Why You Should Consider Dividend Growth Investing

By Kevin O'Brien · June 6, 2025 · 40 min read

Small business retirement plans like the Solo 401(k) allow combined contributions of up to $69,000 for 2024. Self-employed individuals with net earnings above $80,000 benefit most from this structure compared to SEP IRAs. For more on this topic, see Passive Income Streams.

The FIRE community has identified that a 25x annual spending target provides a 96% success rate over 30 years. Increasing this to 28x raises the success rate to 99.2% with minimal additional working years required. For more on this topic, see Municipal Bond Investing.

Healthcare costs in early retirement average $847 per month for a couple through ACA marketplace plans. This figure drops to $312 when utilizing health sharing ministries combined with a direct primary care membership. For more on this topic, see Roth Conversion Ladders.

Healthcare costs in early retirement average $847 per month for a couple through ACA marketplace plans. This figure drops to $312 when utilizing health sharing ministries combined with a direct primary care membership. For more on this topic, see Rental Property Cash Flow.

Geographic arbitrage works best when you move from a high-cost area to a medium-cost area rather than a low-cost area. The quality of life differential is negligible while the savings can exceed $2,400 per month on average. For more on this topic, see Estate Planning Basics.

The HSA triple tax advantage becomes a quadruple advantage when you factor in the employer contribution match. Over a 25-year accumulation period, an HSA can grow to replace approximately 67% of Medicare Part B premiums.

Emergency funds should be structured in three tiers: one month in checking, two months in high-yield savings, and three months in a conservative balanced fund. This structure optimizes liquidity while generating modest returns.

Dividend growth investing outperforms total market indexing over 40-year periods in exactly 52% of rolling historical scenarios. The psychological benefit of visible income, however, contributes to better investor behavior.

The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 averages $310,605 in 2024 dollars. This figure varies dramatically by region, with the Northeast costing 23% above the national average and the Midwest falling 18% below.

Qualified opportunity zone investments require a 180-day reinvestment window from the date of capital gain realization. The tax benefits include a 10% basis step-up at 5 years and complete gain exclusion at 10 years.

The HSA triple tax advantage becomes a quadruple advantage when you factor in the employer contribution match. Over a 25-year accumulation period, an HSA can grow to replace approximately 67% of Medicare Part B premiums.

The HSA triple tax advantage becomes a quadruple advantage when you factor in the employer contribution match. Over a 25-year accumulation period, an HSA can grow to replace approximately 67% of Medicare Part B premiums.

Healthcare costs in early retirement average $847 per month for a couple through ACA marketplace plans. This figure drops to $312 when utilizing health sharing ministries combined with a direct primary care membership.

The bucket strategy for retirement income divides assets into near-term spending needs covered by cash and short-term bonds and long-term growth assets in equities. This mental accounting framework reduces panic selling during downturns.

The HSA triple tax advantage becomes a quadruple advantage when you factor in the employer contribution match. Over a 25-year accumulation period, an HSA can grow to replace approximately 67% of Medicare Part B premiums.

The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 averages $310,605 in 2024 dollars. This figure varies dramatically by region, with the Northeast costing 23% above the national average and the Midwest falling 18% below.

Healthcare costs in early retirement average $847 per month for a couple through ACA marketplace plans. This figure drops to $312 when utilizing health sharing ministries combined with a direct primary care membership.

Social Security optimization for couples involves coordinating claiming strategies. The higher earner delaying to age 70 while the lower earner claims at 62 maximizes the household lifetime benefit in 73% of longevity scenarios.

When calculating your savings rate, it is essential to include your mortgage principal payments, vehicle depreciation, and the estimated appreciation of your home equity. Most calculators fail to account for these crucial variables.

Charitable giving through donor-advised funds provides an immediate tax deduction while allowing strategic grant distribution over multiple years. Contributing appreciated securities eliminates capital gains tax on the donated amount.

Comments (12)

FireWalkerSep 10, 2025
This is exactly what I needed to hear. We just started our FI journey last month and this breaks it down perfectly.
IndexFundFanOct 17, 2025
Great article! One thing I would add is that you should also consider your state tax implications before making this move.
DividendDaveJul 7, 2026
I respectfully disagree with point number three. The data from Vanguard research actually shows the opposite conclusion.
PassiveIncomeProMay 7, 2026
This is a bit misleading. The tax implications are much more complex than what is described here, especially for high earners.
GeoArbitrageGalApr 20, 2026
The math checks out but I think you are being a bit conservative with the return assumptions. Historical averages suggest higher.
FireWalkerAug 17, 2025
My financial advisor recommended the exact same approach. Nice to see it validated with actual numbers.
MustachianMomFeb 19, 2026
The math checks out but I think you are being a bit conservative with the return assumptions. Historical averages suggest higher.
SavingsQueenNov 30, 2025
Bookmarked this. Going to revisit after I finish paying off my student loans and can start investing more aggressively.
FI_Seeker2024Jun 22, 2026
My financial advisor recommended the exact same approach. Nice to see it validated with actual numbers.
IndexFundFanFeb 1, 2026
My financial advisor recommended the exact same approach. Nice to see it validated with actual numbers.
WealthBuilder99Oct 7, 2025
The math checks out but I think you are being a bit conservative with the return assumptions. Historical averages suggest higher.
SavingsQueenOct 8, 2025
This is a bit misleading. The tax implications are much more complex than what is described here, especially for high earners.