Net Worth
$385KTop 42%PeakWorth
$4.2M+$182KNet Worth
$385KTop 42%PeakWorth
$4.2M+$182KFI Age
50y 1m-11moOwning a business is the most common path to true wealth — and the second-most common path to bankruptcy. PeakWorth models the lost W-2 salary, the runway you'll burn, and a Solo 401(k) that shelters up to $70K/yr, then shows the risk-adjusted FI-Age swing of going out on your own.
Modeled runway before you quit
12–24 mo expenses
Solo 401(k) limit (2026)
$70,000
Avg time to profitability
2–3 years
Self-employment tax
15.3% on first ~$170K
Before quitting, you need 12–24 months of personal expenses in cash, plus business startup capital, plus a healthcare bridge. Most failed businesses fail because the founder ran out of personal runway, not because the business idea was wrong.
Solo 401(k) is the gold standard: shelter up to $70K/yr (2026) in pre-tax + Roth contributions. SEP IRA is simpler but no Roth option and no catch-up. SIMPLE IRA is for small teams. The right choice can shelter $30K+/yr more than a typical W-2 401(k).
Buying an existing business with proven cash flow is usually less risky than starting from scratch — but requires capital, due diligence, and willingness to take on a multi-year SBA loan. Common multiples: small businesses sell for 2–4× annual seller's discretionary earnings.
PeakWorth models your W-2 path and a business path as separate scenarios, each against your baseline — capturing the salary and match you give up, the months of personal runway you draw down, the healthcare bridge, and a ramp to profitability — through the year-by-year deterministic simulation to age 95.
Because business outcomes are bimodal, it lets you test optimistic, base, and downside ramps and reports the FI Age and PeakWorth (highest projected lifetime net worth) for each, so 'can I afford to quit?' becomes a risk-adjusted, dated answer rather than a leap of faith.
Generic articles can only go so far. PeakWorth runs every scenario against your real income, expenses, and goals — so you see the dollar-and-year impact of every decision before you make it.
12–24 months of personal expenses in cash, separate from business capital.
Solo 401(k) for most — highest limits, Roth option, easy to set up.
Generally yes, if you can verify cash flow and pay a fair multiple.
Only with 12–24 months of personal expenses in cash plus separate startup capital and a healthcare bridge. PeakWorth models the runway drawdown against your ramp to profitability and shows whether — and by how much — the leap moves your FI Age.
It can help substantially: a Solo 401(k) shelters up to $70K/yr (2026), often $30K+ more than a typical W-2 plan. PeakWorth models that higher contribution ceiling so you can see the FI-Age upside that partly offsets the income risk.
Calculators, true-cost pages, and audience playbooks across the PeakWorth network.
Built for
PeakWorth for dual-income households
Joint planning, two careers, one optimal strategy.
Built for
PeakWorth for couples merging finances
Two financial lives, one plan — joint vs separate, modeled.
Perspective
Burnout is a financial risk category
1–2 years of comp recovery belongs in the plan.
Worldview pillar
Every financial decision is connected to every other one
Housing, career, kids, lifestyle, retirement — all one model.
Calculator
Paycheck & take-home calculator
Net pay, tax bracket, retirement contribution impact.
Calculator
Savings rate calculator
Your % of take-home that builds wealth — and the years it cuts.
PeakWorth is the financial decision engine for households — your Personal Financial Strategy OS, a real-time engine that calculates every decision's impact on your future. The Decision Hub, an AI advisor, and a live projection that show you exactly how each move shapes your wealth and your FI Age.
