Caitlin's Corner Our Ideal Working Decades Many of you know that last summer, my husband and I decided to move our family to the mountain town we fell in love with fifteen years ago. Our timing wasn’t by mistake. We knew that the time we have- with our children, with our bodies, and with our personal ambition- is precious. We wanted every shot to live our best lives, and we wanted to do that with our kids. Since being here, (and being insanely grateful for the time we spend together, the...
7 days ago • 2 min read
Susan's Scoop An Update: 2 Years into Early Retirement Two and a half years ago my husband Brian and I were living lives full of stress headaches, status meetings, and time sheets. We had made it through zoom-schooling our two boys through the pandemic while both working full time W-2 jobs, and we were exhausted. Due to the economic recovery, we had hit our financial independence number; we had been working towards this for years, but until then, we hadn’t really considered what ‘early...
14 days ago • 4 min read
Caitlin's Corner Staying Grounded in Turbulent Times The markets—and the world—feel incredibly volatile right now. Conversations about investing, the future, or designing a life on our terms are inevitably intertwined with uncertainty and fear. While no one can predict exactly what will happen next, we can anchor ourselves in a few key truths: 1) Fear-Driven Decisions Rarely Lead to Good Outcomes When the market fluctuates, it’s natural to crave control. This often leads to behaviors like...
21 days ago • 2 min read
Caitlin's Corner Bubblegum vs. Piggy Bank A few months ago, our two kids (5 and 8 years old) squealed with excitement as they stuck two dry-erase chore charts on the fridge. Yes, they were excited about chore charts. But it wasn’t the chores that thrilled them—it was the drawing, the check-marking, the coloring, and the erasing. That’s their motivation for now. Well, that and the allowance. A couple of years ago, we decided to start giving our kids an allowance. They weren’t doing much to...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Susan's Scoop Zero-Tax Early Retirement: The Ultimate Wealth Hack Recently, I was running some post-early-retirement scenarios for a client - a married couple with two kids - and I showed them a tax strategy that allows them to make over $150k a year, all while paying absolutely zero in taxes. Yep, you read that right - $0 in taxes. And it’s not some rare exception; this is a strategy that many early retirees use to keep their tax bills at zero while building the financial freedom to live...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Caitlin's Corner Financial Freedom Can Make 💘... or Break the Love 💔 When my husband and I were both working full-time jobs, side-hustling our real estate business, and raising a toddler and a newborn, I often daydreamed about how wonderful life would be once we achieved financial freedom. I especially imagined our partnership strengthening when we finally had time to sleep and enjoy hobbies together. Fast forward two years, and we reached financial freedom. Burned out, I left my job and...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Susan's Scoop The Fine Print That Almost Cost Me $40k There’s a certain charm to a well-executed financial scheme. Not a fraudulent scheme, mind you - just the sort of legally defensible, contractually murky maneuver that makes one marvel at the ingenuity of corporate fine print. My latest experience with one of my short-term rental cabins in the Smoky Mountains falls squarely into this category. Last January, I decided to stop self-managing my rental cabins (for both sanity and tax reasons)...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Caitlin's Corner Lifestyle Inflation: an overlooked financial risk After spending time with a loved one recently, I’ve noticed my deep sense of worry for her, and a strong desire to help her make changes. During our time together, she shared reflections on her successful career, high income, and the lavish lifestyle she and her husband have built - driven by status, societal pressures, and their desire to provide the best for their children. Despite their significant income and assets, they...
2 months ago • 3 min read
The Abundance Circle Registration Is Open! 🎉 This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. The Abundance Circle doors are officially OPEN for the next 7 days — and you’re invited to join us on a journey that will change your financial future forever. What You'll Get in the 12-Month Abundance Circle Program: 👉 Four One-on-One Coaching Calls to Develop Your Customized 10-Year Wealth-Building Plan focused on life goals, investments, passive income generation, fee reduction, and tax strategies 👉 A...
3 months ago • 1 min read