I was a bit of a surprise to my parents. My father was 44 and my mother was 40 when I was born. My youngest sister was over seven years older than me. Because of the age differences between my three sisters and me, after about age 10 I rarely had any siblings at home. I was essentially an only child from that point on.
Besides having my parents to myself, my experience growing up in southern New Jersey was a bit different than my sisters’ in another way.

A RECENTLY RELEASED book titled How to Retire is a goldmine for those in or near retirement. For the book, Christine Benz—Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning—conducted interviews with 20 experts, covering every aspect of retirement.
The result is a valuable field guide for those tackling life after work. Below are seven insights I found particularly useful.
1. Social connections. When we think about retirement planning, most of us tend to think first about the numbers.

Lately, in my attempts to add a touch of humor to this site, I have apparently ruffled a few feathers. Mea Culpa. That’s Latin for ….er, something.
Now, even though it is difficult to make predictions about the future, I remain unfazed and herewith are my forecasts.
First, though, a bit of nostalgia, from the past. I used to be so poor, I had no common “sense”.( Cents, get it?  )
B)   I was once so destitute,

My grandson is a senior in college. He has taken some student loans for which the financial resources exist (529 plan) to pay them in full upon graduation. My question is this:
From the perspective of building a strong credit history, should he pay the loans in full after the grace period, or should he make payments for a period of time, say a year or two, before paying them in full?
Note, that any money leftover in the 529 plan will be either transferred to a Roth IRA when feasible,

It’s real, it’s global, it can’t be stopped and it can be good or bad.
It is inflation. 
I had someone tell me recently that U.S. annual inflation has been 10% for the last several years.  That is not true of course although it may feel like it to some people. 
My guaranteed income is a pension and Social Security. There is no COLA on my pension. Since I retired in 2010, the buying power on the great majority of my income has eroded by 43%. 

HERE’S A FINANCIAL topic on which I claim scant expertise: spending. Still, I’ve belatedly been getting a lot of practice.
Over the past four years, I’ve spent more freely than at any time in my life. While part of it might be explained by post-pandemic splurging, mostly it’s because I finally convinced myself that I had more than enough saved for retirement. Added to that has been my recent cancer diagnosis, which has prompted Elaine and me to take our spending to a whole new level,

Financial articles warn about sequence of return risk early in retirement. A retiree who experiences a poor stock market early in retirement has a lower portfolio to withdraw from going forward potentially putting their retirement finances in jeopardy. Someone who experiences a down market later in retirement is at less risk of poor returns affecting their financial security as they have less years that they have to fund expenses.
My question is does anyone really know when they are past this danger zone?

If the neighbors told you they were saving for retirement, would you go ahead and recommend specific investments, without asking any further questions?
That’s been my life since the world learned about my cancer diagnosis. Strangers, who know nothing about the details of my relatively rare variation of lung cancer, have sent me messages telling me the doctors I should see, the cancer centers I should visit, the books I should read, the diets I should follow,

Although I feel I have at least an average level of intelligence, I truly cannot understand many financial issues, that I read and hear, from everyday people, politicians and more.
For example, gasoline prices seem to be a favorite topic, and I wonder why consumers are so concerned as they rise, while the prices of the vehicles have risen so much and why many those same people keep leasing and buying very expensive SUVs, Huge pick up trucks ,etc.

WE’VE ALL HEARD of the obscure relative—often a long-forgotten uncle or aunt—who leaves behind a surprise inheritance. This usually only happens in fairy tales, trashy novels and screwball comedy movies. I certainly never expected it to happen to me, especially at this late stage. But happen it did—from my lifelong friend Katie, who bequeathed me a generous sum.
I learned I was a beneficiary from the will’s executor and from a subsequent letter from the attorney handling the estate.

This afternoon I was listening to the economic plan of a presidential candidate. It included $6,000 for a new baby, more money for child care, money toward buying a home and more. Absent was any reference to deficits or debt.
In any case, I thought back to our life raising four children on one income and in the early years on a glorified clerks salary.  I do recall sky high inflation in the 80s and no gas in the 70s
I don’t recall any subsidies or tax credits or rebates.

I thought it might be fun to see if everyone can remember how and/or when they found out about HumbleDollar?
I, myself, am not 100% sure.  Maybe through the boglehead.org forums (which I’ve since abandoned)?  I can’t recall, but I’m pretty sure that since 2018 or ’19 I’ve been a daily follower.

I’m 61 and I’ve got a year left to live, but I still plan to work every day (msn.com)
I think others might like to read this article & see some great pictures of Jonathan in his earlier years.

Now, with the growing tension in the Mideast , the breakup of JLo and Ben Affleck, the new kickoff rules in the NFL and other horrific events, I feel I must continue my quest to try and scope out the economic future. If this is blocked for any reason, I understand, cruel and unusual punishment is banned by our Constitution.
1) I asked the circus people how things are going, it was a mixed bag. The acrobat was “ walking a tightrope”,

I am certainly nearer the end of my life than the beginning. and I thought it wise to ask around, talking with everyday people, trying to get a good, accurate analysis of the overall economic outlook. Some may find this silly, after all, why  not just heed the advice and wisdom of all of the experts, offering their views on market conditions, the direction of interest rates, both short and long term, etc.  But, nothing ventured,