Ask HTM - Housing Rule of Thumb, Axing a Boat Payments, & Making Bank on the World Cup #1108
whatshot 18 snips
Mar 2, 2026
Listeners ask practical finance questions about keeping mortgage payments manageable and simple rules to follow. They cover the nuts and bolts of 401(k) rollovers and when to use trustee-to-trustee transfers. Debate if paying off a boat loan or preserving emergency savings makes sense. Learn how short-term rentals for the World Cup can boost income and what tax rules to watch.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Keep Housing Under 25 To 30 Percent Of Income
Spend less than 25% of gross income or about 30% of take-home pay on all housing costs including taxes and insurance.
Joel and Matt recommend sizing mortgage payments to monthly budget and include property taxes and insurance when estimating affordability.
insights INSIGHT
Cheaper Housing Buys Long Term Optionality
Lower housing costs buy optionality and protect other goals like retirement or fun spending.
Joel emphasizes that keeping housing small frees you to save, pursue financial independence, and avoid being house poor.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
House Hack To Offset Mortgage Costs
Consider house hacking or renting part of your home to turn housing from expense to revenue.
Joel and Matt note duplexes, mother-in-law suites, or short-term rentals can materially change your financial picture.
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We’re kicking off the week by answering your listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!
1 - Housing costs: What’s a good rule of thumb to stick with to help me keep my mortgage payment in check?
2 - 401k rollover: Can you share the penalties and benefits of a retirement account rollover?
3 - Boat payment: How much should I pull out of my savings to finally get rid of my boat loan?
4 - World Cup: How do I ensure that I make the most money and avoid any pitfalls when renting my place for the World Cup this summer?
5 - Down payment: My down payment is in stocks but I might be buying a house next month… what do I do?!
Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
401k rollovers:Capitalize is the site we discussed where you can easily roll over an old 401k for free- don’t let your retirement dollars languish with an inferior provider!
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MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.
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