Blog
Weekly articles about how to live a secure, fulfilling retirement.
How strong is your why?
We spend a lot of time thinking about how we're going to retire. "How" is an important question to ask, but don't forget about "Why." If you don't have a good answer for "Why," you won't have much success with "How." That's because we're much more effective at doing...
Houston, we have a problem.
For the past year or so, I've noticed a disconcerting trend. Each time I step on the scale, the number gets larger. Has there been some sort of change in the gravitational pull of the earth or am I putting on weight? In 2003 I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in...
The dual processes of an ideal retirement
When the Pope asked Michelangelo how he knew what to cut away when he was sculpting the statue of David, Michelangelo reportedly answered “Simple. I just chipped away everything that didn’t look like David.” There are two kinds of processes that artists use when...
Why you should roll your 401(k) into your IRA when you retire
Your 401(k) is a great tool for accumulation, but it’s probably not the best place to leave your money once your goals shift to distribution. After retiring, it usually makes sense to roll your money out of your 401(k) and into your IRA. Here’s why: Simplification. ...
How to be happy Part 2: The hedonic treadmill
When I was in college, I rented my body to science so I could have enough money to buy groceries. There was a medical testing facility not far from my apartment and they would pay you around $500 to check in on Friday, check out on Sunday and allow them to test some...
Where were you when…
Do you remember where you were 11 years ago on September 11, 2001? I was on an airplane. In hindsight, not the best place to be. You see, my grandpa is a huge Chicago Cubs fan. One day we were talking baseball and I said “We should go to Wrigley sometime for a...
The top 10 posts from the first 100
Earlier this week I noticed that the post counter in my blogging software was about to hit 100. Since that seemed like something of a milestone, I thought I'd take a quick look back and give you what I think are 10 key posts from the first 100. For those of you who...
Retirement health: Foods that minimize Alzheimer’s risk
“Stuff You Should Know” is one of my favorite podcasts. Hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, the show educates you on the basics of just about any topic in around 30 minutes. I was listening to the episode on coffee recently when Josh mentioned that one of the side...
Ten years is not enough
A major problem I have with how retirement is currently practiced in America is that it doesn’t give you enough time. If you retire at 65 and stay healthy and active until 75 (a stretch for many), then you’ve got 10 years to do everything you’ve been putting off for...
How to be happy: Part 1 of 300
When talking with clients about retirement, I almost always hear some variation of the following sentence: “I just want to be happy.” The more I heard the “H” word, the more I asked myself “What actually makes us happy?” There’s certainly no single answer to that...
Will you spend less in retirement?
A common rule of thumb is that you can live in retirement on about 70 percent of your pre-retirement income. Should you bank on that? Will you really spend less in retirement? Well, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is, yes, you will spend less in...
When are your retirement dreams most at risk?
At what stage of life are your retirement dreams most at risk? Not in your 20s and 30s. That’s when you’re just getting started. Time is on your side. Not only that, but you have some fire in your belly and you’re ready to make your mark on the world. Not in your...