Topic

financial independence

Essays and practical guides filed under financial independence.

An editorial illustration follows a young worker, a midlife parent, and a retiree along one continuous path through life.

Financial independence, at every stage of life

Money anxiety doesn’t vanish as the numbers grow. FITools offers free, plain-spoken guidance for the career, money, investing, and retirement decisions in front of you.

Don Lair · August 1, 2026

An editorial illustration contrasts a frantic gambler riding a roulette wheel with a calm older investor collecting a steady stream of coins beside a blue rowhouse, all balanced on one giant coin.

retirement income options

The casino and the landlord

In 2021 a wave of retail traders learned options as lottery tickets. On the other side of those trades sat a quieter investor: the retiree selling covered calls and cash-secured puts, renting out patience for income.

Don Lair · July 22, 2026

A silver-haired woman in her seventies reads a printed page at a kitchen table, a pencil in one hand and a mug of coffee beside her.

retirement investing

Four ways retirees try to turn a portfolio into a paycheck

A dividend, Treasury payment, annuity check, and option premium may look alike after they land. The risk, obligation, or lost flexibility behind each payment determines whether it helped.

Don Lair · July 16, 2026

A teenager watches a gleaming sports car being filmed beneath ring lights.

career financial independence

The Lambo and the minivan: what the internet gets wrong about honest work

The internet tells young men that jobs are for losers and sports cars are proof of success. Mike Rowe and my crumb-filled minivan suggest otherwise.

Don Lair · July 15, 2026