As we approach the end of 2025, I wanted to share something with you that’s been on my mind—and increasingly, on this blog—over the past two years. It’s the story of how I’ve navigated one of retirement’s most anxiety-inducing topics: taxes. This compilation will be of particular interest to the following groups of retirees/near retirees: … Read more
Well, the (MY) day of ”reckoning” is here. No, not the final judgement; I’m talking about sending the IRS their due (i.e., tax withholding) for 2025 for taxes due in April, 2026. As regular readers know, I’ve done more writing than usual about taxes, charitable giving, and the new tax laws. That’s because: If you’ve … Read more
Note: This is an updated version of an article I first wrote in 2018, incorporating current tax laws (including the OBBBA), updated contribution limits, current context, and insights from other tax articles I’ve written since then. One way we practice wise retirement stewardship is by making good use of the tax-advantaged savings plans available to … Read more
Over the past few months (and years, actually), I’ve written several articles about taxes in retirement. You can read all of the Retirement Stewardship articles → HERE. If you’re younger, you might want to start with the Tax series on NextGenSteward → HERE. Honestly, when I retired, I was just as concerned about this as … Read more
Many of you, if you’re retired or nearing retirement, are probably already using strategies like Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), donating appreciated assets, or perhaps Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) as part of your giving strategy. If so, you may be wondering how the new ”One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) affects your giving—in these ways, or … Read more
As you’ve most likely heard, there is big news coming out of D.C.: The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” passed just before the July 4th holiday. This is big news for many reasons (some good and some not-so-good, depending on your fiscal conservatism; i.e., the increasing federal deficit), but I’m going to focus on the positive … Read more
Trump’s tariffs are very much in the news right now. While the downsides of tariffs often get more attention, rightly so due to their broad and frequently unintended consequences, there are potential benefits, at least in theory. That said, lots of questions and uncertainty remain. We have to deal with that as well. What is … Read more
The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines worry as “A sense of uneasiness and anxiety about the future. Scripture indicates that such anxiety is ultimately grounded in a lack of trust in God and his purposes.” Perhaps because worry tends to focus on the future, it’s something that retirees, or near-retirees, can quickly fall into. We … Read more
Updated December 2025 to reflect the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) I’ve written previously about withdrawing from my Traditional IRA to help fund our retirement. I’ve also described how I began making Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) in early 2023 after turning 70½ In a recent article, I explained how I might optimize my income … Read more
