Can You Retire? Part 3: Your Decision

In the last two articles, to help you answer the “Can I retire?” question, I went over an approach for calculating your essential living expenses and for determining whether you will have enough income from “guaranteed” sources to cover them. I also looked at what you could do regarding withdrawals from “non-guaranteed” sources, such as … Read more

Can You Retire? Your Income

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

Retirement Planning and the “Wheel of Life”

This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship. It was initially published in January 2018 but was updated in January 2026. The beginning of a new year is when many people plan and make resolutions. If you’re five or ten years from retirement, you may be increasingly focused on that transition. When … Read more

Closing out 2017

We are starting a new year. 2017 was a good one for retirementstewardship.com. We were able to stay on pace publishing an article about every two weeks, and also added a lot of new subscribers. So, first and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to every one of you who are subscribers and regular … Read more

The New Tax Law and Retirement Stewardship

You know the old saying, “The only things that are certain in life are death and taxes.” Yes, taxes are a reality – before, during, and even after retirement. But honestly, I don’t think or worry too much about taxes until tax time. Then I download a copy of TurboTax and go to work. My … Read more

Tithing and Giving in Retirement

Most of us will see a change in our financial situation in retirement. Instead of earning an income from work, we will start receiving income from other sources such as Social Security, pensions and/or annuities, and possibly withdrawals from our retirement savings accounts. Since our income sources will change in retirement, in what ways should … Read more

7 Hard Truths About Retirement

This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS). It was initially published in December 2017 and updated in January 2026. I was once reading an article in Forbes magazine titled, “Can You Handle the Truth About Retirement?” It was enlightening but frankly also a little depressing. The author lists things like, … Read more