Should I Include Annuities in my Retirement Plan (Part 2)?

In my last article, I looked at immediate fixed-income annuities and discussed whether I might want to include them as a part of my overall retirement income plan. Guaranteed payments for life are their strong suit (helps mitigate “longevity risk”). But, as I noted, one of my major concerns about immediate fixed-income annuities is that … Read more

5 Ways Congress May Make it Easier to Plan for Retirement

As a reader of this blog, you know that we hold to the position that the Bible teaches that it’s good to wisely save and invest for the future, including a time in “retirement” (Prov. 6-11, Prov. 21:20), and also to be “rich toward God” by “storing up treasures in heaven” (Luke 12:21; Matt. 6:19–21). … Read more

12 “Hard Truths” For Graduates to Help Them Not Be Broke

I occasionally get the opportunity to talk about stewardship and money with young people (high school and college age). I am always grateful to get the chance and I always enjoy the interactions. We are near the end of the school year, a time when many will be graduating from high school or college. So … Read more

All You Need to Know About Personal Finance on a 3 x 5 Inch Index Card – Really?

A few years ago, a University of Chicago college professor named Harold Pollack remarked that everything you really needed to know about personal finance could be fit on a single 3×5 inch index card. Someone asked him to prove it, the result went viral, and Pollack actually ended up co-writing a book about it called … Read more

The Retirement “Identity Crisis” – a Biblical Perspective

I was recently surprised to see a couple of words being used together in an article that I might not have expected to see: retirement and grief. You may be thinking, “What!? Grieving over retirement? No more daily commute, an unreasonable boss, or long hours and low pay? The freedom to do whatever I want? … Read more

My Stewardship Practices – Part Two:  Saving, Investing, and Protecting

In this second of two articles on my stewardship practices, I discuss my saving, investing, and protecting (insurance) approaches. The stewardship principles that are most applicable to these areas are as follows: Don’t spend all you have – save and invest for needs you know you will have in the future (Prov.6:6-6; Prov.21:20; James 4:13-15). … Read more