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We all have many things to be thankful for. Even when things get hard, they’re never as bad as they could be. The road to retirement can be rocky at times, and living (and aging) in retirement has its own challenges. Still, we can be thankful for family and friends, health, being part of a … Read more
According to some recent stats, more people are retiring earlier than planned due to the effects of the pandemic. Their specific reasons may differ, but part of what’s been fueling it has been rising stock and real estate markets. Quality of life is also often cited as a key reason. I’m reasonably sure that a … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on November 3, 2021, and updated in April 2026. Most people don’t think too much about income taxes in retirement. They assume they’ll pay less since their income will likely be lower. For many, that’s a reasonable assumption (at … Read more
A Dave Ramsey (Ramsey Solutions) article on investment fees opens with this: Just like airline fees, investment fees are also a fact of life. The difference is, investment fees aren’t always as clear as an extra baggage fee. Many folks we talk to are confused or blindsided by them. And sometimes, that confusion keeps people from making … Read more
I retired three years ago this month. Frankly, it seems longer, but I’m not sure why, perhaps because the last 18 to 24 mos. have been a pretty long road for all of us. If you’ve read this blog for very long, you know that I don’t make every article about me or take you … Read more
In the previous article on giving in retirement, I touched on leaving a legacy as a form of giving. This article addresses the mechanics: the legal and tax considerations involved in conveying financial assets to families and organizations, updated for 2026. Many people will want to leave a financial legacy for their family, church, or … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. It was originally published in September of 2021 and updated in May of 2026. I was recently working at our church’s welcome desk on a Sunday morning. An elderly woman, well into her seventies or eighties, came up, handed me a … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. It was originally published on August 18, 2021, and updated in April 2026. When I first wrote this article in 2021, my wife and I had been on Medicare for almost three years. We’d chosen Original Medicare with Medigap Plan F, and … Read more
Regret. Webster defines it as “Feeling sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that has happened or been done, especially a loss or missed opportunity).” We all have regrets. Why? Mainly because we are fallen people living in a fallen world (Rom. 5:12). Our regrets may be over something we did or did not do or … Read more
