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Mark Crothers is a retired small business owner from the UK with a keen interest in personal finance and simple living. Married to his high school sweetheart, with daughters and grandchildren, he knows the importance of building a secure financial future. With an aversion to social media, he prefers to spend his time on his main passions: reading, scratch cooking, racket sports, and hiking.
The 1% Club: Our Unnoticed Wealth
69 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/26/2025
FIRST: Ram Pradhan on 9/26 | RECENT: normr60189 on 9/30/2025 at 1:35 PM
Memories With a Cold Spanish Beer
20 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/29/2025
FIRST: James Deckman on 9/29 | RECENT: Michael James on 9/30/2025 at 6:26 AM
From Rakhi to Community: Lessons in Family for the Humble Dollar Family
4 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/24/2025
FIRST: DAN SMITH on 9/24 | RECENT: Mike Gaynes on 9/26
Success Has Many Flavours
18 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/23/2025
FIRST: fromgalv on 9/23 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 9/24
The Gnashing of Teeth
19 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/20/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 9/20 | RECENT: Kevin Lynch on 9/22
Budget, What Budget? (Know Thyself)
39 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/17/2025
FIRST: baldscreen on 9/17 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 9/22
The Catch-22 of Success: How Our Achievements Shape Our Children's Choices
23 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/16/2025
FIRST: baldscreen on 9/16 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 9/19
Forty Dollars Richer, Three Hours Wiser?
13 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/18/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 9/18 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 9/19
My "Dark Side" of Generosity: How I'm Curbing it in Retirement.
10 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/14/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 7/14 | RECENT: Steve Jon on 9/18
Smoke and Mirrors with a Million Dollar Portfolio
27 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/11/2025
FIRST: Dan Smith on 9/11 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 9/15
The Long Dander Home: Being Close to Your Crew
10 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/15/2025
FIRST: Catherine Jaffe on 9/15 | RECENT: Dan Smith on 9/15
The Financial Metric I Refuse to Calculate
29 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/14/2025
FIRST: Gary Klotz on 9/14 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 9/15
My Two Handicaps
8 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/12/2025
FIRST: Dan Smith on 9/12 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 9/13
Musk and Me: A Tale of Second Best
6 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/10/2025
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 9/10 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 9/11
The Long Game of Harbour Stories
31 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/7/2025
FIRST: Dan Smith on 9/8 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 9/10
How I Failed My Way to Financial Freedom
16 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/9/2025
FIRST: Jack Hannam on 9/9 | RECENT: L H on 9/10
What They Don't Tell You About Retirement: Part 2 - Grandchildren Are Expensive
34 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/4/2025
FIRST: normr60189 on 9/4 | RECENT: S Sevcik on 9/8
What They Don't Tell You About Retirement: Part 1 - Everything Breaks
24 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/4/2025
FIRST: normr60189 on 9/4 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 9/8
Pension Plan Buyout: The Exception to the Rule
9 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/5/2025
FIRST: David Mulligan on 9/5 | RECENT: Rick Connor on 9/7
When My Car Broke Down, Our One-Car Plan Passed the Test
16 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/3/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 9/3 | RECENT: normr60189 on 9/5
My New Zero-Wage CEO Role
10 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 9/1/2025
FIRST: baldscreen on 9/1 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 9/2
What If You Don't Want to See the World?
56 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/28/2025
FIRST: Ken E on 8/28 | RECENT: normr60189 on 9/1
Love, Money, and a 44-Year Compromise
7 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/23/2025
FIRST: MikeinLA on 8/23 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 8/30
Still a Wild Child: When Spending Habits Never Grow Up
8 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/29/2025
FIRST: Rick Connor on 8/29 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 8/29
The Seeming Irrationality of Unneeded Risk
19 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/25/2025
FIRST: 1PF on 8/25 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 8/27
A Summer of Shared Memories
12 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/26/2025
FIRST: Rick Connor on 8/26 | RECENT: Mike Gaynes on 8/27
Humble 10% Win: The First Financial Benefit of Retirement
10 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/24/2025
FIRST: Dan Smith on 8/24 | RECENT: Dan Smith on 8/26
A Contrarian View of a Mortgage
38 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/19/2025
FIRST: Edmund Marsh on 8/19 | RECENT: normr60189 on 8/26
Bah Humbug! It's Not Even September Yet
32 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/21/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 8/21 | RECENT: Mike A on 8/24
The Tax Man Cometh, And I Think It's Okay.
7 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/20/2025
FIRST: OldITGuy on 8/20 | RECENT: DrLefty on 8/21
Not Retired, Just Re-Directed
19 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/14/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 8/14 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 8/18
The Cloth Seller Who Invented Social Security
7 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/10/2025
FIRST: DAN SMITH on 8/10 | RECENT: William Dorner on 8/16
The Day I Cashed In My Forgotten Treasure
4 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/15/2025
FIRST: Greg Tomamichel on 8/15 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 8/16
Data's Double Edge: Why Spreadsheets are Both a Lifeline and a Possible Lie
12 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/11/2025
FIRST: mytimetotravel on 8/11 | RECENT: Adam Starry on 8/13
Supercharging Your Retirement with Crypto: A Wise Move, or a Risky Bet?
23 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/8/2025
FIRST: Kim Zimmerman on 8/8 | RECENT: squirrel hammer on 8/11
Did the Era You Grew Up In Influence Your Financial Plan?
4 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/6/2025
FIRST: David Mulligan on 8/7 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 8/7
Don't worry, be happy: tripping through the go-go years
9 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/6/2025
FIRST: luvtoride44afe9eb1e on 8/6 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 8/6
Choosing Yes by Saying No
6 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/5/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 8/5 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 8/5
How I Use a Simple Analogy to Teach Investing
6 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/3/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 8/4 | RECENT: Rick Connor on 8/5
Should I Be Concerned?
20 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 8/2/2025
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 8/2 | RECENT: quan nguyen on 8/4
The Very Last Time? Nope, Just Glad It's All Over!
14 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/28/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 7/28 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 8/2
My First Retirement Report Card
12 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/31/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 7/31 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 8/1
The Accidental Stock Picks in Our Index Fund Portfolio
2 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/30/2025
FIRST: DAN SMITH on 7/30 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 7/30
A Personal Encounter with the Psychology of Money
11 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/28/2025
FIRST: 1PF on 7/28 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 7/29
Secure Act 2.0 Reflections From Across the Pond
11 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/27/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 7/27 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 7/29
From Public Housing to Early Retirement: A Path Forged in Adversity
13 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/18/2025
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 7/19 | RECENT: Catherine Jaffe on 7/28
Pedaling Away From Tightness
35 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/25/2025
FIRST: David Lancaster on 7/25 | RECENT: Liam K on 7/26
Our Homes, Our Wealth: A Tale of Two Property Paths
34 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/23/2025
FIRST: DAN SMITH on 7/23 | RECENT: Greg Tomamichel on 7/25
The Bond Fund Crash: What I Learned When "Safe" Investments Tanked
17 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/24/2025
FIRST: Rob Jennings on 7/24 | RECENT: Michael1 on 7/25
A Very Politically Incorrect Ramble With a Potentially Real Point: Is Your Retirement Calculator Sexist?
29 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/22/2025
FIRST: kristinehayes2014 on 7/22 | RECENT: Kevin Lynch on 7/23
The Unsettling Relief of Saying Goodbye
13 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/21/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 7/21 | RECENT: H S on 7/23
Oh Dear, the Accidental Wedding Downgrade
16 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/20/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 7/20 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 7/22
Wealth, Perspective, and the Company We Keep
12 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/19/2025
FIRST: Tom Tamlyn on 7/20 | RECENT: bbbobbins on 7/21
Flexing the Retirement Spending Muscle
22 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/17/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 7/17 | RECENT: UofODuck on 7/19
Degrees of Doubt: When Higher Education Misses the Mark
17 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/16/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 7/16 | RECENT: DrLefty on 7/18
Swipe, Click, Invest: Danger in the Crypto Era.
10 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/13/2025
FIRST: David Lancaster on 7/13 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 7/16
A Grievance Most Fowl: When Golf Ate My Lunch.
20 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/15/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 7/15 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 7/16
Framed by his Side Hustle?
23 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/12/2025
FIRST: Rob Jennings on 7/12 | RECENT: Ormode on 7/14
The High Cost of Financial Advice: A Tale of Two Portfolios
55 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/8/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 7/8 | RECENT: Ormode on 7/14
A spooky and alarming thing relating to the two AI articles posted
15 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/11/2025
FIRST: kristinehayes2014 on 7/11 | RECENT: normr60189 on 7/13
A Quick Question about Retirement Vacations
15 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/9/2025
FIRST: luxomatica on 7/9 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 7/13
The Value of Scratch Cooking in Retirement
17 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/11/2025
FIRST: baldscreen on 7/11 | RECENT: normr60189 on 7/12
Financial AI: Benefit or Danger? I Don't Know
11 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/10/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 7/10 | RECENT: Rob Jennings on 7/12
My Favourite Day: Retirement Payday Wednesday
30 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/9/2025
FIRST: Greg Tomamichel on 7/9 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 7/9
Building a Secure Retirement, 10 Years at a Time.
1 reply
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/7/2025
FIRST: Winston Smith on 7/7 | RECENT: Winston Smith on 7/7
Lucky Us and the Generational Divide
19 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/5/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 7/5 | RECENT: baldscreen on 7/7
The Illusion of Wealth
24 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/27/2025
FIRST: OldITGuy on 6/27 | RECENT: jacknak on 7/7
The Big Garden Dilemma: Aging in Places vs. Future Planning
33 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/3/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 7/3 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 7/6
Inflation, Through a Glass Half Full.
4 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/4/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 7/4 | RECENT: Greg Tomamichel on 7/5
Holy Cow! Holding The Line in a Market Stampede
10 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/2/2025
FIRST: David Lancaster on 7/2 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 7/3
Our $1000's Of Dollars Mistake: A Lesson Learned
13 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 7/1/2025
FIRST: OldITGuy on 7/1 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 7/2
Beyond the Party: How Introverts Might Quietly Win at Retirement
55 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/30/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 6/30 | RECENT: kristinehayes2014 on 7/1
More Than Money: Our Holiday Home
21 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/29/2025
FIRST: Mike Xavier on 6/29 | RECENT: DrLefty on 6/30
Beyond the Balance Sheet: Investing in Yourself
56 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/22/2025
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 6/22 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 6/29
You Have My Admiration: A Brit's Thoughts on US Pensions
44 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/27/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 6/27 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 6/28
My Dream: Derailed by Data
20 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/26/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 6/26 | RECENT: DrLefty on 6/27
Extreme Frugality: It Better be Fun
9 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/25/2025
FIRST: Brent Wilson on 6/25 | RECENT: B Carr on 6/26
The Wedding Extravaganza: A Pre-mortum for Future Parents of the Bride
47 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/24/2025
FIRST: jan Ohara on 6/24 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 6/26
Pension Funds are Sus: A Strange Little Post From A Grandparent
7 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/25/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 6/25 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 6/25
The Slumping Deck: A Lesson in Time, Money and Memory
27 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/23/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 6/23 | RECENT: R Quinn on 6/25
A Humble Question From Across The Pond
51 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/22/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 6/22 | RECENT: R Quinn on 6/25
The unexpected detour to deccumulation, finding peace in fixed income
39 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/17/2025
FIRST: David Lancaster on 6/17 | RECENT: L H on 6/22
Morning Delight
15 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/21/2025
FIRST: David Mulligan on 6/21 | RECENT: Mike Gaynes on 6/22
Is the "Experience Economy" Derailing Millennial Retirement Prospects?
30 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/18/2025
FIRST: David Lancaster on 6/18 | RECENT: Mark Eckman on 6/21
Missing you....Or not?
24 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/19/2025
FIRST: kristinehayes2014 on 6/19 | RECENT: luvtoride44afe9eb1e on 6/21
The Surprising Gift of Unhurried Time: My Retirement Revelation
34 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/20/2025
FIRST: bbbobbins on 6/20 | RECENT: R Quinn on 6/20
Feeling grateful and paying forward
27 replies
AUTHOR: Mark Crothers on 6/16/2025
FIRST: baldscreen on 6/16 | RECENT: Greg Tomamichel on 6/18
Comments
Join the club lol
Post: Throw, hit or kick … it all add$ up
Link to comment from September 30, 2025
My wife Suzie and I cover all the costs for our grandson's sports equipment and club memberships, which runs about $2,000 per year. But what really frustrates me is the replica jerseys for the professional soccer teams he follows. He supports two teams—Liverpool FC and Real Madrid FC—and each team has three different jerseys: home, away, and third kit. This costs around $2,000 total, and to make matters worse, the professional teams release new designs every single year. The only saving grace is that it makes birthday and Xmas present selection easy.
Post: Throw, hit or kick … it all add$ up
Link to comment from September 30, 2025
Ah yes, the three-pocket portfolio, diversified against pickpockets, dead batteries, and tap-to-pay refusers 😉
Post: Memories With a Cold Spanish Beer
Link to comment from September 29, 2025
I use my phone for almost all my payments now. My phone has a removable protective case, and I keep some emergency cash hidden underneath it. Even though mobile payments are convenient, I don't completely trust the system—having that backup cash gives me peace of mind.
Post: Memories With a Cold Spanish Beer
Link to comment from September 29, 2025
You can still use your Oyster card, and if it's out of date, any staffed Underground station will sort you out with a new one. I have to say, I find the Transport for London (TfL) staff very friendly, polite, and helpful.
Post: Memories With a Cold Spanish Beer
Link to comment from September 29, 2025
I think the barkeep was confused enough with my accent lol
Post: Memories With a Cold Spanish Beer
Link to comment from September 29, 2025
I was in London last month. Tap and pay with your credit card works on the tube. I've overheard people in Spain being asked if they want to pay in euros or sterling, always better in the local currency.
Post: Memories With a Cold Spanish Beer
Link to comment from September 29, 2025
I think you've completely missed the point of my essay. This wasn't about America or American politics - it was about discovering my position in global wealth distribution and what that means for perspective. The UBS Global Wealth Report doesn't care about your feelings about the current administration or healthcare policy debates. It's measuring wealth against the entire world - including the 3.4 billion people living on less than $5.50 per day. When you're complaining about supermarket prices, remember that 828 million people worldwide don't have enough food, period. Your examples actually prove my point perfectly. You mention Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel facing "reprisal" - they're millionaires with massive platforms criticizing the government on national television every night. In half the world, they'd be imprisoned or dead. That you can even frame their situation as oppression shows exactly the kind of perspective problem I was writing about. Yes, some Americans struggle with healthcare and food costs. But struggling with costs means having systems to struggle with. It means emergency rooms that can't legally turn you away, food banks, Medicaid, social workers, legal protections, and democratic processes to change things. Billions of people have none of that. This isn't about minimizing American problems - fix them all if you can. But when I talk about pausing before complaining about inconveniences, this response is exactly what I mean. The inability to see beyond our immediate circumstances, even when we're discussing global wealth inequality, is precisely the perspective shift I was exploring.
Post: The 1% Club: Our Unnoticed Wealth
Link to comment from September 29, 2025
Oh my goodness. That's just a heart attack masquerading as a sandwich!
Post: The 1% Club: Our Unnoticed Wealth
Link to comment from September 27, 2025
Ahh...now I know what's wrong, you never asked for cheese 😂
Post: The 1% Club: Our Unnoticed Wealth
Link to comment from September 27, 2025