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
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
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’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
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
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
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
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
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
