This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published in 2018 and updated and republished in December 2025. One way we practice wise retirement stewardship is by making good use of the tax-advantaged savings plans available to us. Tax deferral is a gift of God’s common grace that … Read more
In my last article, I looked at Bitcoin’s potential as a long-term investment in a retirement portfolio. This time, I want to explore a related question: Could Bitcoin serve as a hedge against a future financial crisis brought on by our nation’s growing federal debt? I don’t like to sound alarmist—and I’m not a doomsayer—but … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) 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, I … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) 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 … Read more
Note: I first wrote about cryptocurrency a couple of years ago. This is the first of two new articles I’m going to publish about Bitcoin. In this one, I address Bitcoin as a long-term investment. In the second, I’ll discuss what role Bitcoin might play in the event of a “fiscal crisis” precipitated by the … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) 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 … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. Most people think of Social Security as a “monthly check.” Some see it as something they paid for and therefore “earned.” Others view it as a government program that may not be available for the duration of their retirement. Many younger readers fear … Read more
Before delving into this topic, I would like to begin by drawing on theologian Herman Bavinck’s discussion of the wonderful creation of man, which I have paraphrased from parts of Chapter 12 (The Origin, Essence, and Purpose of Man) in The Wonderful Works of God: Humans are both physical and spiritual. Unlike the animals, our … Read more
Over the past few months (and years, actually), I’ve written several articles about taxes in retirement. You can read all of the Retirement Stewardship articles → HERE. If you’re younger, you might want to start with the Tax series on NextGenSteward → HERE. Honestly, when I retired, I was just as concerned about this as … Read more
