Rachel and I live comfortably now, but it didn’t happen by accident. For most of my adult life, I lived simply—sometimes inconveniently so—and saved steadily. At the time, it felt normal. Only looking back do I see how much those quiet choices shaped the life we have today.
We married in our 60s, in a house I had inherited and was still fixing up. I remember hugging her upstairs and whispering, “If you marry me, we can have a wonderful life together.” I believed it because we were already aligned.

You’re Warren Buffett’s second coming. You’re almost 6 (kids don’t tell you how old they are—only how old they’re about to be), and you’ve just helped a neighbor clean out his garage. Now you have a shiny $10 bill in your pocket.
Good start, but you’re WB2 and aiming for the stars. New neighbor, new mark: another $10, and you’ve doubled your fractional shares in VOO at Fidelity! Soon you’re covering multiple neighborhoods and employing a crew of kids to multiply your profits.

I was talking to a friend this morning before pickleball. He’s a retired teacher who stays in touch with former students, and right now he’s trying to raise some money for one of them who’s in a tough spot.
Here’s what happened: The guy is in his mid-thirties with two small children. A few weeks ago, he lost his job but, thankfully, found new work within a week.
Then the timing fell apart. His old employer was supposed to pay his final wages last Friday,

In 2026 the fee for an American Express Platinum card is increasing to $895 a year. That sounds expensive even though AMEX added some extra benefits. I hadn’t utilized all the benefits before but I am pretty sure I am close to maximizing them now.  The primary reason I signed up for the card was the ability to access airport lounges due to my desire to “see-the world”. I have owned the card for a few years and it has taken me a while to grasp all the other benefits offered by the card.

Before I bought my new car, I brought my 2014 model in for service. As usual I asked for a loaner car. I was told I was not eligible. What do you mean not eligible? We only provide loaners for model year 2019 and newer I was told. Since when? I was incensed.
When I brought my car in and waited for three hours, my frustration grew. I have been a customer for many years and spent many thousands of dollars at the dealership. 

I was mulling over a thought recently. It seems that over the last nine months I’ve become so enamoured with the fixed income I secured with an annuity when first retiring that a little voice in my head keeps whispering to load up on some more.
At the moment I have a term annuity that lasts ten years and covers all my essential spending. Out of curiosity I decided to get some quotes for a single payment immediate annuity (SPIA).

A personal story – I’m not advocating anything.. Well, I take that back, I think Dr. Quinn is spot-on when he says you should begin benefits when you need them and the heck with the fancy math.
I’m 66, wifey is 65. She’s never worked since our marriage 42 years ago.. Well, I take that back, that woman has out worked me beyond measure. 5 Children. Homeschooling. The youngest is now 30. 9 Grandchildren. Threats of more.

We had to rent an apartment in the Chicago Loop in 1989 after my daughter won a role in a musical. We had many options and chose a place on Wabash at E 9th Street. It was a great location with Grant Park nearly across the street, and Buddy Guy’s blues bar, Legends, right next door.
It also had a nice market one block over on State Street that we could easily walk to. 
Toledo is not like that,

Since Warren Buffet is considered at the top of investing game, I heeded his advice for  40 years.  No bonds and an Index 500 fund. Guess what folks, I rolled into retirement never looking back.  ROTH’s came on the scene late and didn’t really understand the taxation, oh well, my wife reminds me about RMD’s and taxation,,”such a problem!”

LOOKING FORWARD TO some downtime over the holidays? Below are some favorite new personal finance books and articles to consider for your reading list.
A Richer Retirement by William Bengen – Back in the 1990s, financial planner William Bengen developed what’s come to be known as the 4% rule. It’s a framework to help retirees determine a sustainable portfolio withdrawal rate. This year, Bengen updated and expanded his research. The most compelling addition: Bengen addresses the question of asset allocation.

BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE far more control over their tax bill than W-2 employees. But only if you know how the rules actually work. 
The tax code is structured to reward self employment, business investment, and retirement saving, yet many business owners leave significant money on the table simply because they are unaware of all the strategies.
If you are eligible, a Solo 401(k) plan can be an effective way to lower your taxes or shield your investments from future taxation.

I WAS HAPPY to read in The Wall Street Journal that 401(k) plans are “minting a generation of moderate millionaires.” I spent the last two decades of my professional life promoting 401(k) plans to workers, so the news felt like validation.
Moderate millionaires were loosely defined as coupon-clippers with seven figures. Sound familiar? It should to many HD readers. At Fidelity, a record 654,000 investors had a million or more in the 401(k) in the third quarter of 2025.

I wrote this article for HD four years ago. It was one of my favorites. It came to mind as we were setting up our Christmas tree this year.
EVERY YEAR AROUND this time, I think about one of the most memorable events in my life.
As a child, I was fascinated by trains. My father was a railway tower signal man during the Second World War and later a station master. My first toy trains were plastic and battery operated,

I dusted off this never published post after reading Mark Crothers’ recent post about killing a party by trying to offer advice. 
Have you ever been at a social gathering where the conversation turned to money matters?
I know a fella who has a reputation as an ace stock picker. I overheard someone recommending to a friend that they should talk to the guy for advice. The stock picker guy happened to be a tax client of mine.

This morning I had a surprise email in my inbox. I’d won a competition on Monevator, a fantastic, high quality UK financial blog site. The prize was a rather dapper festive Christmas sweater. I politely declined because, well, have you seen those things?
But the competition premise has been rattling around in my head ever since. The challenge was writing a note to convince someone—specifically, the partner of the finance blogger—to pay attention to her money,