Lifetime Financial Planner

Your vision

    Where to grow

      Your path

      Each stage of life, with the buildings you own and what comes in against what your family spends, per month in today's dollars.

        Income that doesn't take your time

        Per month, in today's dollars. Your family is covered wherever the blue line is above the orange one.

        Passive income covers
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          Passive income and spending over your life

          Per month, in today's dollars. Passive income is rental cash flow plus a safe 4% a year drawn from your invested savings. You are free wherever the blue line is above the orange one.

          Build hands-off income

          Five ways to put your savings to work, from fully hands-off to hands-on, run on your own numbers. Hours are rough owner time per month once everything is bought. "Use" switches your plan to that approach.

          Compare more options

          Choose an investment mix

          What a simple index-fund portfolio can expect over the long run, before inflation, and the support you would still need with each. More stocks means bigger swings along the way.

          Choose a real estate approach

          Affordable is much of the Midwest and South; typical is near national averages. Each row shows one property's first year with 25% down, then what buying them for your whole plan means. "Use" switches your rentals to that kind of property.

          Starting points from 2025–2026 market data: rental houses average about a 7.5% gross yield nationally (ATTOM), small multiplexes trade near a 6% cap rate (Arbor), and a typical Airbnb runs about 57% occupancy with costs of 35–55% of revenue (AirDNA). Every market differs. Check local rents, taxes, insurance and short-term rental rules before buying.

          you can spend
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          at your current spending
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          What you own over your life

          Savings plus home and rental equity, in today's dollars. The end of each line is what passes on at your passing, not counting houses given earlier. A dot marks the age cash runs out; after that the line is houses you would have to sell.

          See every year

          Every year of the plan in today's dollars, at your current spending. Money in is investment return, rental income and any pay or support. Savings is cash and investments at year end. Net worth adds home and rental equity.

          Ministry support

          Generosity

          What giving more of everything that comes in would mean: your rentals, investment returns and support. "Live on" is household spending without giving that still leaves your goal per child.

          Your versions

          Change the numbers, save, and compare. Open a version to go back to it.

          Where you stand today

          What your investments need to do

          Portfolio strategies

          The same plan run six ways, using your numbers. "Savings run out" is at your planned spending. "Carries" is the peak family spending per month, in today's dollars, the strategy supports without ever running short, and "left per child" is the estate if you spend at that level.

          Building the portfolio without a job

          1. Start buying rentals now, one a year, while spending is low. Waiting costs years of rent and growth.
          2. Buy for cash flow, not appreciation. Aim for yearly rent near 10% of the price, such as a $275k duplex or house renting for about $2,300 a month.
          3. Keep running costs near 35% of rent by managing the houses yourself or negotiating management fees.
          4. Keep six months of spending in cash and never buy past that reserve.
          5. Set the family budget to what the portfolio carries. Each extra $1,000 a month needs about $300,000 more invested behind it.

          Projections use smooth average returns, not advice. Have a fee-only planner or CPA check taxes and financing before buying.

          Salary this life needs (today's dollars, before tax)
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          What each stretch of life takes

          Today's dollars, averaged per year. "Needed from investments" is spending not covered by take-home pay and rental income. Red means your investments earn less than that and savings shrink.

          Pull actuals from the budgeting app

          Net worth

          Income vs spending

          Annual cash flow after purchases

          Where the money goes

          Timeline

            Year by year

            Rows shaded red are years savings are below zero. Hover a row to see its events.