Question 1

How do you calculate the true unrecoverable cost of buying a home vs. renting?

Accepted Answer

The true unrecoverable monthly cost of owning a home includes mortgage interest, property taxes, HOA/co-op fees, maintenance and hazard insurance (typically 1.5% of home value annually), amortized closing/selling costs, and the S&P 500 opportunity cost on your down payment equity.

Question 2

What is Coast-FIRE and how is it calculated?

Accepted Answer

Coast-FIRE is the milestone where your current invested portfolio is large enough that, through compound real returns alone, it will grow to support your full retirement target (25x annual expenses under the 4% Safe Withdrawal Rule) by traditional retirement age without requiring any additional monthly contributions.

What is 50,000 in 2012 Worth in 2026 Dollars?