As you know, I don’t “get political” on this blog. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about politics; I do. I focus on other things here, but when the political winds change as dramatically as they have, it’s important to understand (and plan for) possible changes in the tax code and other policies and laws … Read more
Our pastors have recently been preaching expositorily through the Book of Ecclesiastes. In a message on Ecc. 5:8-20, one pastor made this statement: “Wealth is deceptive.” Notice he didn’t say wealth is good or bad; he said, “deceptive.” That suggests that wealth is morally neutral, but it may promise one thing and deliver another depending … Read more
I think many retirees, especially those with fewer savings, should strongly consider the “cash bucket with income floor” strategy that I discussed in the last article. If you have a pension or annuity income, or cash value in a permanent life insurance product, in combination with Social Security, then you already have an “income floor.” … Read more
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 of the bucket strategy since I retired in 2018, structured in what I would call a “strategic growth and income” portfolio. Overall, I still think … Read more
The coronavirus pandemic and corresponding market crash will likely cause the retirement “Cash Bucket Strategy” to become more popular. As Dave Ramsey often says, “cash is king.” Earlier this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic ensued, like lots of other retirees, I watched as my retirement investments took a huge hit. Early estimates were that millions … 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
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
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
