You know the old saying, “The only things that are certain in life are death and taxes.” Yes, taxes are a reality – before, during, and even after retirement. But honestly, I don’t think or worry too much about taxes until tax time. Then I download a copy of TurboTax and go to work. My … Read more
I was recently reading an article in Forbes magazine titled, “Can You Handle the Truth About Retirement?” It was enlightening but frankly also a little depressing. The author lists things like, “after you retire, the only guarantee is that you will die” (a true statement, but just a tad morbid, I think); “problems don’t go … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on November 3, 2017, and updated in January 2026. This article is the third and final one in my series about financial advisors. If you read the first two, you hopefully have a better understanding of what advisors do, … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on October 18, 2017, and updated in January 2026. The question “Are advisory fees worth it?” doesn’t have a simple answer. It depends on what you’re getting, when you’re getting it, and what mistakes the advisor helps you avoid. … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RELE) series. It was initially published on October 4, 2017, and updated in January 2026. I know what you’re thinking: Oh, fun…another blogger is going to bash my friendly broker or insurance agent. Well, I’m not out to malign anyone, but I do want you … Read more
I remember when I was a teenager and could buy a gallon of gas for less than 50 cents. (I think I remember paying 35 cents at a Hess station near my home.) That may surprise you, but consider that the minimum wage at the time was around $1.50/hour. Now, in NC where I live, … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on July 9, 2017, and updated in March 2026. As I wrote years ago, wise saving is an essential part of biblical stewardship (Proverbs 13:11; 21:20). We save for needs we’re aware of in the near term—car repairs, insurance … Read more
The subtitle of this blog is, “save diligently, invest wisely, give generously, live abundantly.” I included investing in the mix because it is a very important part of retirement stewardship. It is wise to invest, especially for the long term, for things like college and retirement. Investing is actually condoned in Scripture (Ecc.11:1-2; Prov.21:20; Matt.25:14-20), … Read more
This article is the fourth and final one in a series about the most important thing you can do in different stages of life to be able to “retire with dignity.” Well, you’re finally there. You’re getting into your 60s, or maybe you’ve been there for a while. You’ve been working, saving, and investing for 30 … Read more
