonus
The ongoing rewards structure for the KrowdFit card is solid, but the card lacks something other no-annual fee cards offer — a sign-up bonus. Whether you’re looking for cash back or travel miles, a sign-up bonus is the easiest way to pile up rewards.
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card card has a $0 annual fee and offers the following sign-up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $200 cash redemption value. You’ll also earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel, dining, gas, public transportation, streaming services and phone plans.
Or there’s the Chase Freedom Flex℠, which also has a $0 annual fee and features the following sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. In addition, you’ll earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories you activate each quarter; 5% back on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal; and 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases. All other nonbonus-category purchases earn 1% back.
Have you been diagnosed with congestive heart failure? It can make applying for life insurance coverage becomes a bit difficult.
You may be able to get it approved, however insurance companies will be concerned about offering you coverage because of your potentially serious medical condition.
However, it is still very possible to get insured with congestive heart failure. Obviously it doesn’t mean your heart has actually failed and stopped working, or you wouldn’t be reading this information. It simply means it isn’t working as efficiently as it once did.
That being said, CHF, along with other heart diseases like heart attacks, congenital heart disease, and coronary heart disease, are the Number One cause of death of adults in the country. This includes both men and women.
Since this is the case, trying to get life insurance approved can be a longer process than it would normally take. This is because of additional underwriting requirements such as medical records having to be ordered. If the doctor’s office is slow in getting medical records to the insurance company, it will just take longer to get approved.
This means the SOONER you APPLY for coverage, the sooner the process will get started. You can complete our brief form on this page to get the ball rolling.
If the condition is severe then your type of coverage will be impacted. First off let’s look at some underwriting guidelines for life insurance on how they relate to congestive heat failure. Hopefully this gives you a idea on what is ahead on your application.
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Life Insurance Underwriting for Congestive Heart Failure
Your agent, knowing you have CHF, will ask you some pre qualifying questions when you first talk with them. Listed below are a few of them:
When was your congestive heart failure diagnosed?
Did any health issues contribute to your diagnosis of congestive heart failure?
Do you have high blood pressure or hypertension?
What tests have you had done to evaluate your condition?
Do you have high cholesterol?
Is there any history in your family with heart disease or death in the family due to heart conditions?
Tobacco user?
Are you prescribed any medicine to help with your issues?
Even though you might take some medications, beta blockers, inhibitors, or nitrates, for your condition, you still might be insurable as long as you don’t take multiples of each and have other issues that coincide with CHF.
When it comes to life insurance underwriting, the more information you can give the better. If your application doesn’t clearly describe your condition, your chances of a bad rating or rejection go way up. Make sure to fully answer all the application questions plus give any other details you think are important.
Life Insurance Quotes with Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure has a wide range of different severity levels. Your life insurance quote will depend on how serious your health issues are because of your condition. Insurance companies also do not accept applicants that have recently been diagnosed with congestive heart failure because they want some time to see how the condition develops.
To avoid rejections and get the best rate, its best putting off an application for twelve months after diagnosis.. From there, your rate will depend on your condition plus your overall health.
It is even possible that you may have CHF and not even realize it because the symptoms usually don’t show up initially. The reason they don’t is because your body and your heart can mask it at first, which is called compensation. The symptoms will start showing up when the heart just can’t pump enough blood to the rest of your body.
These are some standard rating classes that most life insurance companies use, though every carrier determines how you’d fall into each category, I’ll explain your chances with each class.
Preferred Plus: Generally impossible. Congestive heart failure is too serious a condition and carries too many health risks for applicants to receive the best possible insurance rating.
Preferred: Very difficult but not impossible. If your congestive heart failure has only mild health symptoms and you are in great health otherwise, you could get a preferred rating.
Standard: The likely best rating for most applicants. Applicants that only started having heart failure at 60 or older, are in good health, and have waited at least a year after being diagnosed to apply can get a standard rating.
Table Rating (substandard): Many of you will end up in this class due to the health issue.
Declines: Most applications within 3 to 6 months of a diagnosis for congestive heart failure. And other persons who deal with many health issues combined with history of health
If there is a situation where you do find that due to your medical condition you are declined for traditional life insurance, then our next recommendation is to look at a guaranteed issue life insurance policy. This type life insurance application only asks a few health questions, but not to decline your application but only to determine how much and when the death benefit would be paid out.
As you are thinking about applying for life insurance, you may also try to improve your chances of getting the best rate by doing some of the following:
Lower your sodium intake
Lower your cholesterol
Stop smoking
Exercise more often
Eat a healthier diet
Keep all other medical conditions under control with responsibly taking medications
Continue with proper medical care by your medical professionals
These recommendations are common sense, and your doctor may have other activities and guidelines. Even though there really isn’t a cure for congestive heart failure, the above lifestyle choices can minimize the degree of your heart deterioration, and allow you to get a lower life insurance rate.
Other Considerations as You are Applying for Life Insurance
This is common sense, but if you haven’t thought about it, now is the time to be thinking about how much death benefit you are looking to buy. Since you have a serious medical condition, you might not be able to afford what you would want, so be realistic in also considering how much money you have to budget for a monthly life insurance payment.
Also, how long a period will you need life insurance? Although typically no one knows for sure when their beneficiary might be filing a claim on the policy, you will need to consider whether to buy a term life insurance plan or a permanent life insurance plan. We can help you with making this decision.
Lastly, it would be a good idea not to drop or cancel any life insurance policy you presently own. As you get older, the premiums increase. So if you are comparing an old policy vs a new policy, the rates on the new policy will probably be higher than what you are paying now.
Congestive Heart Failure Life Insurance Case Studies
Its important to understand how filling out the application can hinder or help your approval percentage. Below are instances on how to and how not to go through the process.
Case Study: Female, 63 year old, non-smoker, diagnosed with congestive heart failure at age 61, taking Beta Blockers and Ace Inhibitors, no other health issues.
This applicant was only showing mild signs of congestive heart failure and was otherwise in very good health. She had no other health issues and no family history of heart disease. However, because of her condition, she was only receiving expensive, rated life insurance offers. We advised her to request an EKG to prove that her condition was under control. With this extra information, an insurance company gave her a much less expensive standard policy.
Case Study #2: Male, 54 year old, diagnosed with congestive heart failure at 51, father died young from heart disease, former smoker, improved health and weight since the diagnosis
This applicant had a very poor lifestyle prior to his heart failure diagnosis. He was smoking, overweight, and had high blood pressure. This combined with his family history of heart disease led to him being rejected from all his life insurance applications. However, since his diagnosis, this applicant dramatically improved his lifestyle. He lost a good deal of weight and quit smoking which made his condition much less severe. Since his health had improved we let him know it would be smart to get a written referral from his doctor stating how much healthier he is now. By reapplying with this extra certification, this applicant was able to receive a rated policy despite his relatively risky profile.
While congestive heart failure is quite serious, it is not enough to prevent you from taking out life insurance. You just need to handle your application well. To make sure the process goes smoothly, it helps to work with expert brokers that understand this condition.
Eating out—whether it’s at nice sit-down restaurants or a drive-through window—is one of the biggest leaks in a lot of people’s budgets, including mine. It’s an, albeit tasty, money suck. And to make matters worse, eating out gets harder to stop doing the more you do it.
If you need a little help breaking the cycle, here are 10 tips to stop eating out that actually work.
What’s Ahead:
Reasons to stop eating out (as often)
The biggest reason to stop getting takeout as often is saving money. Eating out is an expensive alternative to getting food at the grocery store (even if you don’t cook). A single person getting takeout for lunch or dinner five days a week might spend $100 without even realizing it while another person who ate at home would have spent a fraction of that.
Another reason is your health. Even if you feel like you’re making the healthiest choices possible when carrying out or dining out, restaurant meals are almost never as nutritious as your own food would be. And often, you don’t exactly know what’s in them.
So, how do you stop eating out?
1. Start small
As with any lifestyle change, the key to lasting success is to take baby steps. If you’re on a steady diet of Big Mac lunches and pizza dinners, try starting by trying to pack your lunch four days out of five. If you hit all five, great, but allow yourself some wiggle room.
The next week, cook dinner for yourself once (or at least avoid ordering or going out by getting some frozen pizzas at the store). Each week, do a little more. Pretty soon, you’ll find that eating out is the exception rather than the rule.
2. Avoid social pressures to eat out
If you spend a lot of money going out to sit-down restaurants, your habit may be more social than gastronomical in nature. Are you eating out with friends or your significant other? If a group of friends is the culprit, suggest dinner parties as an alternative. Or, grab a quick bite at home and meet the group after their meal.
3. When you do eat out, choose wisely
Be strategic about how you spend money when you are going out. At sit-down restaurants, desserts and alcoholic drinks tend to have the highest markups, so order them sparingly. Then, try to choose foods that will give you leftovers you can take home so you get two meals for the price of one.
4. Pack your lunch, but don’t ditch your break
Just because you bring your lunch to work doesn’t mean you should eat at your desk. When I used to eat lunches out almost daily, I savored the 10-minute drive to my favorite sandwich shop as a much-needed chance to get out and see the sun. Eat with coworkers in a common space, go outside, or even take it in your car and eat somewhere quiet if you have to! If you do eat at your desk, take at least 20 minutes to walk outside and get some fresh air.
5. Love your slow cooker
For anyone who doesn’t actually like to cook or doesn’t have the time in their busy schedule to stand over a stove, the slow cooker saves the day. The humble crock pot is the secret not only to a quick dinner but also to making your whole house smell amazing for hours. If you don’t have one, there are many inexpensive brands and models. You can often find these for sale at secondhand and thrift stores too.
6. Shop more frequently
If you’re making food for one or two, you might find yourself wasting ingredients often, which doesn’t exactly make you enjoy cooking. It can be hard to use up things like fresh produce and perishables before they go bad, especially if you start out the week with good intentions and end up too busy or tired to cook. Going shopping more often and buying smaller quantities is the key to eating out less and eating at home more.
Read more: How to save $100 a month on groceries
7. Meal prep
Meal prepping is the secret sauce. It can help you save time, eat healthier and achieve your fitness goals, and yes, stop eating out. Taking an hour or two one day a week to meal prep what you’re going to eat is worth it. Because later in the week when you don’t feel like cooking, you won’t have to. Even just prepping go-to ingredients like proteins, veggies, or side dishes is a game changer.
8. Try meal kits
If part of your problem with cooking at home is never knowing what to eat or not having time to think about it, meal kits can make your life easier. They come with pre-portioned ingredients so you don’t have to worry about wasting what you don’t finish, get shipped right to your door so you don’t have to go grocery shopping, and come with recipes and instructions for preparing impressive meals.
Read more: Best meal delivery kits of 2023: How they compare
9. Freeze, freeze, freeze
Learn to freeze foods and do it whenever possible. Freeze what you can’t eat and freeze extra food when you have time to spare. Meats, bread, even milk and some fruits and veggies can be frozen just fine. You can also make freezer meals so you always have quick meals for those long days when cooking is the last thing you want to do.
10. Make copycat meals
Restaurant meals are a whole different level of deliciousness, especially at your favorite spots. But if you didn’t already know there’s a whole corner of the internet devoted to “copycat meals,” or recreations of restaurant dishes, now you do. You’d be surprised how spot-on some of these recipes are. Bonus, you’ll know every single ingredient.
11. Make it special
When you get into a habit of eating out every night of the week, it becomes a little less exciting each time. The less frequently you get takeout and restaurant food, the more fun it will be when you do. Reserve this treat for date nights, special occasions, and celebrations.
Final thoughts
There’s nothing wrong with going out to restaurants once in a while or treating yourself to takeout. But eating out can quickly get expensive, and most restaurant meals aren’t known for being nutritious. Follow these tips for cooking at home more to avoid eating out as much and help yourself save money.
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Welcome to Crest, where style and value converge to offer an exceptional living experience in the heart of DC. If you’re in search of one-bedroom apartments for rent in DC, look no further. At Crest, they have crafted the perfect combination of comfort, convenience, and affordability, ensuring that our residents enjoy a lifestyle that surpasses expectations.
Highlight the Style and Comfort
The one-bedroom apartments at Crest are thoughtfully designed with meticulous attention to detail. Step into a world of contemporary elegance, where every corner showcases modern aesthetics and functionality. From the moment you enter, you’ll be greeted by spacious floorplans that provide ample room for both relaxation and entertainment. With features like full-size washers and dryers, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops, your apartment becomes a haven of convenience and sophistication.
Emphasize the Value
At Crest, they understand the importance of finding value in your home. That’s why the one-bedroom apartments offer exceptional square footage, walk-in closets, and balconies that extend your living space and provide breathtaking views of the surrounding Skyland Town Center. Crest believes that luxury should be accessible to all, which is why they provide unbeatable pricing for well-appointed apartments. Experience the perfect balance between quality and affordability at Crest.
Amenities for an Elevated Lifestyle
Beyond the four walls of your apartment, Crest offers a host of amenities that elevate your living experience. Immerse yourself in the refreshing oasis of our courtyard pool, stay active and fit at our two-story fitness center, or socialize with friends at the clubroom featuring a pool table. For those who work remotely, our business area and coworking space provide the ideal environment to stay productive. With a helpful 24/7 concierge team and dedicated maintenance staff, your needs are always taken care of at Crest.
Explore the Skyland Town Center Neighborhood
Living at Crest means being at the heart of the vibrant Skyland Town Center neighborhood. Enjoy the convenience of having shopping, dining, and service options right outside your front door. With the completion of Skyland Town Center, exciting retail destinations like Lidl grocery and DC’s first-ever drive-through Starbucks are just steps away. This thriving community offers endless opportunities to explore, connect, and enjoy a truly fulfilling lifestyle.
Don’t miss out on the perfect combination of style and value. Discover Crest’s one-bedroom apartments for rent in DC at Crest and experience the pinnacle of modern living. Contact the Crest today to schedule a tour and seize the opportunity to unlock your ideal home at Crest in the coveted Skyland Town Center neighborhood.
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The housing provider will not refuse to rent a rental unit to a person because the person will provide the rental payment, in whole or in part, through a voucher for rental housing assistance provided by the District or federal government.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. Rental providers will not refuse to rent a rental unit to a person because the person will provide the rental payment, in whole or in part, through a voucher for rental housing assistance provided by the District or federal government.
After spending months working 60 or 70 hours per week, realizing that life is all too short, and preparing for our kids to come home, it’s time for a new financial paradigm of my own: I’m semi-retiring.
I had always been perplexed by those who, say, retired early to travel to exotic locations. I like working and don’t really like traveling, so my dreams involved some sort of fulfilling employment until I couldn’t work anymore. I’m the life of the party, I know.
But then two or three years ago, I read about a guy who took a year off from full-time employment and I thought, what if?
What if I (or my husband) could take a year or two off from full-time employment? Or work part-time for a few years? Or work six months out of the year? Is that possible and would we want to?
Maybe and probably.
So over the last 2.5 years, my husband and I crafted a plan to send at least one of us, if not both of us, into temporary, semi-retirement once our kids arrived. Ideally, we would be financially independent with no need for earning monthly income, but… yeah, we knew that wouldn’t happen. So what we needed was a job (or jobs) with very flexible and part-time hours, jobs that would allow us to help our kids transition to a new culture, and jobs that paid enough to keep the lights on.
The First Laps
Before you dive into semi-retirement, take care of the basics.
1. Decrease debt load. The more debt you have, the more money you will need to have in semi-retirement. By now, any non-mortgage debt is a distant memory. Our monthly mortgage payment is significant, so our semi-retirement income needed to be at least four times our housing costs.
2. Increase savings. Because you’re taking a break from full-time employment (and perhaps from IRA or 401(k) contributions), you need to be creative with retirement savings. On the other hand, if you get used to living on less, maybe you don’t need as much in full retirement. We’ve been contributing to Roth and traditional IRAs for over a decade. Plus, we have an emergency fund. If we didn’t have those things, decreasing our income would require more radical sacrifices.
3. Increase income. Before you semi-retire, earning more can help you decrease your debt and increase your savings. Earning more is not always possible for everyone, but this is the reason we are able to semi-retire.
The Middle of the Race
The next step is to calculate how much money you’ll really need in semi-retirement. Some expenses (like transportation costs and work clothes) will decrease. Others (utilities and health insurance) will increase. Once we knew how much money we needed, we started looking for the money to replace our full-time income.
We don’t have real estate and with very little investment income, we knew that money must come from part-time employment.
I first sought opportunities as a subject matter expert so I could maximize my income-earning potential. But I also wanted jobs that matched our new lifestyle goals: something that could be done mostly at home with very flexible hours. Fortunately, I found a side job that fit all those criteria.
While we still had some lifestyle inflation with our increased income, having a goal kept us mostly on track. As I mentioned, our goal was to stop full-time employment when our kids come home. (We are still waiting on paperwork approval. Hopefully soon!)
The Finish Line
As of today, we are making enough “semi-retirement” income to pay our bills, not counting our full-time incomes. It does mean that our 2014 income will be closer to our 2005 levels, but we are okay with that for a couple of years or more. We are confident that we can do this because we’re already living close to the semi-retirement income level.
Even though this means we’ll have to be very careful with our spending, we’re still excited. The best thing is this opportunity allows us more flexibility to spend time with our kids. We’ve missed out on too many years of their lives already. We should also have more time to do DIY projects on our little farm and start that business I have always wanted.
I’ll be honest with you, though. The last couple of years have been stressful in many ways. I’ve spent a lot of time with my laptop and not as much time with my husband — and I know it’s time that I can’t get back. Our lives felt out of balance, and there were times when I wondered if our goal was worth it.
And I had other questions, too. Did I want to quit my job? I have never had a job I loved more. Were we creating more stress by cutting our salaries… even though we would have more time to spend with our kids? What would an indefinite break do to my career? We would be leaving behind company-provided benefits like a retirement plan and health insurance. The real question? Are we crazy?
The Next Race
Maybe we are crazy, but if we don’t enjoy semi-retirement, we have options. I’m leaving my job on good terms, and it’s possible there may be a similar job opening there in a couple of years. Or, because I’m a specialist, I should be able to find a similar job at another institution if necessary.
Semi-retirement isn’t for everyone. But having your financial ducks in a row gives you options. Maybe you can cut your schedule to four days a week. Maybe you can take six months off to travel. Or take a job that pays less but you love more.
In the meantime, I’ll test the semi-retirement water for you.
Officials on Friday released fresh details about the first Storyliving by Disney project, an ambitious effort in Riverside County to infuse a master-planned community with the Burbank entertainment giant’s trademark whimsy and wonder.
Among the newly unveiled features of the in-the-works Cotino community is the “Parr House” — a gathering space inspired in name, design and decor by the midcentury-style home of the superhero family in the Disney and Pixar film “Incredibles 2.”
Along with a main entertaining room featuring an indoor/outdoor rock fireplace, the Parr House will include an art studio, kitchen, dining room, boardroom and five bedrooms.
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An artist’s rendering of Cotino, the first Storyliving by Disney community coming to life in Rancho Mirage. Individuals who purchase a membership in the Artisan Club will have access to an array of offerings infused with unique Disney and Pixar touches.
(Walt Disney Imagineering)
It will also have an elevated patio featuring views of the nearby mountains, as well as the community’s 24-acre “grand oasis.”
Access to the Parr House, as well as other community features such as a designated beach area and certain events and activities will be open to those who opt to purchase membership in what Storyliving by Disney calls the Artisan Club.
“From Disney entertainment and events to spaces inspired by Disney stories, club members will truly experience Disney story living,” Claire Bilby, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Signature Experiences Emerging Businesses, said in a statement.
Club membership will be open to Cotino residents and nonresidents.
“A professionally managed public beach park will be accessible to local area residents and visitors to the Greater Palm Springs area with the purchase of a day pass,” the venture said in a statement.
Cotino is being built on 618 acres in the city of Rancho Mirage, near where Walt Disney Co.’s namesake founder once owned a home.
“Walt Disney was so inspired by this place — he called it his ‘laughing place,’” Amy Young, a Walt Disney Imagineering creative director, said in a video posted to the Disney Parks YouTube channel. “In a sense, we’re following Walt’s footsteps here. The same things that inspired him years ago, they inspire us today. The area has this real energy to it, and you can see why Walt loved it.”
For the project, Disney is collaborating with Arizona-based DMB Development, which specializes in planned communities.
An artist’s rendering of the Artisan Club entrance, where members will experience a touch of the Disney lifestyle in clubhouse complex featuring distinct spaces for dining, wellness, art, recreation and entertainment.
(Walt Disney Imagineering)
Cotino will ultimately include somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,932 residential units. Sales are anticipated to begin in 2023, with the first homes expected to be complete in 2024.
Various home types will be available, including estates, single-family homes and condominiums. At least one section of the development will be designated for residents age 55 or older.
“Storyliving by Disney master-planned communities are intended to inspire residents to foster new friendships, pursue their interests and write the next exciting chapter in their lives,” the venture said.
Other locations are being explored for potential future projects, but no details have yet been publicly announced.
Disney, like many of its competitors, has faced pressure to rein in costs — particularly in the increasingly crowded streaming arena. Along with Disney+, the company also owns ESPN+ and two-thirds of Hulu.
The company’s chief executive, Bob Iger, on Monday provided more details of his plan to cut 7,000 jobs as part of a wider effort to rejuvenate its finances and reach profitability in its streaming business.
According to people familiar with the matter, the layoffs are spread throughout the company — affecting roles in the units formerly known as Disney General Entertainment and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, as well as corporate positions and jobs in the theme parks, experiences and consumer products business.
Times staff writer Ryan Faughnder contributed to this report.
One thing I love about Millennials and Zoomers is how freely we share advice.
Case in point, there are now countless wealth coaches and personal finance gurus on TikTok recording their best tips on saving, investing, and achieving financial freedom faster.
And we’re hungry for their advice. According to CNN, the hashtag “#personalfinance” alone has a total of four billion views, with “#financialliteracy” and “#financetiktok” not far behind.
However, while the intent is always sound, the tips themselves aren’t. There are some misguided and potentially devastating personal finance myths being perpetuated on TikTok these days, so I am here to address them head-on.
Let’s debunk seven of the most common TikTok money myths before you make a potentially dangerous financial move.
What’s Ahead:
1. “You can (and should) get rich quick”
The implication
“Get rich quickly and easily by following my personal finance advice.”
Here’s how to instantly spot a personal finance influencer who abides by a “get rich quick” philosophy: just look for the lime green Lamborghini in the background.
Once they’ve given you a few seconds to lust after their six-figure Italian whip, they’ll start telling you how they “turned $5,000 into $723,000” by following “three simple rules of investing” or some such promise. Sounds appealing.
The reality
Multiplying money on that scale, in that little time, always involves a staggering amount of risk, luck, or both. This is assuming, of course, that the influencer is even being 100% truthful – and that background Lambo isn’t a rental.
It’s entirely possible that this person really has gotten extremely lucky on some clandestine investing opportunity, but lottery winners aren’t financial advisors.
Actual financial advisors, and their very rich clients, will give you this advice:
“Get rich slowly.”
If you wouldn’t spend your life savings on lottery tickets, you shouldn’t get your financial advice from TikTok influencers who got lucky, either. The key is to get rich without the risk, and here’s exactly how to do it, step-by-step.
2. “Day trading is easier than you think”
The implication
Historically, only the rich and well-connected could make money on the stock market. But now that we have apps like Robinhood and Webull, everyday investors like you and me can buy, sell, and trade stocks ourselves, getting rich in the process just like day traders on Wall Street.
The reality
97% of day traders lose money.
That’s according to a large-scale study of day traders, where the researchers concluded:
“We show that it is virtually impossible for individuals to day trade for a living, contrary to what course providers claim.”
By contrast, “only” 70% or so of gamblers in Vegas lose money, according to the Wall Street Journal. So your money is safer on the roulette table than taking a TikTokers’ investing advice (but still, don’t gamble).
3. “Rich people look rich”
The implication
Earn big, spend big. As your income level rises and you start to feel “rich,” it’s time to start acting like it. Get a luxury apartment, lease a Mercedes, and don’t hesitate to buy that $2,000 purse.
Besides, what’s the point of working hard if you’re not playing hard?
This one is definitely more of an implication than a direct piece of advice. I don’t know of any TikTokers who are outright saying “spend all of your money” – but there are certainly plenty who are leading by example.
The reality
Rich people become rich precisely because they don’t spend money – they invest it. There’s a saying by famous-yet-frugal YouTuber Scotty Kilmer that I think about all the time:
“Broke people buy BMWs, and rich people buy Toyotas.”
Rich (or soon-to-be-rich) people know that if they buy a Toyota instead of a BMW at age 30, and invest the $30,000 difference at 10% APY, they’ll have:
$77,812 when they’re 40.
$201,825 when they’re 50.
$843,073 when they retire at 65.
The point of this anecdote isn’t to throw shade at Bimmer, but rather, to highlight how rich people think differently before making a purchase. They don’t think:
“How much can I afford?”
But rather:
“How much can I save and invest?”
In short, rich people don’t lead extravagant lifestyles – they lead frugal, yet comfortable lifestyles now so they can live however they want later.
4. “Live on a shoestring budget”
The implication
On the complete other side of the spectrum, there are TikTokers who advocate a shoestring lifestyle, where rigorous budgeting and extremely limited pleasure spending are the only viable pathways to financial freedom.
The reality
It’s totally OK to buy nice things and treat yourself.
In the previous example, yes, a BMW costs $30,000 more than a Toyota – and if you invest that money instead of buying a fancier car, you’ll have a fortune waiting for you by retirement.
That being said, if the BMW brings you joy and makes you happy (and you can afford it), buy it.
The key to achieving financial mindfulness isn’t to spend less – it’s to spend more mindfully on the things that truly matter to you. There are influencers out there who say you should stop going out to eat cold turkey because a restaurant meal for two can easily exceed $60 or even $100.
But financial mindfulness says that if that meal helps you build a relationship with someone, it’s worth it.
Draconian saving can be just as misguided as wanton spending. The key, then, is to determine how much you can safely spend each month, and then to spend that money on the people and things that bring you the most joy.
5. “Cryptocurrency will make you rich”
The implication
This one’s pretty straightforward, and I have heard it straight from countless TikTokers’ mouths: crypto will make you rich.
Forget the corrupt, manipulated stock market – Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin will bring prosperity and financial salvation to Millennials and Zoomers.
I mean, what other investment vehicle has provided anything even close to the 750,000,000% ROI that Bitcoin has since 2011?
I got rich off crypto and you will, too – hop aboard before it’s too late.
The reality
Cryptocurrency is like a fast-moving, rickety roller coaster at the county fair. The foundation hasn’t completely crumbled, but the wooden boards and screws holding it up are falling off with each passing car.
Hop aboard the crypto train at your own peril.
It’s true that Bitcoin has had a miracle run since 2011, rising from $0.008 to a peak of around $65,000 in April 2021 and making a lot of people very, very rich. But even diehard crypto fans have acknowledged that a “Bitcoin winter” is coming – that is, if it hasn’t already.
The Bitcoin winter is just one of the many huge risks to a crypto investment. The others (like China’s clampdown on mining) are fast approaching the roller coaster’s foundation with a sledgehammer.
Can Bitcoin still make you rich? Maybe, but there are plenty of safer rides at the carnival.
6. “Just copy the investments of rich people”
The implication
You can’t copy athletes to win gold medals, nor can you copy New York Times Best Sellers to sell more books.
However, you can totally copy the investing strategy of rich people to get rich.
In fact, they want you to copy them – either because your investment makes their investment more valuable, or simply out of the goodness of their heart. Warren Buffet famously shares his trades with the public so they can borrow and benefit from his wisdom.
So why spend 14 hours a day researching good trades when you can just copy someone else’s homework – especially when they ask you to?
The reality
Rich people can afford to make extremely risky investments and lose money that you and I can’t afford. For that reason, they shouldn’t always be followed into battle.
Warren Buffet is also famous for admitting when he’s made a mistake. In 2014, he confessed that he’d held onto shares of Tesco for way too long, costing him and his investors $444 million. Berkshire Hathaway’s investors may have been able to shrug off the loss, but any outsiders emulating Buffet’s moves may have been screwed.
Copying the investments of rich people may be a viable strategy if their investments fit within your financial goals and risk tolerance. For help determining whether that’s the case, you want to talk to a wealth advisor.
7. “You don’t need a wealth advisor”
The implication
Thanks to zero-commission trading platforms, you no longer need to buy and trade stocks through a sweaty stockbroker in some Manhattan office.
By that same logic, the emergence of robo-advisors and the fountains of free financial advice on TikTok have eliminated the need for old-fashioned wealth advisors. After all, why give someone 2% of your hard-earned gains when it’s never been easier to invest your money yourself?
The reality
The recent trifecta of online brokers, robo-advisors, and personal finance gurus on social media has done wonders empowering Millennials and Zoomers to handle our money better. The TikTok DIYers certainly have one thing right: it’s never been easier to make your own trades.
However, despite birthing a renaissance in financial literacy, nothing on TikTok can replace the tailored, one-on-one advice you’d get from a professional wealth advisor.
Robo-advisors can personalize your investing strategy to an extent, but they can’t play a direct role in helping you navigate the markets and make good decisions.
Summary
There’s plenty of sound personal finance advice on TikTok, but it only takes one bad tip to cost you money.
For that reason, it literally pays to separate the wheat from the chaff. Not everyone who’s made money is a skilled investor – some are just lucky.
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
43k salary is a solid hourly wage when you think about it.
When you get your first job and you are making just above minimum wage making over $43,000 a year seems like it would provide amazing opportunities for you. Right?
The median household income is $68,703 in 2019 and increased by 6.8% from the previous year (source). Think of it as a bell curve with $68K at the top; the median means half of the population makes less than that and half makes more money.
The average income in the U.S. is $48,672 for a 40-hour workweek; that is an increase of 4% from the previous year (source). That means if you take everyone’s income and divided the money out evenly between all of the people.
But, the question remains can you truly live off 43,000 per year in today’s society since it is below both the average and median household incomes. The question you want to ask all of your friends is $43000 per year a good salary.
In this post, we are going to dive into everything that you need to know about a $43000 salary including hourly pay and a sample budget on how to spend and save your money.
These key facts will help you with money management and learn how much per hour $43k is as well as what you make per month, weekly, and biweekly.
Just like with any paycheck, it seems like money quickly goes out of your account to cover all of your bills and expenses, and you are left with a very small amount remaining. You may be disappointed that you were not able to reach your financial goals and you are left wondering…
Can I make a living on this salary?
$43000 a year is How Much an Hour?
When jumping from an hourly job to a salary for the first time, it is helpful to know how much is 43k a year hourly. That way you can decide whether or not the job is worthwhile for you.
$43000 a year is $20.67 per hour
Breakdown Of How Much Is 43k A Year Hourly
Let’s breakdown, how that 43000 salary to hourly number is calculated.
For our calculations to figure out how much is 43K salary hourly, we used the average five working days of 40 hours a week.
Typically, the average workweek is 40 hours and you can work 52 weeks a year. Take 40 hours times 52 weeks and that equals 2,080 working hours. Then, divide the yearly salary of $43000 by 2,080 working hours and the result is $20.67 per hour.
43000 salary / 2080 hours = $20.67 per hour
Just above $20 an hour.
Key Points….
That number is the gross hourly income before taxes, insurance, 401K, or anything else is taken out. Net income is how much you deposit into your bank account.
You must check with your employer on how they plan to pay you. For those on salary, typically companies pay on a monthly, semi-monthly, biweekly, or weekly basis.
Just an interesting note… if you were to increase your annual salary by $5K to $48k per year, it would increase your hourly wage to over $23 an hour – a difference of $2.41 per hour.
To break it down – 48000 salary / 2080 hours = $23.08 per hour
That difference will help you fund your savings account; just remember every dollar adds up.
How Much is $43K salary Per Month?
On average, the monthly amount would be $3,583.
Annual Salary of $43,000 ÷ 12 months = $3,583 per month
This is how much you make a month if you get paid 43000 a year.
$43k a year is how much a week?
This is a great number to know! How much do I make each week? When I roll out of bed and do my job of $43k salary a year, how much can I expect to make at the end of the week for my effort?
Once again, the assumption is 40 hours worked.
Annual Salary of$43000/52 weeks = $827 per week.
$43000 a year is how much biweekly?
For this calculation, take the average weekly pay of $827 and double it.
This depends on how many hours you work in a day. For this example, we are going to use an eight-hour workday.
8 hours x 52 weeks = 260 working days
Annual Salary of$43000 / 260 working days = $165 per day
If you work a 10 hour day on 208 days throughout the year, you make $206 per day.
$43000 Salary is…
$43000 – Full Time
Total Income
Yearly Salary (52 weeks)
$43,000
Monthly Wage
$3,583
Weekly Pay (40 Hours)
$827
Bi-Weekly Pay (80 Hours)
$1,654
Daily Wage (8 Hours)
$165
Daily Wage (10 Hours)
$206
Hourly Wage
$20.67
Net Estimated Monthly Income
$2,735
Net Estimated Hourly Income
$15.78
**These are assumptions based on simple scenarios.
43k a year is how much an hour after taxes
Income taxes is one of the biggest culprits of reducing your take-home pay as well as FICA and Social Security. This is a true fact across the board with an all salary range up to $142,800.
When you make below the average household income, the amount of taxes taken out hurts your hourly wage.
Every single tax situation is different.
On the basic level, let’s assume a 12% federal tax rate and 4% state rate. Plus a percentage is taken out for Social Security and Medicare (FICA) of 7.65%.
So, how much an hour is 43000 a year after taxes?
Gross Annual Salary: $43,000
Federal Taxes of 12%: $5,160
State Taxes of 4%: $1,720
Social Security and Medicare of 7.65%: $3,290
$43k Per Year After Taxes is $32,830
This would be your net annual salary after taxes.
To turn that back into an hourly wage, the assumption is working 2,080 hours.
$32830 ÷ 2,080 hours = $15.78 per hour
After estimated taxes and FICA, you are netting $32,830 per year, which is $10,170 per year less than what you expect.
***This is a very high-level example and can vary greatly depending on your personal situation and potential deductions. Therefore, here is a great tool to help you figure out how much your net paycheck would be.***
In addition, if you live in a heavily taxed state like California or New York, then you have to pay way more money than somebody that lives in a no tax state like Texas or Florida. This is the debate of HCOL vs LCOL.
Thus, your yearly gross $43000 income can range from $29390 to $34550 depending on your state income taxes.
That is why it is important to realize the impact income taxes can have on your take home pay. It is one of those things that you should acknowledge and obviously you need to pay taxes. But, it can also put a huge dent in your ability to live the lifestyle you want on a $43,000 income.
43k salary lifestyle
Every person reading this post has a different upbringing and a different belief system about money. Therefore, what would be a lavish lifestyle to one person, maybe a frugal lifestyle to another person. And there’s no wrong or right, it is what works best for you.
One of the biggest factors to consider is your cost of living.
In another post, we detailed the differences of living in an HCOL vs LCOL vs MCOL area. When you live in big cities, trying to maintain your lifestyle of $43,000 a year is going to be much more difficult because your basic expenses, housing, transportation, food, and clothing are going to be much more expensive than you would find in a lower cost area.
To stretch your dollar further in the high cost of living area, you would have to probably live cheap and prioritize where you want to spend money and where you do not. Whereas, if you live in a low cost of living area, you can live a much more lavish lifestyle because the cost of living is less. Thus, you have more fun spending left in your account each month.
As we noted earlier in the post, $43,000 a year is below the average income that you would find in the United States. Thus, you have to be wise with how you spend your money.
What a $43,000 lifestyle will buy you:
If you are debt free and utilize smart money management skills, then you are able to enjoy the lifestyle you want.
You are able to rent in a decent neighborhood in LCOL and maybe a MCOL city.
You should be able to meet your expenses each and every month.
Participate in the 200 envelope challenge.
Ability to make sure that saving money is a priority, and very possibly save $3000 in 52 weeks.
When A $43,000 Salary Will Hold you Back:
However, if you are riddled with debt or unable to break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, then living off of 40k a year is going to be pretty darn difficult.
There are two factors that will keep holding you back:
You must pay off debt and cut all fun spending and extra expenses.
Break the paycheck to paycheck cycle.
It is possible to get ahead with money!
It just comes with proper money management skills and a desire to have less stress around money. That is a winning combination regardless of your income level.
$43k Salary to Hourly
We calculated how much $43,000 a year is how much an hour with 40 hours a week. But, more than likely, you work more or fewer hours per week.
So, here is a handy calculator to figure out your exact hourly salary wage.
$43K a year Budget – Example
As always, here at Money Bliss, we focus on covering our basic expenses plus saving and giving first, and then our goal is to eliminate debt. The rest of the money leftover is left for fun spending.
If you want to know how to manage 40k salary the best, then this is a prime example for you to compare your spending.
You can compare your budget to the ideal household budget percentages.
recommended budget percentages based on $43000 a year salary:
Category
Ideal Percentages
Sample Monthly Budget
Giving
10%
$251
Savings
15-25%
$645
Housing
20-30%
$932
Utilities
4-7%
$143
Groceries
5-12%
$287
Clothing
1-4%
$22
Transportation
4-10%
$143
Medical
5-12%
$179
Life Insurance
1%
$11
Education
1-4%
$11
Personal
2-7%
$32
Recreation / Entertainment
3-8%
$81
Debts
0% – Goal
$0
Government Tax (including Income Tatumx, Social Security & Medicare)
15-25%
$847
Total Gross Monthly Income
$3583
**In this budget, prioritization was given to basic expenses and no debt.
Is $43,000 a year a Good Salary?
As we stated earlier if you are able to make $43,000 a year, that is a decent salary. You are making more money than the minimum wage and close to double in many cities.
While 43000 is a good salary starting out in your working years. It is a salary that you want to increase before your expenses go up or the people you provide for increase.
However, too many times people get stuck in the lifestyle trap of trying to keep up with the Joneses, and their lifestyle desires get out of hand compared to their salary. It is okay to be driving around a beater car while you work on increasing your salary.
This $43k salary would be considered a lower middle class salary. This salary is something that you can live on if you are wise with money.
Check: Are you in the middle class?
In fact, this income level in the United States has enough buying power to put you in the top 95 percentile globally for per person income (source).
The question you need to ask yourself with your 43k salary is:
Am I maxed at the top of my career?
Is there more income potential?
What obstacles do I face if I want to try to increase my income?
In the future years and with possible inflation, many modest cities a 43,000 a year will not a good salary because the cost of living is so high, whereas these are some of the cities that you can make a comfortable living at 43,000 per year.
If you are looking for a career change, you want to find jobs paying at least $65000 a year.
Is 43k a good salary for a Single Person?
Simply put, yes.
You can stretch your salary much further because you are only worried about your own expenses. A single person will spend much less than if you need to provide for someone else.
Learn exactly what is a good salary for a single person today.
Your living expenses and ideal budget are much less. Thus, you can live extremely comfortably on $43000 per year.
And… most of us probably regret how much money wasted when we were single. Oh well, lesson learned.
Is 43k a good salary for a family?
Many of the same principles apply above on whether $43000 is a good salary. The main difference with a family, you have more people to provide for than when you are single or have just one other person in your household.
The costs of raising children are high and will steeply cut into your income. As you can tell this is a huge dent in your income, specifically $12,980 annually per child.
That means that amount of money is coming out of the income that you earned.
So, the question really remains is can you provide a good life for your family making $43,000 a year? This is the hardest part because each family has different choices, priorities, and values.
More or less, it comes down to two things:
The location where you live in.
Your lifestyle choices.
You can live comfortably as a family on this salary, but you will not be able to afford everything.
Many times when raising a family, it is helpful to have a dual-income household. That way you are able to provide the necessary expenses if both parties were making 43000 per year, then the combined income for the household would be $86,000. Thus making your combined salary a very good income.
Learn how much money a family of 4 needs in each state.
Can you Live on $43000 Per Year?
As we outlined earlier in the post, $43,000 a year:
$20.67 Per Hour
$165-206 Per Day (depending on length of day worked)
$827 Per Week
$1654 Per Biweekly
$3583 Per Month
Next up is making $45000 a year.
Like anything else in life, you get to decide how to spend, save and give your money.
That is the difference for each person on whether or not you can live a middle-class lifestyle depends on many potential factors. If you live in California or New Jersey you are gonna have a tougher time than Oklahoma or even Texas.
In addition, if you are early in your career, starting out around 34,000 a year, that is a great place to be getting your career. However, if you have been in your career for over 20 years and still making $43k, then you probably need to look at asking for pay increases, pick up a second job, or find a different career path.
Regardless of the wage that you make, if you are not able to live the lifestyle that you want, then you have to find ways to make it work for you. Everybody has choices to make.
But one of the things that can help you the most is to stick to our ideal household budget percentages to make sure you stay on track.
Learn exactly how much do I make per year…
One of the best ways to improve your personal finance situation is to increase your income. Here are a variety of side hustles that are very lucrative. With time and effort, you can start enjoying the lifestyle you want.
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Television has a strong track record of portraying intelligent main characters. While the professions and types of shows are typically similar, the characters are all vastly different in personality. A popular online forum discusses these characters with varied thoughts. Intelligence is also a relative thing and comes in various forms. From doctors to scientists to detectives, more than a fair share of incredible brainiacs grace our screens.
1. House M.D. (Dr. Gregory House)
Photo Credit: Fox Network.
In the history of medical shows, no other doctor holds a handle to Dr. Gregory House, played brilliantly by Hugh Laurie. He is a grumpy, sarcastic addict with a horrific bedside manner. But as the doctor whose task is to diagnose seemingly impossible-to-decipher symptoms, House is a genius.
1. House M.D. (Dr. Gregory House)
Photo Credit: Fox Network.
He always had a strong team surrounding him, but ultimately, House figured out what was plaguing each patient. As one fan accurately says, “House M.D. is like a medical version of Sherlock Holmes.” The show and the character are brilliant.
2. Timeless (Lucy Preston)
Photo Credit: NBC Universal.
Timeless is a short-lived but engaging series about a group of time travelers who revisit great historical points to prevent them from changing, thus altering the world as we know it. One such person in this “time team” is Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer). She is a history professor whose superpower is her vast knowledge of American and World history. She is strong-willed and confident but also vulnerable and brave.
2. Timeless (Lucy Preston)
Photo Credit: NBC Universal.
She knows dates and times, etiquette, events, and what should be appropriate attire. But her knowledge spans much farther to the most important thing about history- the people who shaped it. Understanding the thoughts and emotions of others makes Lucy unique.
She cares about the preservation of history but also the individuals that built the world we embody. Her book smarts and emotional intelligence make her an invaluable team member. Timeless is an endlessly entertaining show that many have yet to discover.
3. Elementary (Sherlock Holmes)
Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting.
Fans of the classic detective stories of Sherlock Holmes, who enjoy fresh modern interpretations, will love Elementary. However, this take on the character is not your average one. Portrayed by Jonny Lee Miller, Sherlock is a brash, recovering addict who closes himself off from others.
3. Elementary (Sherlock Holmes)
Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting.
What remains the same is his dazzling intellect and deduction skills. What’s refreshing about this Sherlock is that as bold as his confidence is that no one is smarter than he is, he knows when to ask for assistance. His character grows in his emotional intelligence through his relationship with his partner Watson, in this series played beautifully by Lucy Liu.
4. White Collar (Neal Caffrey)
Photo Credit: USA Network.
White Collar is a light but poignant heist/thriller series similar in tone and premise to the film Catch Me if You Can. However, this series portrays an incredibly smart man in many ways. Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) is a charming thief who is released from prison when he agrees to assist the FBI on cases of fraud, and forgery, amongst other things. Neal’s intelligence is vast but hidden behind a veneer of charisma.
4. White Collar (Neal Caffrey)
Photo Credit: USA Network.
His skills in forgery are impeccable. Most impressive is his ability to copy masterpiece paintings. Not only does this take artistic talent but also knowledge of the painting and the artist’s methods. His skills appear effortless, which makes it all the more captivating to watch.
5. The Big Bang Theory (Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Howard, Amy, and Bernadette)
Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Television.
For twelve seasons, audiences fell in love with the misadventures of a group of nerdy scientists on The Big Bang Theory. Besides being incredibly funny, what I love is that the characters grow. Additionally, while socially awkward, they have supreme intelligence in their fields.
5. The Big Bang Theory (Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Howard, Amy, and Bernadette)
Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Television.
These include theoretical physics, astrophysics, engineering, neuroscience, and microbiology. Through these genius men and women, The Big Bang Theory brings these complex sciences into our homes with heart and laughter. And it can make us all feel just a bit smarter.
6. Monk (Adrian Monk)
Photo Credit: Mandeville Films.
This drama follows former detective Adrian Monk who consults for the San Francisco Police Department. Though he struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, his ability to observe and solve homicides is uncanny. His intuitiveness and intelligence are unparalleled.
6. Monk (Adrian Monk)
Photo Credit : Mandeville Films.
You will enjoy every time he utters “he’s the guy” because he sees what others overlook. The show runs for eight seasons, with the finale resolving the series-long mystery about the murder of Monk’s wife, Trudy. These last episodes bring the series to a satisfying and poignant conclusion.
7. Bones (Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan)
Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox Television.
Bones follows a forensic anthropologist and an FBI agent who team up, along with a group of other skilled professionals, to solve crimes. Dr. Brennan lacks social skills but is a brilliant woman who often detects and sees things others do not.
7. Bones (Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan)
Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox Television.
Her ability to look past the morbid side of her profession gives her a mature intelligence we don’t often see in a female character. Bones is a long-running series with a whopping twelve seasons and 245 episodes, but worth the investment.
8. The X-Files (Agent Dana Scully)
Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox Television.
The X-Files and the character of Dana Scully are landmarks in television history. The show about FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigate the paranormal, is an influential masterpiece. But the character of Scully is even more so. She is a doctor and scientist.
8. The X-Files (Agent Dana Scully)
Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox Television.
She is a skeptic but open-minded, remains calm under pressure, is endlessly courageous, loving, and above all else, genuinely brilliant. Female characters in her profession had rarely been seen in this light, so much so that she influenced an entire generation of young women to pursue careers in the STEM fields. This influence is known today as “The Scully Effect.”
9. The Mentalist (Patrick Jane)
Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting.
The Mentalist is a captivating and poignant drama that follows Patrick Jane, a man with keen observational talents that allow him to consult on cases with the CBI and FBI. But throughout the series, the one looming case is the pursuit of the serial killer “Red John,” who murdered Jane’s wife and daughter.
9. The Mentalist (Patrick Jane)
Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting.
Jane’s intelligence is much like Monk‘s in that he sees the small details and can solve puzzling cases. But as bright as he is, he is not infallible, which makes The Mentalist all the more compelling to watch.
10. Frasier (Dr. Frasier Crane)
Photo Credit: Paramount Television.
Psychiatrists represent a unique kind of knowledge. Understanding the human brain to treat mental health is an invaluable profession. Although his brother Dr. Niles Crane is a practicing psychiatrist, Frasier and his brother are equally intelligent.
10. Frasier (Dr. Frasier Crane)
Photo Credit: Paramount Television.
However, they may disagree on that fact. Their competitive nature, Frasier’s radio show where he quickly gives advice and counsel, and their penchant for high-brow arts make the series one the funniest and most brilliantly written on television.
Source: Reddit.
Image Credit: Shutterstock – Denis Makarenko
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