Source Notes

These notes identify the primary and official materials supporting the book's rule-sensitive passages. Sources and guidance should be checked again immediately before publication and before any reader acts. Accessed August 10, 2026.

Chapter 1 — The Retirement Lie

•Congressional Research Service, “Contributions to Defined Contribution Retirement Plans,” including

the addition of Internal Revenue Code section 401(k) by the Revenue Act of 1978 and the growth of plans after 1981 regulations: View source •U.S. Department of Labor, “50 Years of ERISA and EBSA”: View source •U.S. Department of Labor, “FAQs About Retirement Plans and ERISA”: View source •IRS, “401(k) Resource Guide — Plan Participants — General Distribution Rules”: View source

Chapter 2 — Beyond the 401(k)

•IRS, “Retirement Plans FAQs Regarding IRAs,” including unconventional investments, trustee

restrictions, real estate, collectibles, and prohibited-transaction risk: View source •IRS, “Rollovers of Retirement Plan and IRA Distributions”: View source •IRS, “Retirement Topics — Participant-Directed Accounts”: View source •IRS, 'Retirement Plan Investments FAQs': View source •IRS Publication 590-B, 'Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements': View source

Chapter 3 - The Safest-Looking Risk

•FINRA, 'Know Your Risk Tolerance': View source •SEC Investor.gov, 'Gauge Your Risk Tolerance': View source •SEC Investor.gov, 'Asset Allocation and Diversification': View source

Chapter 5 — Buy Your Inheritance Today

•IRS, “Estate and Gift Taxes”: View source •IRS, “Frequently Asked Questions on Gift Taxes”: View source

Chapter 6 - Together We Thrive

•FINRA, '2012 Regulatory and Examination Priorities Letter,' including church-bond credit, market,

transparency, and affinity-sale concerns: View source •FINRA, 'Bond Investing and Due Diligence': View source •FINRA, 'Bond Liquidity-Factors to Consider and Questions to Ask': View source •NASAA, adopted policy archive identifying church-bond and church-extension-fund securities policies:

View source

Chapter 7 — Health Is Wealth

•IRS Publication 969, “Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans”: View source •IRS, “About Publication 969”: View source •IRS Notice 2026-5, HSA eligibility and recent statutory changes: View source •CDC, 'What Counts as Physical Activity for Older Adults': View source

Chapter 8 — Opening Doors to Wealth

•FINRA, “Securities-Backed Lines of Credit Explained”: View source •SEC Investor.gov, “Private Placements under Regulation D — Updated Investor Bulletin”: View source •SEC Investor.gov, “Updated Investor Bulletin: Regulation Crowdfunding for Investors”: View source •CFPB, 'What Is a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)?': View source •SEC Investor.gov, 'Investor Alert: Securities-Backed Lines of Credit': View source •SEC Investor.gov, 'Investor Bulletin: Understanding Margin Accounts': View source

Chapter 9 - From Cash to Assets

•CFPB, 'An Essential Guide to Building an Emergency Fund': View source •SEC Investor.gov, 'Beginners' Guide to Asset Allocation, Diversification, and Rebalancing': View source

Chapter 10 — The Roth Side Door

•IRS Topic No. 309, “Roth IRA Contributions,” updated May 8, 2026: View source •IRS Publication 590-A, “Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements”: View source •IRS, “Instructions for Form 8606”: View source •IRS Publication 590-B, “Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements”: View source •IRS, '2026 Retirement-Plan and IRA Contribution Limits,' including Roth IRA phaseout ranges: View

source •IRS, 'About Form 8606, Nondeductible IRAs': View source •IRS, 'Retirement Topics - Designated Roth Account': View source

Chapter 11 — The Algorithm Has No Fiduciary Duty

•SEC Investor.gov, “Social Media and Stock Tip Scams,” February 6, 2026: View source •SEC Investor.gov, “Check Out Your Investment Professional”: View source •SEC Investor.gov, “Ask and Check”: View source

Chapter 12 — The Monopoly of the Stock Market

•SEC Investor.gov, “Private Placements under Regulation D — Updated Investor Bulletin,” including

limited disclosure, illiquidity, and loss risk: View source •SEC, “Private Placements — Rule 506(b)”: View source

Chapter 13 — The Rulebook Changed

•IRS Publication 590-A, including qualified 529-to-Roth IRA rollover conditions: View source •IRS Topic No. 313, “Qualified Tuition Programs”: View source •IRS, “Required Minimum Distributions FAQs”: View source •IRS Notice 2024-55, guidance on emergency personal expense distributions: View source •IRS Notice 2024-63, guidance on qualified student loan payment matching contributions: View source •IRS Publication 560, including SECURE 2.0 automatic-enrollment and catch-up provisions: View source •Treasury and IRS final regulations on Roth catch-up contributions, effective November 17, 2025,

generally applicable beginning in 2027: View source

Ongoing Publication Rule

Current law, effective dates, inflation-adjusted limits, employer-plan adoption, custodian policy, state tax treatment, and personal facts must be verified at the time of publication and again before action. A law can create an opportunity. It does not automatically create a personal strategy.