cjcagle
My wife and I recently had the privilege of assisting a widow in our church with some legal/financial issues after her husband’s passing. It was my first experience with the “Clerk of the Superior Court” in my county. Fortunately, this woman and her husband had their affairs in order. They had a will and a … Read more
I recently discussed asset allocation and diversification with some friends, a couple in their 50s. In the context of that conversation, they asked me what I thought about Dave Ramsey’s investing recommendations. (They were concerned that they may invest too conservatively for their age and goals.) I told them that I respect Dave and agree … Read more
In a previous article, I touched on the risk that rising interest rates present to retirees. There are risks—the negative impacts of rising rates—but there are also benefits, especially for savers and retirees. But to the extent that higher rates are usually associated with inflation, the scale tips toward the negatives and less toward the … Read more
In the last article, we looked at what I believe to be the greatest risk in retirement: retiring without a clear sense of calling and purpose. But I also mentioned some other risks—the financial ones. The Bible encourages us to take wise precautions as part of good stewardship to protect ourselves from the adverse effects … Read more
If you’re young, the most critical retirement risk you face right now is that you may be hoping to retire someday, but you haven’t given much thought to retirement planning. Or maybe you’re counting on Social Security and Medicare for your financial security in retirement; after all, you’re paying taxes, right? In fact, not saving … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. It was initially published in August of 2023 but was updated in 2026. I recently had the opportunity to lead a seminar on a Christian’s retirement at a church in our denomination. It’s a large church with a sizeable number of older … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) Series. It was initially published on July 26, 2023, and updated in March 2026. In the last article, we examined the first of two main types of systematic withdrawal strategies for sustainable retirement income: fixed withdrawals. In this article, we look at variable strategies. … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published in July 2023 and updated in December 2025. In a recent article, I discussed retirement spending and whether our costs go down as we age. In this article and the next, we’ll look at the other side of the … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was originally published June 21, 2023 | Updated December 2025. The 2025 Social Security Fund Trustees’ Report was released in June 2025, and here’s the latest on Trust Fund solvency: The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, which pays retirement and … Read more
