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
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS). It was initially published in June 2017 and updated in February 2026. The subtitle of this blog is, “save diligently, invest wisely, give generously, live abundantly.” I included investing in the mix because it is a critical component of retirement stewardship. It is … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship. It was initially published in April 2017 but was updated in January 2026. 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.” … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIRFS). It was initially published in March 2017 but was updated in January 2026. This article is the first in a four-part series focused on the most important thing you can do during different stages of life to be able to retire with dignity. … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on July 24, 2019, and updated in January 2026 In my last article, I looked at immediate fixed-income annuities and discussed whether I might want to include them as a part of my overall retirement income plan. Guaranteed payments … Read more
As a financial coach, I often work with folks who are in the accumulation/growth phase of planning for retirement (i.e., 5 to 10 years or more away). Sometimes I come across someone who has either: 1) received a recommendation from their stock broker or insurance salesperson to purchase a fixed-rate, indexed, or variable annuity product … Read more
This is the third and final article in a three-part series about the most important financial decisions that affect retirement stewardship. Our saving and investing decisions, especially early on, dramatically affect what we will have when we retire. In fact, when you save (timing) may actually be more important than how much you save (amount) or … Read more
Whether you’re just starting out in your 20s or 30s or are getting close to retirement, Dave Ramsey has a lot to say to you about saving and investing for retirement. In fact, my involvement with Dave and Financial Peace University (FPU) and also his Financial Coach training program were some of the main inspirations behind my … Read more
