Retirement Income

The Self-Sustaining Principle—Article #9: Tier 3 Income (Portfolio Withdrawals and Variable Income Sources)

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. In this article, we’ll explore Tier 3 income. This variable, self- or advisor-managed layer sits atop your guaranteed income (Tier 1: Social Security, pensions, annuities) and semi-stable income (Tier 2: bonds, dividends, TIPS). It’s the most flexible part of your retirement income, … Read more

The Self-Sustaining Principle—Article #8: Tier 2 Income (The Stability Layer)

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. In the previous article, we explored Tier 1 Income—your guaranteed, lifetime income floor from Social Security, pensions, and annuities. This foundation is the bedrock of a sustainable retirement, providing income you cannot outlive, regardless of market conditions. We now move to Tier … Read more

The Self-Sustaining Principle—Article #7: Tier 1 Income (Building a Solid Foundation)

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. In the previous article in this series, we explored retirement income and its three-tiered structure. We established that income is arguably the most critical component of the Sustainability Principle, which is the idea that your retirement will be financially sustainable when your … Read more

The Self-Sustaining Principle—Article #6: Generating Retirement Income

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. I remember when I received my last paycheck from my employer in 2018, I felt an odd mix of emotions. I was excited about what was to come (I was going to finish my first book and do lots of other things … Read more

I’ve Revised and Expanded My Redeeming Retirement Book!

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I’m excited to announce that I have completed a significant update and expansion of my Redeeming Retirement book, originally published in 2021. The new edition is titled: Redeeming Retirement: How to Steward What You Have and Retire with Dignity. In may ways, this book is now an excellent “sequel” to NextGen Steward—it picks up where … Read more

What to Do with Your Pension at Retirement

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS). For a fortunate few, their retirement income may consist of more than one “guaranteed” income course (I use the term “guaranteed” loosely). Some will have a company pension in addition to Social Security, which together will provide most, if not all, of the … Read more

Dividend Investing in Retirement

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardships (BIFRS) Series. I need to confess: In retirement, I’m what I call a “growth and income” investor, not a pure total-return investor. I suspect that’s true for many retirees, especially those in their 70s and beyond. What I mean is that as a retiree, … Read more

Social Security Mythology (and Misunderstandings)—Part Two

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Retirement Framework (BIFRS) series. Every so often, a viral post (or a variation on it) shows up on social media about Social Security. I recently saw one—not written by but shared by a friend—expressing frustration that the government was supposedly renaming Social Security checks as “Federal Benefit Payments.” … Read more