A reader recently asked me to take a look at a retirement planning (funding) method using permanent life insurance espoused by Nelson Nash in his book Becoming Your Own Banker. In addition to the life insurance benefit, the author discusses a “be your own bank” approach to funding major life purchases. He also recommends using permanent … Read more
Well, folks, I have great news: as of today, my new book, Reimagine Retirement: Planning and Living for the Glory of God, has been released by B&H Publishing (LifeWay)! It is a project I have been working on for about 18 months, and I am thrilled to announce that it is available to order from LifeWay.com, Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Retirement Framework (BIFRS) series. It was initially published in September 2019 and updated in December 2025. Current Social Security figures: Full retirement age is now 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later; 2025 earnings limits are $23,400 (under FRA) and $62,160 (year reaching FRA); recent COLAs were … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Retirement Framework (BIFRS) series. It was initially published on July 31, 2019, and updated in January 2026. In this, the third and final article in this series on annuities, I examine variable annuities. The 2025 landscape: Although sales of fixed index annuities have significantly outpaced variable annuities in … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship series. It was Originally published July 24, 2019 and updated December 2025. In my last article, I looked at immediate fixed-income annuities and discussed whether I might want to include them as a part of my overall retirement income plan. Guaranteed payments for life … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Retirement Framework (BIFRS) series. It was initially published on July 10, 2019, and updated in December 2025 I recently helped a friend evaluate an annuity product he was considering for part of his retirement savings. Like many of us, he wanted to protect some of his assets from … 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 recently was asked an interesting question by a church friend concerning his elderly mother. Like many of us, he is a ‘boomer’ and has an 85-year-old mother who currently lives in an assisted-care facility. Her expenses are being paid for by Social Security, a military survivors pension, and long-term care (LTC) policy. Her living … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS). It was initially published in January 2018 and updated in March 2026. Here’s the question that eventually confronts everyone who’s been saving and planning for retirement: “Can I actually afford to retire?” It’s not enough to have accumulated substantial Current Wealth if your … Read more
