First and foremost, thank you for subscribing to this blog. I’ve had quite a few new subscribers this year and really appreciate the kind comments I received from readers. If you have a topic you’d like me to explore next year, just a question that you and perhaps others would like me to respond to, … Read more
In a previous article, I discussed the two presidential candidates’ major policy positions on taxes, the debt limit, and abortion. Taxes and the debt limit directly impact retirees’ finances and stewardship. We’re now on the other side of the election, and the Republican Party won a clear victory, a “trifecta,” as they call it, as … Read more
Regular readers know that I sometimes reflect on an interaction I’ve had with an individual or couple in the context of financial counseling/coaching and the broader implications of the subject or issue(s) being discussed to retirement stewardship in general. I recently talked with an older widow in our church about her financial situation. Although she … Read more
A family friend recently asked me to look at her retirement investment portfolio. It’s advisor-managed and has an allocation one-third S&P 500-indexed annuity, one-third stock and bond ETFs, and one-third cash (government money market). Our friend is a recent retiree with a long planning horizon, so at first glance, I wondered why her portfolio had … Read more
The older I get, the more critical simplification becomes to my wife and me, especially with our finances. You don’t need me to tell you that we live in a highly complex world. Every decision we make, especially those related to our finances and retirement planning, seems pretty complex (or we tend to overcomplicate them). … Read more
In the previous article, I alluded to my “safe withdrawal rate” (SWR) portfolio strategy, which I described as “strategic growth and income.” I also discussed the impact of inflation on it and two different types of annuities—a nominal (non-inflation-adjusted) annuity and a nominal annuity with a 3% annual cost-of-living increase (COLA) but not indexed to … Read more
Many financial planners, advisors, and especially retirees are wary of annuities. They cite cost, complexity, loss of liquidity, under-performance, and other factors as their primary concerns. In many cases, their concerns are warranted. Yet many retirement planning professionals, academics, actuaries, and economists—i.e., a bunch of really smart people—regularly encourage consumers to consider a particular type … Read more
It’s that time of year again: income tax time. And I can’t be sure, but I think many retirees are generally more concerned about taxes in retirement than when working. I’m no different than anyone else; I don’t enjoy withdrawing from my retirement savings, handing some of it to the government, or having them take … Read more
In some previous articles, I’ve discussed longevity risk, withdrawal rates, and Dave Ramsey’s 8% withdrawal rate recommendation. These topics can quickly get mind-numbingly complex. The financial side of retirement has a lot to do with the math; it’s a big math problem we need to solve as best we can. We do this thoughtfully, humbly, … Read more
