FREE NEWSLETTER
Style Guide
BELOW ISN’T MEANT to be a comprehensive style manual, but rather a list of writing practices that HumbleDollar contributors should strive to follow:
Good writing takes time. Try the three-day method. Day No. 1: Draft the article. Day No. 2: Polish. Day No. 3: Give a final read, and check all facts and for grammatical mistakes. One trick: Have your computer read your article out loud. Errors in the piece will leap out at you.
I read now on HD concern for the 4% withdrawal strategy, potential – inevitable – market declines, the lack of COLAs in pensions (mine included) and annuities, asset allocation, general concern about preserving life-long retirement income and more. All of which is clearly justified.
I have said many times and been criticized as often, that the key to a secure retirement is a strategy that provides more steady income than one thinks they need based on pre-retirement income and lifestyle.
After some of the site’s recent Forum posting and commenting activity, I’d like to share the following rules for posting and commenting.
Rules for posting to the Forum:
Must illustrate something financial whether it be a lesson, an observation, or a story. The financial component can be obvious, a hidden nugget within a well written story, or something in between. The majority of posts achieve this.
No polls to readers. Polls to the readers will come from me or Bogdan.
The Forum has been live for more than two months, and it’s been a hit with readers. Each day brings an impressive number of comments and often at least a few new discussion threads. But—as your most irritating boss would remind you—there’s always room for improvement.
Here are six suggestions for Forum participants:
Don’t refer to stocks and funds by their ticker symbols or, at a minimum, not on first reference. I’ve spent my career focused on this stuff,
WANT TO BE A PERSONAL finance columnist? I can’t claim expertise on many topics, but this is one where I draw on a lifetime of experience.
And it isn’t just as a writer. At HumbleDollar, I have a hand in editing every piece that appears, plus I get to see the numbers on which articles catch readers’ attention—and which get the cold shoulder.
To be sure, popularity isn’t necessarily the best way to gauge an article’s quality.
Writing for Our Site
INTERESTED IN WRITING for us? Here are the ground rules:
Before putting pen to paper, email a brief description of your idea to Jonathan(at)JonathanClements.com. We’ll let you know within a few days whether we’re interested.
HumbleDollar does not accept sponsored content or guest articles with affiliate marketing links. And, please, don’t pretend to be a writer simply looking to get published and then try to sneak in links to sites that are paying you a kickback.
I find it sad that several of the women who were long time writers and commentators on HD have not been heard from recently.
I miss their commentary and challenging points of view. Just because you don’t agree or don’t like questions is no reason to leave us. I hope.
We need to be taken to task sometimes. To be challenged.
So, if you are still reading HD, come back to us and comment. If you read HD,
Relative to my recent computer column, occasionally I will bundle a computer and printer for a customer.
There are two types of printers-Laser and Ink.
A laser unit utilizes toner instead of ink. They are generally larger in size and can generate several thousand prints before needing to replace a cartridge. A monochrome laser prints only black and white; a color laser contains black plus cyan, magenta and yellow cartridges. For someone doing high-volume printing, a laser makes sense.
Although I’m more inclined to introversion, I’ve always had the gift of the gab. I can switch this on at will, whether I’m talking to an audience or striking up a conversation with a stranger. I guess it’s a gift of some kind.
Talking with a stranger is more about listening carefully and understanding, whereas talking to an audience leans more toward narration and storytelling. Writing articles falls into the storytelling genre as well.
There have been a few calls on Humble Dollar encouraging readers to submit posts and share their retirement experiences.
I would like to dedicate this post to Jonathan.
My spouse and I started with nothing. We left college with debt and moved to a HCOL area in the mid 1980s. We knew nothing about money other than “if you can’t pay your credit card off each month, quit charging until it is paid off”.
We are Christians and felt called to tithe our income, so we worked up to the full 10% of gross income that is traditional.
I wanted to follow up on R Quinn’s forum post about HD writers and encourage everyone to submit your own articles for posting.
Many people mentioned that they’re unsure what to write about, so here are a few ideas to get you started:
> What I wish I knew about money before turning X
> How my relationship with money changed after X happened
> The emotional side of retiring, and learning to spend the money I saved
>
Healthcare can be one of the biggest expenses you’ll face in retirement. That’s why it’s so important to make the right Medicare decision when you turn 65.
Medicare’s open enrollment for 2026 is October 15 to December 7, 2025 or 3 months before you turn 65. If you’re approaching 65 — or helping a loved one — here’s what you need to know before making a choice.
You Have Two Options at 65
When you sign up for Medicare,
You do not need $1,000,000 to retire or $1.5 million or any number some expert throws out on YouTube or social media. Those numbers are generated by people selling advice, investments or videos.
Having a simple dollar target makes planning appear easy, but IMO more likely to scare people into inaction because they see an impossible quest. Besides, we know very few people come near that amount and given they still retire, demonstrates the value of such assumptions.
NEW RESEARCH CAN help with an age-old question: When constructing a portfolio, how much risk is too much? Especially today, with the market again near all-time highs, this is an important issue.
On the one hand, we could dismiss this concern by noting that all-time highs aren’t as uncommon as they might seem. According to one analysis, the U.S. stock market has been within 5% of an all-time high on 44% of trading days since the 1950s.
Bill Bengen, the godfather / creator of the 4% safe withdrawal rate (SWR), or rule, has just published a new book available on Amazon: A Richer Retirement: Supercharging the 4% Rule to Spend More and Enjoy More.
I have not read the book, however, he has done a number of interviews on YouTube. The gist is that with a more diversified portfolio, as compared to that used to generate the original 4% rule,
