My wife and I just went through a major transition. More specifically, we “rightsized” our living arrangement—we went from an older, moderately sized house to a newer “courtyard” (patio) home that is slightly smaller (smaller rooms and closets). We’ve actually been considering this for a while. As I wrote about a possible move a while … Read more
In a previous article, I touched on the risk that rising interest rates present to retirees. There are risks—the negative impacts of rising rates—but there are also benefits, especially for savers and retirees. But to the extent that higher rates are usually associated with inflation, the scale tips toward the negatives and less toward the … Read more
In the last article, we looked at what I believe to be the greatest risk in retirement: retiring without a clear sense of calling and purpose. But I also mentioned some other risks—the financial ones. The Bible encourages us to take wise precautions as part of good stewardship to protect ourselves from the adverse effects … Read more
I was recently talking to a friend who is getting close to retirement and wants to downsize. He knows he can sell his current home for much more than he could a year ago, but he’s finding his target house hard to find and more expensive as well. He’s not alone. That’s because we are … Read more
We discussed paying off the mortgage and home equity in the last article and how our house decisions are both financial and emotional, and very personal. There’s also a spiritual component. We want to seek God’s guidance for any major home or home-financing decisions to ensure that we wisely steward the gifts he has given … Read more
Real estate and mortgages are very much in the news right now. The market is “hot,” and long-term interest rates remain at historic lows. Therefore, lots of people are thinking about selling—perhaps to upgrade or downsize. Others want to refinance to reduce their payments or to get access to some of their equity for improvements, … Read more
As I mentioned in my last article about spending in retirement, this one is a chapter from my new book, which I plan to self-publish very soon. The book, which will be titled “Redeeming Retirement: A Practical Guide to Catch Up,” is targeted at the large number of middle-aged and older households who realize (or … Read more
I was recently asked by a friend what I thought about buying a vacation home, specifically a beach house. They said they have a relative who owns one and rents it out with annual positive cash flow. We didn’t have a very in-depth discussion, but I have been thinking about it since. Something that occurred … Read more
Owning a house is a great thing. Mostly because we all need a place to live, and if you are fortunate enough to own your own home, you are truly blessed. Actually, among the developed countries in the world, a relatively large percentage of people do own their homes. The most recent statistics for the … Read more
