AUTHOR: Amy Reed on 6/22/2024 FIRST: R Quinn on 6/22/2024 | RECENT: David Powell on 6/23/2024
Comments
Adam, thank you for this. All of us who are long-time readers of Jonathan's work do feel as if we know him personally as a friend as you mention, even though most of us have never met him face to face. As we still grapple with the thought of losing Jonathan, we needed this. Longtime readers like me, who have been reading Jonathan's writings for some three decades, have experienced the blossoming growth of his insight over the years as you capture here in this interview, which then helped each of us grow and evolve for the better in our lives and thinking.
Jonathan,
This column of yours today is incredibly helpful to me personally at this very moment in my life. I've given the past decade of my work life to an important federal agency that has what I think is a critical mission for the nation. You and everyone else reading this can imagine the upheaval and uncertainty for me and thousands of other talented and dedicated staff like me. Reading this morning what you chose as your #1 point, as you navigate an unexpected health crisis and face the end of life with time to reflect, was very impactful to me at this very moment in my life. Having been a reader of yours since the early 1990s, I am struck by how many times you have written a heart-felt column or a column of practical advice that came straight like an arrow into my life to help with a situation I was facing. This has happened many times with your writings.
Jonathan,
I go back periodically and reread these comunns of yours. They are a great help to me, not just for my investments but also for helping me answer questions from my 20-something year old children.
I would add to this discussion that for young folks in their 20s looking to get started
with investing, Vanguard’s Target Retirement funds offer a chance to invest in Vanguard’s index funds with just a $1,000 opening investment. A person could add $50 to a $100 a month to get started (most budgets can adapt to decrease spending by $50 a month) and then once the fund grows to $3,000, the person can transfer the $3,000 to the exact index fund desired. Vanguard remains the best place to go for index funds due to their low annual expenses and their history of being a pioneering leader in creating index funds.
I would love to read a book wrangled from HumbleDollar content. Somehow, reading on a laptop or tablet just does not compare to holding a physical book in hand. The cohesiveness of a book, compared to a jumble of columns, comes across as deeper and more effective, to me. I still have many of your past books, Jonathan, on my bookshelves, where each spot is in competition. Yet we all see clearly and understand that your other time commitments that you mention here are priorities.
Jonathan, what a fabulous column to start off my weekend. Thank you especially for point #3. One of my children is getting ready to open a Roth IRA at Vanguard, and I will share your thoughts on the Vanguard fund you recommend. Overall I want to let you know that you often aim columns like this at the younger generation, but your columns along this vein over the years have encouraged me at every stage of my life to stay on track and to be aware of how easy it is to get derailed by the external and internal forces you highlight here in these 13 reminders.
Thank you for this column, Richard. As retirement nears for me, I have been wrestling with how much to have set aside for an emergency fund and how much to allot for monthly additions to that fund in retirement. Your article has been incredibly helpful at helping me to be realistic.
Having been a Getting Going reader for well over a decade (in fact, I think it was two decades -- I began reading your column in the WSJ in 1992), from the day I first learned you had taken that job on Wall Street, my immediate thought was this: That Jonathan Clements is so clever. He has this life purpose of helping ordinary people invest wisely and helping them avoid financial myths, misconceptions, and questionable sales/marketing tactics. Now he is using his reputation to get a job on Wall Street and make a super income. I bet he will do this new job for a few years, and save up money for a personal publishing venture, and then go back to his true calling (basically, carrying on his Getting Going writings, but in self publishing). All of that came true. I also noted that your Wall Street job focused on customer education, if I remember correctly.
Comments
Adam, thank you for this. All of us who are long-time readers of Jonathan's work do feel as if we know him personally as a friend as you mention, even though most of us have never met him face to face. As we still grapple with the thought of losing Jonathan, we needed this. Longtime readers like me, who have been reading Jonathan's writings for some three decades, have experienced the blossoming growth of his insight over the years as you capture here in this interview, which then helped each of us grow and evolve for the better in our lives and thinking.
Post: Asking the Editor
Link to comment from March 8, 2025
Jonathan, This column of yours today is incredibly helpful to me personally at this very moment in my life. I've given the past decade of my work life to an important federal agency that has what I think is a critical mission for the nation. You and everyone else reading this can imagine the upheaval and uncertainty for me and thousands of other talented and dedicated staff like me. Reading this morning what you chose as your #1 point, as you navigate an unexpected health crisis and face the end of life with time to reflect, was very impactful to me at this very moment in my life. Having been a reader of yours since the early 1990s, I am struck by how many times you have written a heart-felt column or a column of practical advice that came straight like an arrow into my life to help with a situation I was facing. This has happened many times with your writings.
Post: Four Thoughts
Link to comment from March 1, 2025
Jonathan, I go back periodically and reread these comunns of yours. They are a great help to me, not just for my investments but also for helping me answer questions from my 20-something year old children.
Post: Totally Your Choice
Link to comment from January 11, 2025
I would add to this discussion that for young folks in their 20s looking to get started with investing, Vanguard’s Target Retirement funds offer a chance to invest in Vanguard’s index funds with just a $1,000 opening investment. A person could add $50 to a $100 a month to get started (most budgets can adapt to decrease spending by $50 a month) and then once the fund grows to $3,000, the person can transfer the $3,000 to the exact index fund desired. Vanguard remains the best place to go for index funds due to their low annual expenses and their history of being a pioneering leader in creating index funds.
Post: No Barriers to Entry by Jonathan Clements
Link to comment from December 27, 2024
I would love to read a book wrangled from HumbleDollar content. Somehow, reading on a laptop or tablet just does not compare to holding a physical book in hand. The cohesiveness of a book, compared to a jumble of columns, comes across as deeper and more effective, to me. I still have many of your past books, Jonathan, on my bookshelves, where each spot is in competition. Yet we all see clearly and understand that your other time commitments that you mention here are priorities.
Post: Model Behavior
Link to comment from December 21, 2024
I cherish each one of these articles you write, Jonathan. For so many years (decades!) I just took them for granted.
Post: Model Behavior
Link to comment from December 21, 2024
Jonathan, what a fabulous column to start off my weekend. Thank you especially for point #3. One of my children is getting ready to open a Roth IRA at Vanguard, and I will share your thoughts on the Vanguard fund you recommend. Overall I want to let you know that you often aim columns like this at the younger generation, but your columns along this vein over the years have encouraged me at every stage of my life to stay on track and to be aware of how easy it is to get derailed by the external and internal forces you highlight here in these 13 reminders.
Post: Advice for the Kids
Link to comment from November 9, 2024
Denise, your thoughts and details on Medicare decisions in your articles are always a big help to me.
Post: Second Guessing
Link to comment from November 2, 2024
Thank you for this column, Richard. As retirement nears for me, I have been wrestling with how much to have set aside for an emergency fund and how much to allot for monthly additions to that fund in retirement. Your article has been incredibly helpful at helping me to be realistic.
Post: Never Stops Raining
Link to comment from September 15, 2024
Having been a Getting Going reader for well over a decade (in fact, I think it was two decades -- I began reading your column in the WSJ in 1992), from the day I first learned you had taken that job on Wall Street, my immediate thought was this: That Jonathan Clements is so clever. He has this life purpose of helping ordinary people invest wisely and helping them avoid financial myths, misconceptions, and questionable sales/marketing tactics. Now he is using his reputation to get a job on Wall Street and make a super income. I bet he will do this new job for a few years, and save up money for a personal publishing venture, and then go back to his true calling (basically, carrying on his Getting Going writings, but in self publishing). All of that came true. I also noted that your Wall Street job focused on customer education, if I remember correctly.
Post: What do you consider your greatest financial achievement?
Link to comment from June 23, 2024