The Diagnosis
Three things holding wealth back
High income doesn't automatically create wealth — it requires intentional structure. These three issues are quietly costing money every single month.
$624K
Bank cash still earning near-zero
Round two of cash deployment
March already moved $1M+ to Betterment — $500K to HYSA (goal hit) and $536K to taxable investing. The remaining $624K in Wells Fargo is the next tranche. Reallocating $300K–$400K into Treasuries or HYSA unlocks another $15K–$18K/year in yield while keeping full liquidity.
$775K
Vehicle & boat loans at 7.60–7.99% APR
Debt is a monthly drain
Four loans at 7.60–7.99% are costing an estimated $4,400–$5,200/month in interest alone. With the ~$253K monthly surplus, this entire load can be completely eliminated in under 10 months with aggressive payoff — or refinanced where the rate spread justifies it.
7.87%
$2.37M mortgage on 1635 Highland Rd
Mortgage rate is well above market
At 7.87%, interest alone is roughly $15,500/month — about $186K/year. A refinance to 6.5% would drop the payment by ~$7,800/month and save $90K+/year. Target: refinance as soon as 30-year rates settle into the mid-6s. Do not accelerate principal — fix the rate first.
$631K
Current investment portfolio balance
Now building — keep the momentum
Up from $124K in February — a 5× jump after the March Betterment deployment. The realistic 14-month target is $2.5M+ across invested assets (including HYSA and Treasuries), driven by continued $75K–$100K monthly contributions plus every freed-up debt payment.
Step One — In Motion
$1M deployed. $624K to go.
March executed the first wave — $500K to Betterment HYSA (goal hit) and $536K to Betterment taxable. The remaining bank cash is the next tranche.
Cash Deployment Status
✅ Betterment Taxable Investing (deployed March)
$536,408
✅ Betterment HYSA (goal exceeded · 4.5% APY)
$504,095
⏳ Bank Cash — pending next deployment
$623,636
Total liquid position
$1,664,139
HYSA passive income (already active)
+$22,700 / yr
Monthly Surplus — $253,151 / Month
$253,151
March: $658,106 gross deposits − $404,955 total cash out
💳 Aggressive vehicle/boat payoff
$120,000
📈 Betterment taxable — index funds
$75,000
🏦 401(k) catch-up to annual max
$40,000
🔒 Cash buffer / reserve
$18,151
Total allocated monthly
$253,151
Debt Elimination
$775,267 — gone in under 10 months
Highest interest rate first. $120K/month in extra payments applied in sequence. Each loan that clears accelerates the next one.
| Priority |
Debt |
Balance |
Rate |
Min. Payment |
Payoff |
Action |
| 01 — First |
2026 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
TT of Vineland · Highest APR · Currently underwater
|
$204,037 |
7.99% |
$3,722 |
Month 2 |
Months 1–2 |
| 02 — Second |
2026 Sunsation 32CCX
Navigant Credit Union · Largest balance · Positive equity
|
$392,058 |
7.74% |
$3,271 |
Month 7 |
Months 3–7 |
| 03 — Third |
2025 Ford F-250 Super Duty
Fifth Third Bank
|
$88,396 |
7.64% |
$1,635 |
Month 8 |
Month 8 |
| 04 — Fourth |
2025 Ford Bronco Raptor
Truist Online Auto Loan
|
$90,776 |
7.60% |
$1,694 |
Month 9 |
Month 9 |
| Total Consumer Debt |
$775,267 |
|
$10,322/mo |
10 Months |
$0 by Dec '26 |
| Refi Target |
Mortgage — Shellpoint
1635 Highland Rd, Winter Park · Refinance when rates justify it — 7.87% is well above market
|
$2,374,048 |
7.87% |
$22,779 |
Watch |
Refi <6.5% |
The Execution
Four phases. Fourteen months.
Click each phase to expand the action items and see projected impact numbers.
✅ Betterment HYSA funded — $504,095 (goal hit)
Completed in March. Betterment Cash Reserve is now sitting at $504,095, exceeding the $500K target. Earning ~4.5% APY, FDIC insured. Generating ~$22,700/year in passive, zero-risk income — live now.
✅ Betterment Taxable deployed — $536,408
Completed in March. Betterment taxable account is now at $536,408 (up +$508,724 from February), running Betterment's 90/10 growth allocation with automatic rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting. Total invested assets jumped from $124K to $606K in a single month.
Max Kirsten's 401(k) — call ADP this week
2026 employee contribution limit: $23,500. With employer match, the total combined limit is $70,000. Current balance of $40,855 shows Kirsten is ~55% through the year already, so the remaining employee contributions can be front-loaded over April–December. Work with ADP to max both the employee deferral and the employer profit-sharing side. Reduces taxable income immediately and starts the tax-deferred compounding clock.
Update salaries to $184K for both Kirsten and JR
Formalize with the accountant. A reasonable W-2 salary optimizes the QBI deduction — 20% deduction on remaining pass-through business income — potentially saving $200K+ annually.
Deploy remaining $624K bank cash (next action)
Wells Fargo still holds $623,636 earning near-zero. Recommendation: move $300K–$400K into a Treasury ladder or top-up Betterment HYSA for immediate yield, leaving ~$225K–$325K as operating reserve. Then set up recurring monthly transfers per the allocation table: $120K debt payoff, $75K Betterment taxable, $40K 401(k).
Phase 1 Impact
Cash deployed productively$1,040,503 ✅
HYSA passive income (live)+$22,700/yr
Portfolio value$124K → $606K ✅
Bank cash remaining$623,636
Next tranche target$300K–$400K to Treasuries/HYSA
Porsche 911 — paid off by Month 3
$211,481 at 7.99%. Apply $120K/month extra + $3,722 minimum. Cleared in approximately 1.7 months. The moment it's gone, the full $123,722/month pivots to the boat.
Sunsation 32CCX — paid off by Month 8
$395,329 at 7.74%. Full $120K/month redirects here after the Porsche clears. Paid off Month 8. Frees up $3,271/month in minimum payments.
Ford F-250 — single-payment knockout at Month 8
$90,031 at 7.64%. One month of extra payments wipes it. $1,635/month freed.
Ford Bronco — final debt gone, Month 9
$92,470 at 7.60%. As of Month 9, zero consumer debt outside the mortgage. Monthly payment obligations drop from $33,101 to $22,779.
Refinance the 7.87% mortgage when rates permit
The $2.37M Shellpoint mortgage at 7.87% is the single largest interest drag on the household — about $186K/year in interest alone. A refinance to 6.5% would save ~$7,800/month ($93K/year); down to 6.0% would save ~$9,000/month ($108K/year). Start rate shopping now with a mortgage broker, lock when 30-year rates hit the mid-6s. Do not pay extra principal — fix the rate first, then decide.
Phase 2 Impact
Consumer debt cleared$775,267
Interest saved vs. minimums~$38,000
Monthly payments freed+$10,322/mo
Mortgage refi savings (at 6.5%)+$93,000/yr
Consumer debt by Jan '27$0
New monthly investable floor~$265,356/mo
Execute LOI on warehouse or aircraft hangar by Q2
Target: Winter Park / Maitland (32789). Properties shortlisted: 2335 Temple Trail, 725 Formosa Ave, 1200 Alden Rd. Must close and be operational by December 31, 2026 to qualify for OBBBA 100% bonus depreciation.
Commission a Cost Segregation Study immediately after closing
Reclassifies 20–40% of the building into 5/7-year personal property. Under OBBBA, this creates a 100% year-one deduction — potentially $1.5M–$4.5M against KMR income on a $3–5M property.
Finance with SBA 504 — 10% down, preserve cash
As owner-occupant, SBA 504 requires only ~10% equity. Preserves capital while capturing the full depreciation benefit. Florida First Capital (FFCFC) is the #1 SBA 504 lender in Florida for 2026.
Section 179 — buy qualifying equipment before Dec 31
$2.56M limit in 2026. Content creation equipment, vehicles over 6,000 lbs, studio buildout all qualify. Document business use carefully. Coordinate with Tyler at Solutions Group.
Phase 3 Impact
Bonus depreciation (Year 1)$1.5M – $4.5M
Est. tax savings (37%)$555K – $1.67M
Section 179 ceiling$2.56M
Hard deadlineDec 31, 2026
SBA down payment~10%
Redirect all $10,322/month of freed payments to investments
Every loan that disappears moves directly to brokerage — no lifestyle inflation. $10,322/month at 10% for 5 years = $795,000 in additional wealth.
Lock in the $1M annual lifestyle budget + bonus structure
Proposal: $100K bonus for staying under $1M in spending for the year. $30K bonus per $1M investment milestone reached. Aligns incentives with building wealth, not spending it.
Oil & Gas investment — 90% year-one deduction
$100K invested yields a ~$90K tax deduction in Year 1 (~$33K in actual savings at 37%). Estimated 10-year return: $200K–$225K with favorable depletion allowance treatment. Discuss with Tyler (Solutions Group).
Fort Lauderdale condo + boat slip — Airbnb strategy
Intercostal property with boat slip used as short-term rental when not in use. Potential: $60K–$120K/year in rental income while appreciating. Pairs with RGB Experiences for boat charter operations.
Phase 4 Trajectory
New monthly investable floor$265,356
Portfolio target by end 2027$5M+
Passive income (HYSA + div.)$80K–$120K/yr
Consumer debt$0
Net worth target by 2028$7M+
⚠️
Important Assumptions
The $253,151 monthly surplus (March: $658,106 in gross deposits minus $404,955 in total cash out) assumes income stays consistent and lifestyle expenses remain stable. If income dips or a large purchase occurs, the timeline extends — but the math still works, it just takes longer. Note: Fenix pays weekly in arrears, so the Empower bank balance will often lag the accrued monthly figure by ~1 week of revenue (~$150K).
✅
Three Non-Negotiables
(1) Deploy the cash this month — not next month. (2) Keep lifestyle spending flat while paying off debt. (3) Warehouse LOI by Q2 — the Dec 31 deadline for the tax benefit is immovable.