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#94: Ask Paula – The Early Retirement Episode

September 11, 2017 By Paula Pant 2 Comments

Paula Pant - Ask Paula: The Early Retirement Episode

Early retirement? Yes please.

This week, I answer questions from the audience around early retirement planning, health savings and debt pay-off.

Question #1: How can I avoid early-withdrawal penalties?

Our first caller is Christianna, who asks two questions:

  1. I’m interested in early retirement. How can I avoid early withdrawal penalties?
  2. How does early retirement impact the 4 Percent Rule?

Let’s tackle the first question regarding accounts. TL;DR: focus on your Roth IRA and HSA.

Roth IRAs for Early Retirement

The more detailed answer is that a Roth IRA allows you to contribute up to $5,500 of earned income per year (or $6,500 if you’re 50 or over). You can withdraw your principal contributions penalty-free whenever you want, while keeping the gains invested.
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Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: ask paula, away, away travel, early retirement, roth IRA, vanguard

#45: Ask Paula – Should I Invest $5,500 in One Huge Chunk? – and More Investing Questions

October 3, 2016 By Paula Pant 2 Comments

Ask Paula - Roth IRAs, Real Estate Investments, LLCs, and more.

Podcast listener Eva is interested in opening a Vanguard account. She noticed that people need $50,000 to access their personal advisor services. It’ll take her several years before she can access this. What should she do in the meantime?

Amy, another podcast listener, wants to invest $5,500 into her Roth IRA in 2017.  Should she invest the full amount on January 1, or should she spread this throughout the year?

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Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: ask paula, real estate investing, roth IRA, vanguard

#24: Ask Us Anything: Betterment, Wealthfront, Robo-Investing … What’s the Deal?

May 9, 2016 By Paula Pant 12 Comments

betterment wealthfront roboadvisors investing

You ask. We answer.

In this week’s episode, Jay and I tackle listener-submitted questions, such as:

Investing:

  • What’s the deal with robo-advisors? Should I invest with one?
  • Betterment, Wealthfront … what’s the deal with these companies?
  • Index funds vs. rental properties — what’s better for tax breaks?

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Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: ask paula, ask us anything, betterment, robo investing, vanguard, wealthfront

Recent Episodes

  • #125: How to Gain a Competitive Edge, with Morgan Housel
  • #124: Ask Paula and Joe – Should I Sell My Brand-New Car (and Lose $6,000 in 4 Months)?
  • #123: Your Money or Your Life — with Vicki Robin, bestselling author
  • #122: Ask Paula – I’d Like to Airbnb a Yurt. Should I?
  • #121: How I Retired at Age 32 – with Liz Thames from Frugalwoods
  • #120: Ask Paula – I’m Retiring at 53. How Will Early Retirement Impact My Social Security?
  • #119: How Much Can I Spend in Retirement? – with Dr. Wade Pfau
  • #118: Ask Paula – How Do I Buy a Foreclosure? – and Other Real Estate Questions
  • #117: How to Avoid Killing Your Spouse (and Should You Get Married in the First Place?) – with Farnoosh Torabi
  • #116: Ask Paula – Help! I’m Underwater on My Car!

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