The Sunday Best (10/09/2022)

October 9, 2022

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!

What’s the takehome lesson from the funky economics of the last several years? Downtown Josh Brown, the Reformed Broker, laments. You Weren’t Supposed to See That.

Some say “the sooner, the better.” Others say “never.” Next Gen Wealth ponders a common question. Is There An Ideal Age To Retire?

Investing Doc‘s answer is “yesterday.” The Day That Made Me Want to Quit Medicine.

If you’re down on your job, or down in general, Pamela Wible, MD wants you to know that confidential help is available. Depressed doctor? How to get confidential mental health help for physicians.

Spending more time outdoors [almost] never hurt anyone! The Financial Panther, a Minneapolis resident, demonstrates the massive benefits of e-biking for your health, your wallet, and the environment. An Ebike Could Be The Best Investment You Ever Make.

There’s precious little time left to lock in that 9.62% rate on I Bonds. The Financial Samurai discusses how to buy other governmental bonds, either from Treasury Direct a brokerage. How To Buy Treasury Bonds And Buying Strategies To Consider.

If you’d rather spend your money on experiences, His and Her Money Guide have shared their extensive bucket lists. How many of these are on your list?

Bucket list items typically require some planning in terms of both logistics and money. Retirement is no different, and it’s never too early to start planning. David Rosenstrock with Wharton Wealth Planning covers the basics of Dual Financial and Retirement Planning for Physicians.

Is spending a month in a foreign country on your bucket list? The Finance Buff spent a month among the Swiss, and I’m amazed that he didn’t comment on the high prices. Random Thoughts From a Month-Long Trip to Switzerland. If you think things are expensive in the U.S…

If losing a few pounds is on your list (and it probably is), Dr. Ubell shared her best tips with Dr. Turner on The Physician Philosopher Podcast. Weight Loss for Busy Physicians with Dr. Katrina Ubell.

If you’ve lost more money than weight lately, you may be sitting on some capital losses that can be harvested to reduce your taxable income. You’ll love this Big List of Tax Loss Harvesting Partners.

What about establishing a giving fund? Stephen Kump with Charityvest explains the substantial differences between the two primary options. Donor-advised fund vs. private foundation: Which giving vehicle is right for you?

Deciding how to give is one thing; deciding how much to give is another. Flow Financial Planning shares a useful and flexible framework to aid you in that decision-making process. How Much Money Should You Give to Charity?

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Ski Swap Score

This weekend, my boys and I attended our first “ski swap,” which is more of a ski sale, but if you dropped off equipment to sell beforehand, I suppose it works out as a swap.

We arrived at 9:05 a.m. for what was advertised as a 9:00 a.m. start, but judging by the line, I think we were about an hour late. By the time we got in there, things were starting to get picked over, and it was kind of a zoo, but we were all able to score decent stuff in the right size, and we should be good to go for the year.

We are, at best, intermediate skiers, and the boys will almost certainly need bigger boots in a year, and maybe new skis. I’m pretty sure I’m fully grown now at 46.9 years old, but if my skills improve, I may be ready to upgrade from the 170cm Rossignols I picked up to something a bit longer and faster, but they’ll work for now. At $75 for skis and bindings (plus a $45 tuneup), I can’t complain!

I am especially psyched about my boots. I grabbed them because they were basically the only pair of 29.0 in the place that I could find, but they’re brand new, and they’re basically snowboard boots with a ski boot exoskeleton. I paid $150 for a brand new, boxed pair, and they retail for $749 at Amazon. REI wants $899. Score!