About this site
Teacher-Investor is created to assist the Michigan public school teacher in getting started with their long-term investing goals (Pension and 401(k) info is based on Michigan laws and legislation and probably won't apply to every state). Since our pension and retirement insurance are dramatically different (and will continue to change) from when we started teaching, we will need to supplement our retirement income. Michigan teachers hired after 2012 are completely "on their own" with a 401(k) because they have no pension system out there as a safety-net.
Since there are so many traps and pitfalls in investing, I am presenting information to help each teacher to become a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) investor to help them avoid the high cost of bad mutual funds, expensive commissions, and bad advisors.
I am a regular teacher and have no degree in finance, nor do I sell or take royalties from any investment products. I am a member of the "Bogleheads" forum - a group of investors following the teachings of John C. Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Investment Group. I have read several of John Bogle's books as well as books written by the "Boglehead" founders. I've had a strong interest in finance and investing since 2009 when I was first introduced to Dave Ramsey, a national radio host and speaker. In 2014, I started helping my colleagues by creating investment-related materials and sharing it with them so they can get started towards investing. My first investment pamphlet can be downloaded here.
I am confident that, after learning a bit more about investing in mutual funds, every teacher can easily and confidently open a Vanguard, Schwab or Fidelity IRA account, put their first dollars into a good index fund, and set up monthly contributions. Starting this early on will reap great results down the road when you reach your retirement years.
*Disclaimer* - I am not a tax advisor nor am I a Certified Financial Planner. Please be sure you read and research further and be sure to know the most up-to-date information before making your decisions. You may want to set an appointment with a fee-only financial advisor to take a look at your entire financial picture (NOT a commission-based advisor).
Since there are so many traps and pitfalls in investing, I am presenting information to help each teacher to become a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) investor to help them avoid the high cost of bad mutual funds, expensive commissions, and bad advisors.
I am a regular teacher and have no degree in finance, nor do I sell or take royalties from any investment products. I am a member of the "Bogleheads" forum - a group of investors following the teachings of John C. Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Investment Group. I have read several of John Bogle's books as well as books written by the "Boglehead" founders. I've had a strong interest in finance and investing since 2009 when I was first introduced to Dave Ramsey, a national radio host and speaker. In 2014, I started helping my colleagues by creating investment-related materials and sharing it with them so they can get started towards investing. My first investment pamphlet can be downloaded here.
I am confident that, after learning a bit more about investing in mutual funds, every teacher can easily and confidently open a Vanguard, Schwab or Fidelity IRA account, put their first dollars into a good index fund, and set up monthly contributions. Starting this early on will reap great results down the road when you reach your retirement years.
*Disclaimer* - I am not a tax advisor nor am I a Certified Financial Planner. Please be sure you read and research further and be sure to know the most up-to-date information before making your decisions. You may want to set an appointment with a fee-only financial advisor to take a look at your entire financial picture (NOT a commission-based advisor).