Self-Employed Couples

Running a business together and staying married: roles, money, decisions and leaving work at the door.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

Do's & Don'ts: Husbands Do's & Don'ts: Wives Do's & Don'ts: Business Owners

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How One-Income Families Make Retirement Work

The spousal IRA, the survivor gap and the pension election that quietly decides whether your wife is fine at 78.

GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

How To Read The Loan Estimate Lenders Hope You Skim

Three pages, one form, and a few boxes that tell you whether the rate you were quoted is actually the deal you're getting.

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Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

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GuideSide HustlesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What to Set Aside for Taxes on Side Income From Dollar One

Open a second checking account, move 30 percent of every payment out of reach, and learn the four things the IRS actually wants you to track.

Dude.com — 16 advisers who listen, talk and pray with you

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Retirement6 min read

Claiming Social Security At 62, 67 Or 70

The same work record can pay three very different checks for life. Here's how the math works, and the question most couples forget to ask.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Fixed, Adjustable, FHA, VA and Conventional Loans Side by Side

Five loan types, what each one actually costs you per month, and the fine print that bites buyers who only shopped the rate.

GuideTradesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Licensing, Insurance and Your First Ten Customers

You can be running your own trade business a year from now. The order you do things in decides whether you make money or just make noise.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideRetirementRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

How to cover health insurance if you retire before 65

COBRA, the marketplace, a spouse's plan or part-time work, plus the income lever most early retirees don't know they're holding.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

How to win a bidding war without waiving your inspection

Sellers pick offers on certainty, not on how much protection you gave away. Here's how to look like the safe bet and still keep your outs.

GuideSide HustlesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What to Charge for Saturday Handyman Work

The license threshold, the insurance nobody skips twice, and the hourly math that tells you whether giving up Saturday is worth it.

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Pressure-test my business idea

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GuideRetirementRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Medicare Advantage or Medigap and How to Actually Decide

One choice at 65 is easy to make and hard to undo. Know how the two paths differ before the mailers start piling up in your driveway.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Closing Costs Line by Line, and Which Ones You Can Haggle

Page 2 of your Loan Estimate is where a few thousand dollars quietly changes hands. Learn to read it, and you'll get some of that money back.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideSide HustlesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What eBay and Facebook Marketplace Actually Pay After Fees

A drill kit that sold for $120 put $71 in my pocket. Run the same math before you list, and know which things aren't worth the box.

GuideRetirementRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Medicare Parts A, B, C and D Without the Alphabet Soup

What each part actually pays for, the seven-month window you can't miss, and the one deadline that quietly costs you money for the rest of your life.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What Moves Mortgage Rates And What You Can Actually Control

The Fed doesn't set your mortgage rate. Your loan file does most of the work, and you can move most of that before you ever lock.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

Side Hustles6 min

Tutoring After Work Pays Well If You Pick the Right Subject

Retirement6 min

Retiring Early And The Bridge Years Nobody Plans For

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Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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$Run The Rent Versus Buy Math For Your Own Town$

GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20265 min

Run The Rent Versus Buy Math For Your Own Town

Most rent-versus-buy advice is a slogan. Get these six numbers off your own street and the answer stops being a guess.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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Side Hustles7 min read

Weekend Pressure Washing and What It Actually Pays

The machine spec that matters, how to set a price that isn't a donation, and the ten customers that decide whether this works.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

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