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). It was initially published on October 28, 2020, and updated in March 2026. The coronavirus pandemic and corresponding market crash in March 2020 validated what retirement researchers had been saying for years: the “Cash Bucket Strategy” isn’t just theoretical—it’s essential (or at least really, … Read more
I recently read this quote from a retirement expert in a MarketWatch article titled, “Opinion: Half of Americans Over 55 May Retire Poor”: Our data is showing that, because of the COVID recession, about 50% of workers over the age of 55 will be poor or near-poor adults when they reach 65. . . A person who’s … Read more
I started this blog over five years ago. Since that time, I have made very few design changes to the website so I decided it was time. I upgraded the WordPress theme and made changes to improve the layout and navigation. (I am a bit of a computer “nerd,” so I enjoyed doing the work … Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has created some significant economic repercussions, not the least of which is a further reduction of already low prevailing interest rates. They were already low—now they’re EXTREMELY low. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve recently announced that it would keep interest rates near zero for the foreseeable future, perhaps through 2022 or longer. It … Read more
This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship. On a recent Sunday morning, one of our lay-elders-in-training (we call them pastoral interns) gave his personal testimony and shared from Joshua 1:1-9, a text that had greatly influenced him. He said that God spoke to him through these verses at an early age, … Read more
I am very excited to announce that my new book, The Minister’s Retirement, has been released and is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. The following is from the introductory material in the book: “This is a book about planning for retirement targeted specifically at ministers. Granted, most ministers I know would … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on August 13, 2020, and was updated in January 2026. The original article focused primarily on the purchase of a retirement home. However, it has been updated within the RFLE to include rental real estate as Tier 2 income. … Read more
We’re in the middle of what is, without a doubt, going to be one of strangest years in my almost-68-year lifetime. Six months ago, I didn’t think anyone would’ve believed everything that has transpired if you told them. A coronavirus pandemic, quarantines, shutdowns, record unemployment, stock market crashes, and extreme social unrest—all happening during a … Read more
