This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on May 9, 2018 and updated in January, 2026. Your “future wealth” (FW) becomes “current wealth” (CW) when you reach retirement. In the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE), current wealth represents your starting point—the accumulated assets you bring into … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on January 31, 2018, and extensively rewritten in February 2026 in the context of the RFLE. The Retirement Financial Life Equation isn’t just a theoretical framework. It’s a practical diagnostic tool for answering the question that eventually confronts everyone … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on November 3, 2017, and updated in January 2026. This article is the third and final one in my series about financial advisors. If you read the first two, you hopefully have a better understanding of what advisors do, … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on October 18, 2017, and updated in January 2026. The question “Are advisory fees worth it?” doesn’t have a simple answer. It depends on what you’re getting, when you’re getting it, and what mistakes the advisor helps you avoid. … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RELE) series. It was initially published on October 4, 2017, and updated in January 2026. I know what you’re thinking: Oh, fun…another blogger is going to bash my friendly broker or insurance agent. Well, I’m not out to malign anyone, but I do want you … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on July 9, 2017, and updated in March 2026. As I wrote years ago, wise saving is an essential part of biblical stewardship (Proverbs 13:11; 21:20). We save for needs we’re aware of in the near term—car repairs, insurance … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on May 6, 2017, and updated in December 2025. I know quite a few people who have taken an early “traditional” retirement. By that I mean they were between the ages of 62 and their Full Retirement Age (FRA). … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on July 24, 2019, and updated in January 2026 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 … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It is a near-total rewrite of a similar article initially published in 2015. In a brief conversation with a friend after church, the topic of retirement came up. He and I are about the same age. He made a statement that stuck with … Read more
