Life In Twenty

the Weekly FIVES Series [3 of 250]: This episode covers macro and market updates, the FIVES challenge, and how the Buckets Tracker for monthly expenses can change your financial future.  It’s free, simple, and fun to use.  It’s a core piece to the financial freedom framework as we cant allocate to our future until we know what we spend and where we can save.

Here’s a free link to download and print The Bucket Tracker 

Macro update:

US Retail Sales is at a current level of 615.33B, up from 611.45B last month and up from 587.26B one year ago. This is a change of 0.63% from last month and 4.78% from one year ago.

US Building Permits MoM is at 1.91%, compared to -2.07% last month and 0.50% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 0.22%.  This metric looks ahead and believes lower rates will lead to more demand.

US Housing Starts MoM is at -4.26%, compared to 10.83% last month and -4.91% last year. This is lower than the long term average of 0.32%.

US Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance is at a current level of 187000.0, down from 203000.0 last week and down from 205000.0 one year ago. This is a change of -7.88% from last week and -8.78% from one year ago.

 Market update

Nasdaq:  up 2.0% for the week, 3.6% ytd

S&P 500: up .91%, 2% ytd

Russell 2000:  down 1.6%, down 3.4% ytd

BTC: - down 2.2%, down 6% ytd

Gold: down just under 1% to 2,029 per oz for the week, down 2.3% ytd

Oil: up .88% for the week, up 2.8% ytd

MAGS:  Mag 7:  up 2.6% for week, up 6% ytd, (Alphabet, Apple, Amz, Meta, MSFT, NVIDA, Tesla)

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.

the Weekly FIVES Series [2 of 250]: This episode covers macro and market updates, the FIVES challenge, the Buckets Tracker, everything you need to know about Bitcoin, how to purchase bitcoin, and actionable take-aways.

Macro update for the Week:

CPI print - 3.4%, up from 3.1% in Dec, came in hotter than expected (3.2%)

Car insurance up 20%, Transportation 10%, car repair 7%, rent 6%, 

Mtg Rate: 6.6%

Avg Rent:  $1340 bedroom in US

Avg cost of a house:  $431k vs. $280k in 2020 (54% increase)

Market update for the Week:

Nasdaq:  up 2.6%

S&P 500: up 1.6%

Russell 2000:  up .15%

BTC: - down .58%

Gold: up 1% to 2,048 per oz

Oil: flat, down .16%

3 Ways to Purchase Bitcoin:

1.      ETF – just launched 11 of them, Fidelity (FBTC) and Blackrock (IBIT) are most funded

2.      Coinbase app – most reputable, publicly traded, what I have used

3.      Cold Storage – hardware wallet, 12 seed words 

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.

the Weekly FIVES Series [1 of 250]: This is the first episode of the FIVES (financial independence vs. endless struggle) in a 5 year weekly series. We aim to advocate for the financial underdog, redefining wealth by providing the unlock to save hard-working humans 10-15 years of the 9 to 5 grind.

This episode is all about leveling-up our knowledge on the current financial backdrop in the U.S. to help you build your financial strategy.  It starts off with putting $1 trillion dollars in context and revealing the richest 10% of Americans now own 92% of the stock market.  

5 Simple Macro Take-Aways to Jump Start Your Financial Journey by providing current economic picture:

1.      US National Debt jumped 50% in 4 years, from 22t to 34t and we are now running 1.7t deficit, $5b/day – unsustainable 

2.      M2 money supply (all cash in checking/savings, CD’s) jumped 40% in 2 years, from 15t in 2020 to 21t in 2022

3.      Inflation has increased 16.6% in that 3 years

4.      Stock market 2023 review

5.      What can we do to hedge against inflation and the macro deterioration?

The FIVES Challenge (edit the bold to fit your goals):

1. Starting Jan 2024, we will invest aggressively towards FI,

2. by contributing 50% of our monthly expenses into our F (freedom) bucket,

3. by maxing out 401k and DCA the rest into 5 stocks or ETF's,

4. for the next 5 years (until Jan 2029),

5. to reach financial freedom 5 years early so we can travel young

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.

Why do we work 9 to 5 until we are 65?  Why is it most common to work 45 years only to get maybe 5 good years?  Why isn't financial literacy a focus in high school, college, or life in general?  There are unfortunate truths behind all of this, but it doesn't have to be this way.  It's time to take back control, we live in a different era, financial freedom is closer than you think...

FIVES stands for Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle and is simple framework for helping people design their best life.

My name is Paul LaBlanc, co-host of the Life In Twenty podcast with my two teenagers. I'm an advocate for the financial underdog, redefining wealth through financial literacy. I help unfool hard working humans from a broken system by showing them how to reach financial independence, shave 5 years off the 9 to 5 grind, and reach financial freedom earlier than they could have ever imagined.

I created the Weekly FIVES to prevent people from falling further behind by taking complex market conditions and simplifying for financial underdogs like you and me, and anyone 15-75, to easily understand.   To be honest, I’m still on the journey myself.  Its taken me nearly 50 years to gain clarity around markets, investments, and early retirement goals and it just feels right to be my life purpose the rest of the way, to help others, or maybe just you.

This first episode introduces my mission and purpose for the weekly concept and tees up the FU (Financial Underdog) Challenge - $500k in 5 Years, picking and sticking with 5 stocks, with the goal of contributing $5k to my FU fund each month.  As you can see, everything in FIVES.

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.

LIT episode 18:  On a drive from Pullman back to Seattle, and only one month into her college career, my daughter and 4 of her friends were traveling westbound on I-90 and just crossed over the Columbia River in Vantage.  The car began to smoke, caught fire, and the kids pulled over.  As fate and luck would have it, Jimmy Sandusky spotted the fire and rushed in to get the kids out and extinguish the fire.  He then drove them 100 miles to the top of Snoqualmie pass, all crammed in, on laps, and getting to know each other.  Turns out Jimmy is not only a great man but also played 12 years of professional football from 1984-1996, invented the sticky gloves used in the NFL today, and now runs pickleball tournaments in the Tri-cities area.  In this interview, we discuss Jimmy's biggest regret on a tryout for the Jets, what it takes to be successful, what makes him feel most alive and so much more...

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.

LIT Episode 17:  After serving in the Navy, Ryan didn't know what to do with his life - then his grandpa mentioned 'the trades'.  Twenty-four years later and now a plumbing foreman, Ryan talks about how hard work pays off, the apprenticeship to journeyman pay scale, his regrets around being fearful at times in his career - holding him back - why he may now have the nickname 'old timer', his superpower, lots of laughs, and much more...

To learn more about a career in plumbing, visit https://ualocal32.com/

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.

LIT Episode 16: What would you do if your spouse was facilitating a serious crime? William is Deputy Director at Prison Ministries and served time in federal prison for wire fraud after operating as CFO for a company in NY.  In this vulnerable conversation, William opens up about the biggest mistake in his life, his life before his role in the Ponzi-scheme, and how he's dedicating the rest of his life to others serving time for white collar crimes.  Williams shares what he wants his legacy to be, advice to young men, and lots more in this riveting discussion...

To find our more about William and his organization, visit prisonist.org 

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.

LIT Episode 15:  Chad is Vice President/Partner at Red Sky and helps companies and organizations tell their story and connect the auidences that matter most.  Find out how he learned about the importance of reliability and work ethic watching his mom and dad own and operate a 24/7hr business, the difference between fixed and growth mindset and why being a lifelong learner helps you expand your knowledge and opinions over time, and so much more in our longest episode to date... 

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.

LIT Episode 14:  John, aka "Shep", is a New Business Engineer and has been at NxEdge (semiconductor company) for the past 6 years.  In this interview, Shep talks about his path to where he's at now, including starting in the Army, becoming a mechanic, and then Service Manager at Phil Smart Mercedes Benz in Seattle for 15 years. Shep shares the starting salary of engineers in his industry and provides unforgettable tips for any GenZer in how to level up, why one of his mentors is Gary Payton, how he got a PHD in people, and so much more...

John's recommended read, Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.

LIT Episode 13:  Zach is an audio-visual manager and runs his own DJ company.  Zach's story is fascinating.  He was kicked out of high school his sophomore year, went back to get his GED, was an underwater welder making over $200,000 per year, and then the recession hit.  When he had $3k left to his name he reinvented himself, started an annual one-month roadtrip tradition, became a DJ and cannabis consultant, and says WA state is still the most beautiful place in the country.  Learn why is greatest advice is dental hygiene and much, much more...

If this episode moves you in any way, please share with friends, family, your teenage kids, and tune in next week.  Thank you!

Find the Life In Twenty & Weekly FIVES  podcast two ways:
1.  our website:  www.lifeintwenty.com
2.  download our podcast to your phone, give us a follow to receive new episodes automatically - we'd be super grateful if you left a review :) 

Download The Bucket Tracker to Discover Your Monthly Spread
 
Follow Paul's FIVES Challenge  @lifeintwenty on Twitter
 
Parents & Zoomers - Give our Facebook Page a Follow (facebook.com/lifeintwenty) - a community discussion with mentors and life coaches

FIVES:  Financial Independence Vs. Endless Struggle.  No More 9 to 5 until 65.