The Retirement Field Guide

Nick Maggiulli recently posted the best article I’ve read on the topic of being a buyer during this stock market drawdown as he reframes where we’re at today and what this could mean over the next few years. Here is a quote I wanted to share: So, if you think the market recovery will take:* 1 year, then your expected annual return = 50%* 2 years, then your expected annual… Read More

An attorney friend of mine reached out asking me about using universal life insurance with a cash-value component as a retirement savings vehicle. He said a friend of his was being pitched this and his antennae went up that he should ask some questions. I responded with some typical inquiries - general age, whether he is covered by a retirement plan through work, and a variety of other questions to… Read More

It is surprising to me that two years into this blog, I have never written about Warren Buffett. With his most recent shareholder letter out recently, I thought it may be valuable to share a couple quotes from it with a bit of commentary as his letters are full of timeless wisdom. Focus on the Long-Term Over time, Charlie and I expect our equity holdings - as a group -… Read More

When we are in grade school, we learn about the scientific principle of cause and effect. We do one thing and we get a result. We do another thing and we get a different result. For some reason, we live our lives as if the world should operate differently than this fundamental of life. If we’re lucky, we know what the highest and best use of our time is, but… Read More

The older I get, the more I find myself questioning the status quo. Truth be told, I’ve always been a questioner but I have definitely ticked it up a notch. Not in a rebel sort of way, but more in an inquisitive way wondering why things are the way they are. Questioning the side of the majority more often than not. You may have noticed over the past year or… Read More

In lieu of summarizing a great article this week, I wanted to share a thought instead. As has been noted before, when we’re approached to participate in new projects, roles, or some other activity, we are not just saying yes to that new commitment. We are, in fact, saying no to a host of other potential opportunities that are coming down the pipe. We may also, unknowingly at the time,… Read More

My honest hope is that this site provides two things: (1) valuable information and education about retirement in an easy-to-read format and (2) an optimistic view of the world. Given that we don’t have to look far to find bad news, my goal is to provide the other side (the realistic side). Sure, there are problems that need to be addressed throughout our country and our world. But the world… Read More

The saying, “If it bleeds, it leads.” may be truer today than ever before. Over the holiday week, I accidentally watched the evening news one night and it was seriously one terrible story after another. Every news channel, whether it’s financial news or otherwise, almost never reports good news because pessimism sells a whole lot better than optimism. That’s because bad news seems important while good news is just “oh,… Read More

The SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act) is going to change some things for retirees. This is the largest piece of retirement legislation passed since 2006. I plan to devote an entire article to the topic, but here are the two primary issues that will impact planning for retirees: The age for Required Minimum Distributions if going UP from age 70.5 to 72. This is a… Read More