Financially Independent Teachers

Send us a text Daniel has been teaching in NC for almost 30 years. Unfortunately, the first few decades of his career, he wasn't very informed on his NC teaching benefits, his pension, or investing. Whether you start to learn in your first year or toward the end of your career, it is never TOO late! Now, Daniel is investing, becoming an expert on all things NC teacher benefits, and is even teaching colleagues in the Charlotte area about their benefits. If you want to hear someone who has had a life changing money mindset shift, you won't want to miss out!

Send us a text Cody Garrett (not to be confused with our good friend, Justin), is a CFP and a regular on the ChooseFI message boards and FB group. By know, most of us know about the Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b)...but many of us (myself included) have been in the dark about a taxable brokerage account. Cody is here to talk about all the positives of having one of these amazing accounts. Remember, after you retire, you won't be able to contribute to your workplace 403(b), 457(b) etc. Also, you need EARNED income (pension doesn't count) to still invest into an IRA. Personally, I opened up a taxable brokerage account when the market dipped in COVID and I like to call it my "opportunity fund". It has been a major blessing to our family! https://youtube.com/@measuretwiceplanners?si=QXits06nDhEEWMyk https://measuretwicefinancial.com/meet-cody/

Send us a text Eric is a teacher and coach in the Boston area. In the episode, he lays out ideas for building financial success in a HCOL, we discuss renting vs buying, and his mini stint with financial independence when he moved his family to France for a handful of years. What did he enjoy? What were the pros and cons of living internationally?

Send us a text Nancy is in wrapping up "Act II" of her life journey. Act I was living in Ohio and working in HR in the corporate world. Act II brought her to the beaches of NC to become a CTE teacher at Jacksonville High School. With a few decades of teaching under her belt and only a few years left until retirement (Act III), Nancy has been gazelle intense, working on having her financial house in order as she gets ready to ride off into the sunset and travel the world as a part of her final act. Nancy first appeared on FIT last year on episode 159 (check that out to hear more about her personal story). Since then, she has officially become a net worth millionaire and is helping others along the way!

Send us a text While cruising the Western Caribbean, I had GRAND plans to read a book a received for Christmas titled "The Bucket Plan: Protecting and Growing Your Assets for a Worry-Free Retirement"...well, sometimes grand plans do not come to fruition! Luckily, we had a 6 hour wait in the Miami Airport, so I had a chance to finally read that book that I had planned on reviewing earlier in the week. In this episode, I give a brief review of the book and highlight the 3 main buckets to store your money as you prepare to exit working. The NOW bucket, the SOON bucket, and the LATER bucket. Which accounts go in each bucket? How should you think about retirement? Check out the highlights of the book in this week's episode!

Send us a text John Chester, the Millionaire Math Teacher is back on the show to continue our discussion on the current state of the stock market. As a retiree and in his late 60's, what is his perspective on the market? Will he get out? Will be buy more? We talk about his portfolio and diversification allotment. How do you mentally and emotionally handle large swings of 50k+ gains/losses? All of this and more!

Send us a text What a crazy week! The stock market is down around 10%...should I keep investing? Should I sell? What can I control when we face these uncertain times? Former teacher and financial planner, David Gourley joins us on the show, almost in REAL TIME to discuss!

Send us a text Allison has been a history teacher in NC for over a decade. Currently, she is teaching at a Charlotte area Early College and has taken on the task of learning new curriculum by teaching NC's new EPF course. The theme of Allison's story is resilience! Like many, she has regrets on how she used her student loans in college and has worked hard to overcome her mistakes. From credit card debt, and student loans to co-signing on a student loan for a former partner, Allison's pre EPF life gives her lots of content to share in class. Now, Allison has opened some high yield savings accounts, mastered a budget with her irregular income earning husband, started investing, improved what she calls her "tanking" credit score, and is a go to for colleagues to learn from. Her future is bright as she can see the light, even as a teacher in NC!

Send us a text Paul has been a dedicated public educator for over 24 years. His goal is to blend the love for education with a passion about finances to help lay out a strategic plan to assist teachers with their retirement goals. Many financial advisors and supplemental retirement plans have both outrageously high fees mixed with limited knowledge about Ohio (or other state) pension plans. Paul believes that teachers deserve fair, specific and detailed assistance from someone who understands the profession. Listen in as Paul shares his journey from investing as a teen to now assisting his district with low cost investing options like Vanguard for his teachers. In addition, Paul is speaking to prospective teachers at local colleges and sharing financial independence so they don't make the mistakes that most of us made starting out! CONTACT PAUL: https://www.gwteachers.com/ Intelligent Investment Today - The Warren Buffett Way INTELLIGENT INVESTMENT TODAY, a Shortcast "mini-podcast" series each around ten... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us a text Fritz Gilbert is an expert in the retirement space, and he is back on FIT to discuss the Top 5 Retirement Regrets and how to not make those same mistakes. You only get one chance at retirement, let Fritz (a retiree who has intensely studied retirement) help give us all a leg up on our future! Check out his website: https://www.theretirementmanifesto.com/blog/ Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

Send us a text Stac Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

Send us a text Jeff lives south of Charlotte, across the border in Rock Hill SC. He is in his 30th year teaching, all at the time school but actually retired after his 28th year. He is now "double dipping" and making well over 130k to teach in South Carolina. A divorce in the middle of his teaching career really made Jeff rethink finances as he enrolled in FPU and went on to lead many through the program as well. Now, Jeff is teaching AND has also launched his own financial company called Venables Financial Solutions. Check Jeff's media presence below: Business Website: https://venablesfinancialsolutions.com/ Blog: https://teacherretirementor.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15aaxKGXxu/?mibextid=wwXIfr Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

Send us a text There are some important milestone birthdays in life...16, 18, 21, 59.5, 62 and 65. What is special about 65? This is the age you transition to Medicare. Did you know? There are two main choices in your healthcare at 65...Traditional Medicare OR a Medicare Advantage plan. Lucrecia Ryan takes us on a journey on which plan she likes best and why. As a 42 year old, I think a lot about retirement and investing, debt etc. However, I am pretty green when it comes to healthcare. This was one of the most informative episodes I have been a part of. ***THIS EPISODE IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE*** About Lucrecia After graduating from Cornell University and spending her career at IBM, Lucretia is now helping women to gain financial independence. She writes articles to simplify complex saving and investment decisions to help women make financial decisions that are in their best interest. Because Lucretia does not accept any fees, commissions, advertising, or donations or sell any financial products, she is able to expose the hidden fees and financial traps and help women avoid being taken in by financial predators. She conducts pro-bono, one-on-one retirement optimization workshops for women so they can understand their retirement options and make educated financial decisions. She also teaches Financial Literacy, as well as Avoiding Medicare Pitfalls for Women. Lucrecia's Website: https://www.financialfreedomforwomen.org/ Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

Send us a text Dennis is retired from the military, but recently made the move to work with special needs students in the public school setting. With the wiring to always want to help others AND have some work flexibility, Dennis and his wife have both found themselves working within the school system. Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

Send us a text In 2011, Adam and his wife married with a net worth of ZERO. In 2025, their net worth has climbed to 1.7 million! Adam is a community college professor and his wife works part time as a substitute teacher. Although their family has W2 income of less than 100k per year, their lifestyle is enhanced by owning 3 rental properties. Listen in as Adam shares their journey from nothing to almost being a multi-millionaire...all on around 65k per year. Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

Send us a text Zach graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in finance. In his mid 20's, he was clearing 100k+ and his wife had income as well. Even though he knew WHAT to do with money, the temptations that we all face (cars, travel, eating out) proved to be a major roadblock to building financial independence. After taking a pay cut to teach, Zach and his wife have tracked every dollar and are now making financial progress. Zach shares his journey and some of the important lessons he has learned along the way. Now, he is helping other individuals as a financial coach and has a passion for helping navigate others from not making the same mistakes he once made. Zach's Info: · zach@fjfcoaching.com · Free “Limiting Money Beliefs Booklet by going to fjfcoaching.com/FIT Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4 Lead-Lag Live - Hosted By Michael A. Gayed, CFA of The Lead-Lag Report Conversations with thought leaders in the world of finance, economics, and investing. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us a text Episode 200 is here! What better way to celebrate 200 than you sharing your wins with the FIT Family! Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4 Lead-Lag Live - Hosted By Michael A. Gayed, CFA of The Lead-Lag Report Conversations with thought leaders in the world of finance, economics, and investing. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us a text Kevin is a SS teacher/coach from Long Island, went to college in Upstate NY, but landed in the DC suburbs in Prince William county. Like many teachers, Kevin and his wife were "just getting by" as they had a 2k per month daycare bill in his mid 30's. Once the kids made their way out of daycare, they redirected their old payments to 457's, 403's, and eventually got into the real estate game. With only a handful of years left in education, Kevin discusses what their retirement plans at the beach might look like, how they are navigating paying for their kids college, and how involved he will be "working" in retirement. Is it possible to go from a net worth that is treading water to a millionaire teacher in less than 20 years? Check out Kevin's story to find out more! Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

Send us a text From single parent to married again...Virtual HS Spanish teacher in her 24th year and auto worker husband are approaching NW millionaire status and just paid off their home. They each went through tough divorces with spouses who never got on the same page financially. After both went through tough financial issues in their first marriages, they wanted their lives to look different in chapter two. SHARE HOW FIT HAS IMPACTED YOU FOR EPISODE 200! https://forms.gle/RiqfrUzZJsMVJQ8T8 Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

Send us a text Greg is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and has settled in Colorado after studying abroad and moving back to the states. Greg was able to buy his first house from an amazing program that enables teachers to buy a home for 50% of the listed price via the "Teacher Next Door Program". Greg and his wife enjoy frugal living and taking advantage of the amazing 457(b) that many teachers have access to. This will enable them to enjoy an early retirement. "Because teachers play a vital role in community revitalization, HUD provides a significant incentive through the Good Neighbor Next Door Program. This program offers eligible teachers the opportunity to purchase a home at a remarkable 50% discount off the list price. However, it’s important to note that the availability of Good Neighbor Homes is extremely limited. While specific restrictions apply to this program, they do not affect other homes purchased through the Teacher Next Door Program, which offers additional benefits like grants and mortgage assistance to help teachers achieve homeownership." https://www.teachernextdoor.us/HUD_Good_Neighbor_Next_Door/Teachers#:~:text=Because%20teachers%20play%20a%20vital,discount%20off%20the%20list%20price. SHARE HOW FIT HAS IMPACTED YOU FOR EPISODE 200! https://forms.gle/RiqfrUzZJsMVJQ8T8 Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4 MarketAbout A breakdown of listed companies' financials, news, trends and other. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify