If You’re Close to (or in) Retirement You Need to Understand “Sequence of Returns Risk”

As I wrote in my last article, wise saving is an essential part of biblical stewardship (Prov.13:11; Prov.21:20). We save for needs that we are aware of in the near term (such as car repairs, insurance payments, etc.) and anticipated future needs (such as college expenses and retirement). We also try to be wise regarding … Read more

Biblical Traits of a Successful Investor

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

The Most Important Thing to do in Your 60s and Beyond to Retire With Dignity

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

Annuities and Retirement Stewardship – Part 2

In my last article on annuities, I discussed the different types of annuities and their use inside retirement accounts. As you could probably tell, I’m not a huge fan of variable or indexed annuities, especially when used for retirement saving and investing inside an IRA. My biggest concerns have to do with their complexity and high costs relative … Read more

Annuities and Retirement Stewardship – Part 1

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

Your Four Most Important Financial Decisions – #4: Saving and Investing

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