I’m not the same person I was when I retired at 59. Back then, I was frugal to a fault, afraid to spend money, even on myself. Now I treat myself more often, take better care of my health, and I like to think I’ve grown more patient. But the biggest change is this: I cry more easily.
I didn’t use to understand that kind of emotion. When I was about 11, I was watching television with Uncle Lou.

Ben Carlson’s column today is titled “The Ovarian Lottery”. Where and when you were born has a whole lot to do with how your life turns out. You could be capable of becoming a great artist, but if you were born female for most of human history you wouldn’t be able to reach your potential. Born a serf in medieval Europe? You were going to stay a serf. Sure, hard work helps, but if your particular talent isn’t in demand,

It would have been my mum’s 91st birthday this week. She passed two years ago this June after the long goodbye from the thousand small cuts of dementia. Although I experienced grief and sadness, it truly was a relief to bid my mum the final farewell after the long marathon of loss over many years. I gave a final kiss to the echo of the woman before me as the heat of life left mum’s body.

In my childhood, I grew up in public housing. From the age of 11, I attended what in the UK is the rough equivalent of a public high school. This was during a very volatile and violent phase of societal change in my country, set against a backdrop of illegal paramilitary organisations. They effectively “hoovered up” a high portion of my childhood friends, regurgitating them as dead bodies or incarcerated prisoners with no future. This was the reality of my childhood and formative years.

A couple weeks ago, the team I was part of was eliminated.  My boss- and his boss-were also laid off, along with about 10 of us.  The industry is facing significant headwinds, and our organization was no exception.
This is the first time in my life I’ve been laid off, and I never imagined finding myself in this situation. I’ve always believed in strong work ethic in creating and delivering value to both the organization and the customer.

More than 13 months ago, I was given 12 months to live.
I like to think I took my diagnosis in stride. I moved quickly to simplify my financial affairs, toss unwanted possessions, get new estate-planning documents and change HumbleDollar’s direction so the site could live on after my death.
I also focused on getting the most out of each day. Partly, that meant taking some special trips and spending more time with family.

I belong to a club I never wanted to join: women who have outlived their husbands. Like me, millions of baby boomer women, and now Gen Xers too, will face life without their long-term partner.
Thankfully, today’s widows have more choices than our great-grandmothers did. Some of us embrace living solo. Others are surprised to find companionship again, sometimes even love. That next chapter can be sweet, but it’s also financially complex.
I know this firsthand.

I just turned 69 and I feel that there isn’t something quite right with that! The feeling has more to do with where I am in my life than feeling 69. I don’t know what it will be like when I turn 70.
To get prepared I read an article about being 70 and found a list, of all things, that I liked so much that wanted to share it.  Do you have anything to add to this list?

When I was in third grade, my mom worked at a small diner near our house. Every morning before school, I’d walk there for breakfast and read the sports section of the Canton Repository. That habit stuck with me, and soon I was arriving early to school just to read the newspaper in the library.
I wasn’t the best student, but if they had quizzed me on what was going on in the world,

There is a Boglehead Conference in October.  Has anybody attended previous conferences? I’m considering attending and I’d appreciate your hearing about your experience. Did you find it valuable?
Thanks,
Jackie

Today, I have the not-so-joyful task of collecting my suit from the dry cleaners. This instrument of torture is, of course, for a wedding I’m attending in a few weeks. Suzie and I are close friends with the bride’s family, and for the past 18 months, we’ve been “in the loop” on all the drama and discussions surrounding the planning. It seems every visit to a bridal show adds a new “must-have” addition to what’s become quite the circus,

I want to share the sad news that Mr. T. V. Narayanan passed away in India, two days ago, of a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and 3 grandchildren. We will miss him dearly.
Here is an article he wrote for HD: https://humbledollar.com/2023/07/come-a-long-way/
He says in this article that he must have read just about every column that Jonathan Clements wrote as a personal finance columnist for the Journal and learned much from them.

I really feel for people  who are unexpectedly losing their jobs late career because of the DOGE cuts.
I experienced something similar when I was pushed out of my 36 year banking job at age 59. I was a good performer, but when they want to get you they get you.
I struggled for a couple of years but the good news is that I finally figured things out and at age 70 I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

Hi, my name is David, and I am a newsaholic! There I’ve said it. Admitting you have an addiction is the first step to recovery, right?
All my life I have been addicted to reading the news. I like to be informed about the goings on locally, nationally, and internationally. I think it is a way for me to lower my anxiety. Over the past 8-9 years however things have changed.
What does this have to do with taking care of my mother in law?

A number of events over the past few months have me thinking about aging, mortality, legacy, frailty, and – of course – financial planning. These events included attending funerals, preparing tax returns (ours and dozens of others), visiting old friends and distant family, minor traffic accidents, winter doldrums, and the recent discussions on HumbleDollar on the unique estate planning needs of childless retirees. Recent market volatility may have played a small role.
My wife and I have a lot of real-world experience caring for aging and infirm parents,