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Prices are not coming down, inflation is rising, mortgage rates are rising, the stock market is near bear territory.
Given all the planning and various strategies that have been discussed on HD, do those retired have any concerns about weathering this storm?
How about those within a few years of retirement? Anything happening that may change your plans.
HAVE YOU GIVEN any thought to what’s about to happen to your S&P 500 tracker?
Three enormous IPOs are expected later this year: SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Based on their most recent private transactions, SpaceX appears to be valued at around $1.25 trillion, OpenAI at roughly $800 billion, and Anthropic at approximately $380 billion. Combined, we could be looking at close to $3 trillion in private market value that wants to go public. To put that in perspective,
Donating to charity used to be simple. Not anymore. I am reaching out for opinions on the most efficient way to donate in 2026. I have identified several ways to donate but can’t decide on the best approach.
The most direct way is to write a check which would be deductible; $2,000 for a married couple or $1,000 for a single taxpayer who takes the standard deduction. Itemizers can deduct up to 35% of AGI (I think).
HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT (HSA) is the most efficient tax-advantaged investment account because it offers a triple tax advantage:
Contributions are tax-deductible
Earnings grow tax-free
Withdrawals are tax-free if used for medical expenses
One of the best uses of an HSA is to actually invest the balance.
For example, I keep $500 (the minimum required balance) in cash. The rest, I invest in low-cost index funds. This allows me to maximize compounding inside the HSA account.
About 10 years ago, my financial advisor suggested I open a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF). I had never heard of one—and assumed it was something only the very wealthy used. I was wrong.
In essence, a DAF allows you to give to charities more effectively by taking advantage of federal tax deductions—assuming you itemize rather than take the standard deduction.
A DAF is simple to operate. You can contribute cash or, in my case, appreciated securities, take the deduction in the year of the contribution (if you itemize),
TRUMP ACCOUNT WAS created as part of the OBBBA signed on July 4, 2025. I’ve been getting a lot of messages about it, because there is a lot of conflicting information. The IRS has also posted some instructions for the account.
My goal with this post is to walk through the rules and give my take on when (if ever), this account makes sense.
Timing & Creation
First and foremost, no contributions are allowed in this savings account for children until 12 months after the law’s enactment,
I check our investments daily, often more if the market is jumping around. Why do I do that? There is no good reason. I don’t trade, I don’t even use the funds.
If I am honest, I check the accounts only to keep proving to myself that I have been successful meeting my own financial goals. It’s just between me and me.
Is there anything wrong with being proud of what you have accomplished when you started at the bottom with zero in hand?
OVER THE PAST YEAR, a new term has entered the lexicon: “Sell America.” The idea is that investors are losing confidence in the U.S. economy due to persistent deficits and concerns about other policy choices. Owing to these fears, some investors are pulling money out of U.S. stocks and reallocating to international markets. Others are opting for gold and silver. The result: In 2025, for the first time in a long time, international stocks demonstrably outpaced domestic equities,
Medicare Part D now limits the patient’s out of pocket costs to $2,100 a year (2026) adjusted each year.
There are conditions. Your Plan D is responsible for tracking your spending.
Every time you fill a covered prescription:
The pharmacy submits the claim electronically to your Part D plan
The plan records: what the drug costs, what you paid, what the plan paid
Once you hit the limit, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
Sharing this article (free link, I hope) because it does a great job explaining the ACA “subsidy cliff” — how a small change in income can suddenly make health insurance unaffordable. Hoping it helps people explain this to family or friends and sparks a real conversation about why subsidies matter and how the rules could be improved.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/upshot/obamacare-subsidies-financial-cliff.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JVA.k0hc._GnYquc58qF6&smid=url-share
I’ve tried to explain the ACA and subsidies to a number of friends to limited success. Between calculating MAGI,
In a recent post, “lost decade” investment periods were mentioned. Looking at safe withdrawal rates, there is an assumption of portfolio continuity. Uniform returns over a long period of time coupled with consistent withdrawals. In such an environment, a portfolio which yields 6% annually can sustain a withdrawal rate that begins at 4% and the portfolio will increase in value. But over 30 years it may decrease in purchasing power. [1]
But what if a “Lost Decade” occurs?
The recent discussion about withdrawal rates – 4% and all that – got me thinking about the importance and confusion surrounding that decision. I don’t personally have to deal with it and gladly so because I’m sure I would not handle it well. My withdrawals are those required by RMDs.
The current RMD table is based on the 2012 Individual Annuity Mortality (IAM). The table is more generous than a “single life” actuarial table. It is calculated using the Joint Life and Last Survivor expectancy for an individual and a hypothetical beneficiary who is exactly 10 years younger.
WHAT WAS THE road to outstanding investment performance in 2025? For the first time in a long time, it wasn’t Apple, Amazon or Nvidia. It was gold. Delivering its best performance in 45 years, gold rose nearly 65%. Despite these impressive gains, however, I still don’t see gold as a great investment.
Why not?
The most fundamental problem, in my view, is that gold lacks intrinsic value. Unlike traditional investments such as stocks, bonds and real estate,
The advice I keep seeing says that you can safely withdraw 4% a year (adjusted for inflation) from a 60-40 portfolio over 30 years. This is all well and good, if your portfolio is 60-40 and you start withdrawing at age 70 – or 65 if you are more pessimistic about your longevity. I have always planned based on living to 100, without really hoping to make it that long, so this advice would have worked if I had started drawing on my portfolio at 70.
I recently read the HumbleDollar guidance suggesting retirees consolidate old 401(k) accounts for simplicity. My husband and I are both retired (age 62) and are wondering whether that advice still holds when the existing plans are high quality.
We each have a former-employer 401(k):
– Mine is with a large financial institution
– My husband’s is with his union
Both plans have low costs (~ 65 bps all-in), solid investment options, and no required distributions yet.
