This article is part of the RFLE series. It was initially published on September 7, 2022, and updated in March of 2026. When I initially wrote this article in September 2022, we were in the midst of what appeared to be an economic crisis. Inflation was running at 8-9%, the Fed was aggressively raising interest … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on November 3, 2021, and updated in April 2026. Most people don’t think too much about income taxes in retirement. They assume they’ll pay less since their income will likely be lower. For many, that’s a reasonable assumption (at … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on June 23, 2021, and updated in January 2026. This is a follow-up to my previous article on the role that immediate income annuities can play in providing additional income for individuals nearing retirement income limits. The focus was … 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
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on December 9, 2020, and updated in January 2026. Our pastors have recently been preaching expositorily through the Book of Ecclesiastes. In a message on Ecc. 5:8-20, one pastor made this statement: “Wealth is deceptive.” Notice he didn’t say … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on November 11, 2020, and updated in March 2026. This article is the second in a three-part series on the “Bucket Strategy.” The bucket strategy is a good one, but it’s not perfect. I have been using a version … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) 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 … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE). 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 aricle is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on June 6, 2018, and updated in January 2026. When it comes to choosing your approach and how to implement it, you have several choices here. The main distinction is between doing it yourself (DIY) and hiring an investment … Read more
