Steve | What’s the Why-Fi

Retired at 38. Family of 5. Just sharing honest reflections on the good, the bad, and the unexpected parts of financial independence as I live it. Less about the numbers. More about the why.

@JamesAnderson88 @TheAlphaThought

@whatsthewhyfi @TheAlphaThought It actually pays the dividends as 100% ROC, which means you don’t pay taxes on the monthly payments until after your cost basis hits $0, which at 11.5% APR takes about 9 years.

The moment your passive income covers a bill is the most important moment in your financial life. Not because of the amount. Because of what it proves... That your money can work without you. That's not a small win. That's the entire concept clicking into place.

I'm ready to be hurt again lol. I have seriously started looking into it. I almost want to start throwing some money in it just to get the ball rolling. I was hoping they would pay qualified dividends so it would be fine in my brokerage account, as more of like a juiced savings account. But knowing it would be best in a tax advantaged account keeps me from going after it only because I'd have to start thinking longer term and I have commitment issues lol. I liked REITs for this same idea but those dividends aren't qualified either. What do you think, am I overthinking this? Letting the tax-tail wag the dividend-dog?

@whatsthewhyfi @TheAlphaThought Haha, this one is secured by a massive vault of over $56B worth of Bitcoin plus $2.25B in USD reserves. The risk is actually quite low as long as you believe that Bitcoin will continue to grow from here. Otherwise $SPYI (12% CAGR) and $QQQI (14% CAGR) are good options.

@JamesAnderson88 @TheAlphaThought That yield is wild. It's like the hot chick at the bar that you know is going to end badly for you. You know better, but like, what if this time's different...

@TheAlphaThought With $STRC paying 11.5% APR on a monthly basis, all you need is $10,500 invested to earn $100 per month ($1,207.50 annually) That should cover your cell phone and internet bills. Keep stacking from there with other income funds until your passive income pays all your bills.

I've been thinking of going back to work recently, doing something of real interest as opposed to chasing a paycheck... This is my biggest hurdle. My kids are still young, but even if I took a job for 2-3 years and got what I wanted out of it, that's a lot of family time I'm missing

One day your child will ask you to pick them up for the last time. And you won’t even realize it when it happens. Yes, build the wealth. Buy the properties. Invest the money. Chase success. But make time for your family too. Because by the time your child turns 18, you’ve already spent around 90% of the time you will ever spend with them. One day the house gets quiet. Don’t miss the people you’re doing all this for. #SundayMorning #Family

@FiveBestIdeas @FollowIncentiv

@whatsthewhyfi @FollowIncentiv A paid off house is not stupid. Taking money from investments to pay off a 3.5% mortgage is stupid

Unpopular opinion: if your mortgage rate is 3.5% or lower, paying it off early is one of the worst financial decisions you can make. Your money earns more in an index fund than it saves on that interest. Agree or disagree?

@FiveBestIdeas @FollowIncentiv It would be pretty bold to call someone with a paid off house, "stupid". Might be more foolish to think that psychological freedom has no value.

@FollowIncentiv @whatsthewhyfi Yes. Never underestimate the psychological comfort paying off a 3.5% mortgage gives stupid people

@FollowIncentiv I have a super low rate on my house, always said I'd never pay it off early (and realistically still won't) but as soon as I left work and started living off investments, I understood the appeal of getting rid of fixed expenses

@whatsthewhyfi That’s probably the most accurate answer in the whole thread honestly. The math and the emotions are two completely different conversations.

Father of 3 here! Congrats on the family and portfolio, seriously be proud of yourself! You're absolutely crushing it. It's a cruel thing to have your best earning years overlapping with such a precious time for your family. I just turned 39 and recently retired from corporate cubicle hell. I'm struggling with being present vs being productive. It's tough to go from grinding and earning, to just being home so your youngest can nap. There's a cool book called, Retire Often. It's all about taking breaks without throwing in the towel completely. Check it out, might help with giving yourself permission to take a break without the permanence of being "done"

I’m 34. Husband. Father of soon to be three. I’ve worked for 13 years as a nurse. Brought home $95k W2 last year. I own three properties. $500k in equity across them. $105k in a 401k. $400k in $BTC and $MSTR. By most measures I’m doing well. But here’s the thoughts that I sit with every day. The portfolio is at a stage where I feel like I should be pushing harder, but pushing harder doesn’t often equate to better returns. I could launch some real estate wholesaling campaigns and look to make more moves. The kind of aggressive stuff that actually closes the gap between where I am and where I don’t have to work a W-2 anymore. My holdback is being present for my family, without working every minute. You blink and your newborn is a toddler, you blink again and they’re starting to grow out of that toddler stage. The whole point of building this portfolio is to stop trading my time for money. To be present. To not miss special moments in my children’s lives. I feel like if I grind hard these next two years, a decade from now I’ll always wish to return to these years and just be present. Any other fathers navigating this same thing?

I hear ya! Once you figure out the math, it does become a bit boring and repetitive. I started writing about the WHY for that very reason. Why do we do this - the good, bad, and unexpected. I'm writing about my experience as I live it, but always curious if others find it helpful or interesting at all.

I really really want to engage more on X, but: 1: I'm bored 2: I feel like I don't care much financial advice from others (not just here) 3: No one gives a crap about the truth about investing. Slow and steady is boring and gets you there.

@The_Money_Buddy I'd still argue the biggest financial decisions matter way more. The house The car The spouse Nail those and 250 a week is available to you to enjoy.

$250/weekend spending habit: • bars • food • Ubers ≈ $15k/year That’s a lot of future compounding disappearing.

What’s one ‘rich person habit’ that’s actually just common sense?

@WifeFinance 😂 honestly why I got into crypto. I wasn't waiting around. I'll do the index route to preserve my wealth but to build it, let's get a little crazy.

The personal finance content problem: They provide you with tactics, strategies, and numbers to build wealth over 30+ years assuming a 7%+ rate of return But what's the point of having a $1M, $2.5M, or $5M by the time you're 65? By then you've traded away your best years We need more content creators who focus on get rich quick schemes instead of conventional personal finance advice.

We spend so much of life trying to eliminate chaos. Then one day the house gets quiet and we realize some of that chaos was the good stuff. New post: The Cost of Chaos whatsthewhyfi.com/the-cost-of-ch…

9 months into my early retirement and just turned 39 (today!). I absolutely feel the restlessness in the lack of financial pursuit at times. But being married and having 3 young boys we homeschool, my wife tells me that my presence at home is worth way more to the family (and her sanity lol) than the paycheck at this point. I think the points about the spouse's sacrifice are valid, but I think it's more universal to relationships in general than specific to FI. Those that operate as a team will always be working together, as opposed to operating independently with one spouse just along on the other's journey.

"The FIRE community is extraordinarily good at optimizing money. "It is noticeably less good at talking about the relational costs of that optimization. "We celebrate the retirement announcement. But we rarely ask what the spouse gave up to get there. "We celebrate the couple who travels the world on $40,000 a year. But we rarely ask whether both of them actually wanted that." _____ "FIRE attracts a specific type of person: "... analytical, optimization-driven, willing to reject conventional paths. "Those same traits that make someone good at building wealth can make them restless in a life that stops growing. "They are often high-agency people who, once unhappy, are unlikely to simply endure." ___ great piece by @financialsamura financialsamurai.com/why-do-so-many…

@ducksays Being able to buy your freedom while still young is worth the sacrifice. Life has many different seasons and enjoying life looks different for everyone. "You're not enjoying life" sounds like personal reflection more than anything else. "Cope" as the kids say lol

people are upset that i have a net worth of 700k at 28 and barely spend money. "you're not enjoying life" here's the thing: i grew up POOR. anything is better than being in a single-wide trailer with faulty ac while food rationing.

Great way to spend a Tuesday. Days off were always an option. But they never felt fully free when they came with guilt, approval, and someone else’s calendar. The beach hits different when nobody owns your afternoon.

@antibearthesis Assuming she's still working for a few more years, invest it all, lump sum, $VOO

My mother is 51. She has: • $0 invested • $80k in savings • House paid off • No debt She’s scared to invest after the rally. Would you: A) Invest now B) Wait for a crash C) Stay in cash What’s the move?

Totally agree with the opportunity in the crypto market, but I wouldn't worry about all time highs in the s&p. If you never invested in the s&p because of highs in the market you'd never get in. If you zoom out the thing is always chugging higher. Dollar cost average into the index. If the market goes on sale, keep buying. Have a little crypto exposure if you like, probably a great time to buy there as well.

If you’re under 30, I genuinely don’t know what the “safe” life path is anymore. Buy stocks? S&P is at ATHs. Buy gold? Near ATHs. Save cash? Dollar gets cooked. Buy a house? Housing market is cooked. Buy bonds? Barely beating inflation. At this point, crypto is one of the only not overpriced places left

@Budgetdog_ That's what it's all about! 😎

Woke up and decided to just hang out with the family. Financial freedom is cool.