My wife and I just went through a major transition. More specifically, we “rightsized” our living arrangement—we went from an older, moderately sized house to a newer “courtyard” (patio) home that is slightly smaller (smaller rooms and closets). We’ve actually been considering this for a while. As I wrote about a possible move a while … Read more
In the last article, we looked at what I believe to be the greatest risk in retirement: retiring without a clear sense of calling and purpose. But I also mentioned some other risks—the financial ones. The Bible encourages us to take wise precautions as part of good stewardship to protect ourselves from the adverse effects … Read more
I was recently talking to a friend who is getting close to retirement and wants to downsize. He knows he can sell his current home for much more than he could a year ago, but he’s finding his target house hard to find and more expensive as well. He’s not alone. That’s because we are … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (FRLE) series. It was initially published in March 2021 and updated in March 2026. We discussed paying off the mortgage and home equity in previous articles and how our house decisions are both financial and emotional, and very personal. As I wrote in my 2018 … Read more
Real estate and mortgages are very much in the news right now. The market is “hot,” and long-term interest rates remain at historic lows. Therefore, lots of people are thinking about selling—perhaps to upgrade or downsize. Others want to refinance to reduce their payments or to get access to some of their equity for improvements, … Read more
As I mentioned in my last article about spending in retirement, this one is a chapter from my new book, which I plan to self-publish very soon. The book, which will be titled “Redeeming Retirement: A Practical Guide to Catch Up,” is targeted at the large number of middle-aged and older households who realize (or … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. It was initially published on August 13, 2020, and was updated in January 2026. The original article focused primarily on the purchase of a retirement home. However, it has been updated within the RFLE to include rental real estate as Tier 2 … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equations (RFLE) series. It was initially published in September 2018, but was updated in March 2026. Owning a house is a great thing. Mostly because we all need a place to live, and if you’re fortunate enough to own your own home, you’re truly blessed. Among … Read more
I think it was Ben Stein who, when asked about the key to financial success in life, replied, “one dog, one house, one wife.” You may see the wisdom (and wit) in that, but it may not be quite that simple. We make financial decisions almost every day – most are minor, and some are … Read more
