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

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

I’ve Revised and Expanded My Redeeming Retirement Book!

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

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

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

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

Is Social Security Going Broke?

This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Retirement Framework (BIFRS) series. The headlines can be concerning: “Social Security Trust Fund to Be Depleted by 2033!” “Automatic Benefit Cuts Coming!” “Bankruptcy Looms for Nation’s Largest Program!” If you’re counting on Social Security—most are, whether you’re already collecting, planning to retire soon, or decades away—these warnings can … Read more

What Your Social Security Benefits Are Really Worth

This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Retirement Framework (BIFRS) series. Most people think of Social Security as a “monthly check.” Some see it as something they paid for and therefore “earned.” Others view it as a government program that may not be available for the duration of their retirement. Many younger readers fear they’ll … Read more