The Sunday Best (10/01/2023)

The Sunday Best is a collection of articles I’ve curated from the furthest reaches of the internet for your reading pleasure.

Every week, I scan hundreds of headlines, read dozens of posts, and bring you the best of the best to save you time and mental energy.

Financial Independence (FI) is a primary focus, but it’s an awfully broad topic. I tend to approach FI and early retirement from a fatFIRE perspective and through the lens of a physician, so expect to see those biases in the selected articles.

Related topics that have become recurrent themes include early retirement, selective frugality, tax issues, travel, physician issues, and of course, investing.

For more great articles, take a peek at The Sunday Best Archives. Now let’s get to the best… The Sunday Best!

Jorge Sanchez, MD, curated this week’s articles.

Real estate investments are often seen as a popular choice for long-term wealth building, but is real estate a liquid investment? Debt-Free Doctor Dives in Commercial Real Estate: How Liquid Is Your Investment?

Learn how to better manage your student loan debt, and explore refinancing to a lower rate with cash back offers up to $1,000! Student Loan Resource Page

For long-term investors in quality businesses, deciding to sell down or fully exit an investment can be an agonizing process. Flyover Stocks explores why selling stocks is difficult: Letting Go: Why Selling is so Hard to Do

In this inspiring episode, couple Matthew and Angel share with Coach Carson how they skyrocketed their net worth to $1.1 million through savvy real estate investing while juggling full-time jobs: How a Couple With Full-Time Jobs Built a $1.1 Million Net Worth Using Rental Houses

Market Watch lists the cognitive, physical, and socioemotional health benefits of volunteering in retirement. And why it’s key to staying happy in retirement: Where are the retirees? Volunteerism among retirees is shockingly low. And that hurts everyone.

If you want a share of the billions in energy-efficiency tax credits, Greg Spears Humble Dollar’s deputy editor has one piece of advice: read the fine print. In his article, Powerful Savings Greg chronicles his experience buying a new water heater and the mistakes he made. 

Debt-Free Doctor lists timeless wisdom in investing and personal finance in this seven-minute Summary of The Richest Man In Babylon.

Wallet Hacks shares how to win the boring middle in investing: The Boring Middle is Bullshit

In this podcast episode, Christina shares with Afford Anything a creative HACK she used to SAVE $60,000 in student loan interest payments: Ask Paula: Student Loan Deferment Hack – How Christina Saved $60,000 in Interest

How to Fire lists the 7 Levels of Financial Freedom, creating a roadmap to achieve the financial picture you have in mind.

Will You Owe Taxes When You Sell Your Home? Morningstar shows how to lower the odds that you will. 

Three years into retirement, A Purple Life finally sold her first share! In this post, she shares her experience selling shares to fund her retirement and the lessons learned along the way: How I Sell Investments To Fund My Retirement: A Step-By-Step Guide

Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs) are one of the most powerful savings tools out there and not enough people are using theirs! Thomas Kopelman gives us the ESPP plan and why understanding it matters: Employee Stock Purchase Plans Overview

If you want to supercharge your income, you have to use leverage. Of Dollars and Data lists four types of leverage you can employ as well as their unique benefits and challenges: The 4 Types of Leverage to Supercharge Your Income

Journey to Launch explores reasons why embracing fear instead of aiming for the characteristic of being “fearless” can accelerate your wealth-building:  How Fear Can Be Your Superpower In Building Wealth & Winning At Life

Humble Dollar discusses why comparison is the ultimate source of misery, and what you can do to avoid its pitfalls: Absolutely Fine.

A Wealth of Common Sense goes over the reasons why buying a house isn’t for everyone. And why one should not rush into becoming a homeowner simply because your friends are doing the same: Renting vs. Buying: When You Shouldn’t Buy a House

Much press is given to 401(k)s, but other options exist for employer-sponsored defined contribution plans. A 401(a) goal is similar to a 401(k) but has some important differences when determining the most suitable retirement plan for your needs. In this post, we compare these two retirement plan options:  401(k) Versus 401(a)

Investing Basics for Professionals With Little Time or Experience

Best Credit Card to Pay Taxes: Is It Worth It?

The Best Cash Back Credit Cards in 2023