Blog
Weekly articles about how to live a secure, fulfilling retirement.
Schedule your good stuff
I was looking at my calendar the other day and it’s loaded with things like meetings, lunches, conference calls, article deadlines and doctor/dentist appointments. I put those things on my calendar for one very important reason: If it’s on my calendar, it gets done....
A short lesson in perspective
Late last month an advertising executive (a real life Mad Man) named Linds Redding died of esophageal cancer. After being diagnosed in 2011, he would regularly write about the disease, his treatments and his thoughts on life at his blog. Earlier this year he wrote a...
Fiscal Cliff cheat sheet
Do you keep hearing the phrase “Fiscal Cliff,” but don’t know exactly what it means? Well, get ready to impress your friends at the next cocktail party, because here’s a short cheat sheet on what it is as well as a few thoughts on how it might affect retirees. The...
Retirement fire drill
If you spend a good portion of your day in a building like an office or a school, chances are good that you’ve participated in a fire drill. Those faux escapes give everyone a chance to practice evacuating the building and give those in charge an opportunity to...
Contentment demands little
I recently had a friend who quit his job after working there for almost 20 years. When I asked him why he said, “I had just gotten too comfortable.” Too comfortable?! Is there such a thing? After all, isn’t that what we’re all striving for? What’s wrong with being...
How to stay mentally sharp as you age
Most of us know what we need to do to keep our bodies fit, but how can we keep our brain fit? It turns out that the answer might be the same for both: Exercise. An article in the Wall Street Journal recently highlighted a study that has been following a group of...
Let your paycheck be your portfolio
Have you ever daydreamed about what you’d do if you won the lottery? Maybe take that trip around the world you’ve always wanted to take. Buy that little red sports car. Retire early. For some reason, we’re conditioned to think that there isn’t a dream, desire or...
Discipline vs Motivation
Before talking about discipline and motivation, I want to give you a quick update on the most recent 30 Day Challenge. As many of you know I do periodic learning challenges in life and then write about them here at the site. So far I’ve learned all the countries of...
How aging affects your financial decision making
As we age, our brains don't work as well as they used to. This is particularly true when it comes to making financial decisions. A recent study by the Texas Tech Financial Literacy Assessment project showed that our ability to understand financial concepts and make...
When should you claim Social Security?
Imagine for a moment that you are one of the few lucky people in America still covered by a defined benefit pension plan. Now imagine that you’ve reached the ripe old age of 62 and you’re considering hanging up your work boots (or Wingtips) and heading off into...
Move, Eat, Learn
Today I have something a little different for you. As you know, a few of the major themes here at Intentional Retirement are to focus on a life full of rich experiences and to always be learning. About a year ago three guys went on a 44 day, 38,000 mile, round the...
Medicare open enrollment starts October 15
Chances are good that you've seen or heard something about Medicare open enrollment recently. What is it? You become eligible for Medicare when you turn 65. You have a seven month window to enroll in the program. The window opens three months before the month you...