I understood that Mark's loose quoting in this article of Jonathon ( "...there are really only twenty stories in personal finance..") was not necessarily meant to refer to a specific list. Having been a follower of JC (the writer!) for ~ 3 decades (been following the other JC for > twice that long!), the point that JC was making didn't require a list of what the "20" stories or principles were, about misaligned incentives in the financial services industry. Let the buyer beware!!It's an interesting challenge Mark makes here, and I thought briefly of the other (19? 25? 15? whatever! ) principles JC helped us all to understand so well. And the one that first came to my mind, because he spoke of it so often and so well, was the principle of hedonic adaptation, and why accumulating "more stuff" (including money, past a point) doesn't make us much happier. Diminishing returns, what really DOES make us happier, and all of that.If I was going to take up Mark's challenge and discuss another of JC's core principles at length, that's the one I might pick...unless someone else does so first! Which one seems the most relevant to YOU...?
Thanks for the article! A follow-up question: If my wife (who will be 65 in a few months from now) waits until HER FRA (of age 67), will her separate spousal benefit then be HIGHER than it otherwise would be if she instead claims her SS now - a few years earlier than her FRA? (I assume the answer to this question is Yes, notwithstanding your advice in this article for her not to wait PAST age 67 to do so!) I plan to wait until age 70 (~ 4 years from now) specifically to maximize her survivor benefit, assuming she will survive me. Thank you!
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Thanks for the link Mark...I guess there was an actual list. Glad to see that the one I referred to was actually on it! (#19.)
Post: Resist the Urge to Act
Link to comment from April 11, 2026
I understood that Mark's loose quoting in this article of Jonathon ( "... there are really only twenty stories in personal finance..") was not necessarily meant to refer to a specific list. Having been a follower of JC (the writer!) for ~ 3 decades (been following the other JC for > twice that long!), the point that JC was making didn't require a list of what the "20" stories or principles were, about misaligned incentives in the financial services industry. Let the buyer beware!! It's an interesting challenge Mark makes here, and I thought briefly of the other (19? 25? 15? whatever! ) principles JC helped us all to understand so well. And the one that first came to my mind, because he spoke of it so often and so well, was the principle of hedonic adaptation, and why accumulating "more stuff" (including money, past a point) doesn't make us much happier. Diminishing returns, what really DOES make us happier, and all of that. If I was going to take up Mark's challenge and discuss another of JC's core principles at length, that's the one I might pick...unless someone else does so first! Which one seems the most relevant to YOU...?
Post: Resist the Urge to Act
Link to comment from April 11, 2026
Thanks for the article! A follow-up question: If my wife (who will be 65 in a few months from now) waits until HER FRA (of age 67), will her separate spousal benefit then be HIGHER than it otherwise would be if she instead claims her SS now - a few years earlier than her FRA? (I assume the answer to this question is Yes, notwithstanding your advice in this article for her not to wait PAST age 67 to do so!) I plan to wait until age 70 (~ 4 years from now) specifically to maximize her survivor benefit, assuming she will survive me. Thank you!
Post: Social Security Spousal Benefits
Link to comment from March 28, 2026