Mark Gardner

Comments

• Before asking when to claim Social Security, we should first ask how retirement will be funded during each phase of retirement. What’s the plan for covering living expenses from early retirement to FRA, from FRA to age 70 if benefits are delayed, and then after age 70? Only after that cash-flow plan is clear does the claiming decision really make sense. For retirees with substantial assets, legacy goals also become part of the equation. I know this is a much more complicated problem than comparing breakeven ages or lifetime benefits, but is this the kind of retirement-income planning tool you would consider building?

  Post: Yet-Another Social Security Spreadsheet Analysis on what Age to Start taking Benefits

  Link to comment from August 4, 2026

• You’ve done an excellent job compiling the booklet. Thank you for providing the framework for retirees to plan their future.

  Post: Before Someone Else Decides

  Link to comment from August 2, 2026

• Larry Swedroe wrote a post on Substack about CAPE ratio that is worth a read: https://open.substack.com/pub/larryswedroe/p/the-cape-that-cried-wolf-has-the?r=9qivf&utm_medium=ios

  Post: Market Indicators

  Link to comment from July 26, 2026

• I was in your shoes a year ago, and you have a wonderful period of exploration ahead of you. Try different things. Reconnect deeply with the people who matter most. Read. Travel. Pick up a hobby you’ve long ignored. Build a modest daily routine that gives your days some structure. Above all, don’t look for a substitute for the status or routine that work once provided. Let this next chapter become something different rather than a replacement for the last one.

  Post: Fear of the Unknown…

  Link to comment from July 26, 2026

• The World Cup is one of the few events that transcends politics, borders, and our everyday disagreements. For a few weeks, billions of people laugh, groan, celebrate, and mourn together. I was lucky enough to attend one match, and it’s a memory I’ll always treasure.

  Post: FIFA Financials

  Link to comment from July 19, 2026

• Nominal values confuse me comparing today with tomorrow. So, I force myself to track everything in real terms including expected returns. So, I end up thinking about inflation related to items that outpace inflation, like healthcare. The ten year TIPS yield is a good benchmark if a particular items seems odd.

  Post: About that inflation in retirement

  Link to comment from July 13, 2026

• Sorry about the spreadsheet talk; I get too excited about programming, even as a retired software engineer. Actually, that was just my vehicle. You can engage with AI in any way you like! You can talk to it, sketch on napkins, use a PDF sent by your financial advisor or brokerage.

  Post: Better Questions

  Link to comment from July 12, 2026

• I love it Ben!

  Post: Trump Accounts

  Link to comment from July 12, 2026

• Dan, I must admit it's a loose association. But, my interest piqued that Trump accounts are being run by the government through a modern app that was well done.

  Post: Trump Accounts

  Link to comment from July 12, 2026

• I hope that the success of these accounts will pave the way for the consolidation of all the retirement vehicles a US taxpayer has to manage into a single account. Contributions can be made as early as birth, either pre-tax or post-tax, and grow tax-free. Withdrawals can be made tax-free for education, healthcare, and charity at any time, and they’ll adhere to the existing IRA rules for all other withdrawals. Let’s have a generous and progressive contribution limit with the nice features of family, employer, and state pitching in! Bye Bye 401K, 529, FSA, IRA, LPFSA, HSA… hello Trump Account!

  Post: Trump Accounts

  Link to comment from July 11, 2026