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Hello, hello, hello! Welcome to the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter!

This week, we'll jump into:

—Mindy Jensen, host of the BiggerPockets Money podcast

P.S. BPCON2025 is October 5-7 in Las Vegas! Join us for a Finance-Focused track! Get your tickets at www.biggerpockets.com/conference

THIS WEEK ON MONEY

Ready to Retire?

Wealth-building through real estate: It’s not a pipe dream or out of reach! There are IRS-approved strategies that real estate investors like you are already using to build wealth.

This article breaks down seven ways to retire tax-free through real estate investing—including a few creative strategies most people don’t even know exist.

👉 Read how investors are building tax-free wealth.

MY FAVORITE BLOG ARTICLE

Discussion: How to Avoid the Middle-Class Trap

I was recently a guest on the Choose FI podcast to discuss the Middle-Class Trap with Brad Barrett and Chris Mamula.

Imagine my surprise and delight when Sean Mullaney, the FI Tax Guy, wrote an article from the point of a CFP in response to this episode being released!

I wanted to respond to Sean's article and give further context to my thoughts here.

We would LOVE to hear from you about your numbers and your thoughts on the Middle-Class Trap!

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AMBERLY MAKES CENTS

It's Wedding Season!

It's officially time to start pulling out those suits and dresses to attend your favorite people's weddings!

I just attended my first wedding of 2025 last weekend, and while trying to determine the best gift, I realized others may need some guidance. So how do you navigate the financial cost of a wedding as a guest? And read on for my one piece of super-unconventional advice.

THIS WEEK ON MONEY

Is FIRE the Right Choice for You?

You’re part of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) so you can quit your job, have complete time freedom, and truly enjoy your life.

But, what if early retirement isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be?
Tyler Gardner, former portfolio manager and financial advisor, has seen the toxic side of FIRE far too often. Tyler believes that working on something you love can be far more meaningful than early retirement—and he might be right.

Listen here for our entire discussion.

LIFE AFTER FIRE

Living Your Dream Life in Retirement

What if you reached financial independence before knowing what it was? Our guest Chris Rusin had been hustling, saving money, and chasing financial freedom for years before experiencing a big wake-up call. He encountered a half-billionaire who, despite “having it all,” was deeply unhappy and filled with regret. That moment sparked a shift—not toward more money, but toward more meaning.

Since then, Chris has dived for treasure with Navy SEALs, unearthed dinosaur fossils, and much more—all before turning 50! But he’s also faced his fair share of fear and uncertainty. After receiving a cancer diagnosis and losing his voice to chemotherapy, he made a promise: If his voice came back, he’d finally record the album he’d dreamed of making.

Listen to our chat with Chris here, and stick around to the end for a world debut of his album's first song.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

Encouragement Needed for a Fellow FIRE Follower

A member of our Facebook group posted this question:
What is the best advice for overcoming the intense emotion surrounding working towards FIRE? I am deeply unhappy with my life, and I stay at a job I hate to help move me towards FIRE quicker. I am 36 years old with a net worth of $625,000. I feel as though I will never make it, and I am pretty close to giving up. Any encouragement?

First, I want to say a net worth of $625,000 at 36 is REALLY GOOD!

Second, I want to quote something I found online: "Don't compare the beginning or middle of your journey to the end of mine."

Third, I want to invite all you Money Newsletter readers to go into the group and share encouragement, because it's so easy to fall into a hole and not be able to come back out.

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