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Drew Wood on Muck Rack

Drew Wood

Minneapolis
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Dad jokes and existential dread.
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Articles

Take a $15,000 Income Cut Today. Gain a $55,000 Raise Tomorrow. Original

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By Drew Wood
| 24/7 Wall Street Verified
Every retiree with $1 million faces a version of the same choice. Park the money in a higher-yield income fund and aim for roughly $55,000 a year, or buy dividend growers yielding closer to 4%, take about $40,000 in year one, and let raises compound. The first pays more now. The second has a better chance to transform the income stream over time. The 10-year Treasury was near 4.5% in early July 2026, which sets a useful low-default-risk benchmark.
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Would You Rather Earn $55,000 Today or $110,000 in 20 Years? Original

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By Drew Wood
| 24/7 Wall Street Verified
Most income investors instinctively want the bigger paycheck today. That makes sense. A portfolio paying $55,000 this year feels more useful than one built around a payoff two decades from now. But retirement income is not judged only in year one. It is judged by whether the paycheck still has purchasing power in year 10, year 15, and year 20. Turning $55,000 of annual income into about $110,000 over 20 years requires roughly 3.5% annual growth.
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From a $38,000 Income to $84,000 Without Investing Another Dollar Original

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By Drew Wood
| 24/7 Wall Street Verified
A $38,000 income is not a fantasy number. It is close to the annual earnings of many full-time workers after taxes and below the national average starting teacher salary of $48,112 for 2024-25. The headline is arithmetic, not marketing: a portfolio that pays $38,000 today can approach $84,000 in about a decade without a single additional dollar of contributions, provided the dividends keep compounding at a high enough rate.
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