Tools & Dashboards

Here are some shortcuts to the FAANG FIRE customizable dashboards, analysis, and other tools I personally use to help me on my path to FIRE.

Custom Dashboards

Total Comp + RSU Dashboard & Equity Value Tracker

I created this dashboard for my personal use. With Meta & Uber RSUs constantly moving I honestly didn't know my overall compensation. If RSUs are a significant part of your compensation package, then this dashboard will help you finally understand how much you make.

Make Your Own Copy

Third Party Tools I Recommend

I use and test a large number of tools each year that help me on my path to FIRE. Most that I use I wouldn’t recommend but the ones mentioned below are ones I personally use. Some include affiliate links which earn me a commission for new sign ups, but they will not appear on this list unless I use them.

If you previously used Mint and are looking for an alternative, I broke down my preferred alternatives to Mint, both free and paid.

Projection Lab (Included in Extra Guac)

A newcomer in the FIRE tool space. Projection lab is a bootstrapped project that is gaining a strong following within the FIRE community. The developer is actively making improvements and I am really excited about the trajectory and power this tool is providing. I regularly use ProjectionLab to create granular year by year breakdowns and projections that I just can’t do in a spreadsheet!

Kubera (Included in Extra Guac till May 15th)

Kubera has quickly become one of my favorite net worth trackers. It helps me break down my entire net worth in all the ways I want. Designed to help high-net-worth individuals track their overall finances, it does an outstanding job. I rely on it to monitor my asset allocation—something I previously managed with a custom spreadsheet. It’s also purpose-built to track crypto, angel investments, real estate, and a variety of custom asset types. Plus, its customer service is the best I’ve experienced; all my questions have been promptly answered by a real person (a rarity these days).

Lunch Money (Included in Extra Guac)

Another awesome bootstrapped project that has earned its place as a simple to use expense tracker and budgeting tool that is regularly getting better. They have managed to land in what I consider the goldilocks zone of budgeting tools. It has a lot of customization without getting overwhelming like some of the other tools out there.

Mezzi (Included in Extra Guac)

Mezzi keeps launching features that proactively help me stay on top of my investments. I really like the “X-Ray” feature which helps me understand my actual concentration by looking at the actual company shares within the mutual funds and etfs I hold. They also alert me to tax loss harvesting opportunities as well as uninvested funds. Not to mention an AI that actually uses my real data!

Carry Solo 401k (Included in Extra Guac)

Just because I am no longer working at a FAANG doesn't mean I can't still contribute to a 401k! The team at Carry built out a Solo 401k product that gives you access to a mega backdoor roth 401k. Definitely check them out if you have any side projects bringing in money or run your own business.

WealthFront

WealthFront has been leading the way in terms of the future of banking and robo advising. While that is what they are most known for I use them for a different reason. They are a key part of my emergency fund. They routinely offer some of the highest rates and throughout 2022-2023 have been among the first to raise their savings rates. In addition, their retirement projection tools are also first class. Even if you don’t use their robo-advising, you can still access their full suite of free tools.

Monarch Money

When it comes to paid services Monarch Money simply does the vast majority of things really really well. It is very easy to recommend and those migrating from Mint will honestly be delighted with the switch. They were founded by an early Mint Product Manager who didn’t want to compromise the product experience.

Personal Capital (Rebranded Empower)

By far my favorite free tool for tracking my overall net worth and investments. I regularly use it for monitoring my top level net worth, tracking asset allocations across all my investments, their savings planner, and they have one of the best sets of retirement projection tools available.

FTC Disclosure: Empower Personal Wealth, LLC (“EPW”) compensates FAANG FIRE for new leads. FAANG FIRE is not an investment client of Empower Advisory Group, LLC.

You Need a Budget

I ground all my FIRE plans off a strong understanding of my current spend. You Need a Budget, or YNAB for short, is my favorite paid budgeting tool if you are serious about wanting to understand your spend. It is intentionally manual at times, but helps force you to assign every dollar to a job. This intentionality is something I encourage everyone to do at least for a year to understand your personal trends.

New Retirement

The accumulation phase of FIRE is only a small piece of your overall financial life. New Retirement’s tools help you plan what happens after you pull the trigger. There isn’t a better paid tool out there that allows as much deep scenario planning and projections as NewRetirement. Their Roth Conversion calculator is one of my favorite features and helps me answer the questions around how I would optimally access my FIRE nest egg when I finally pull the trigger and retire early.

FAANG FIRE