Latest Posts
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Living Simply in Retirement: How to Crush it
Somewhere between paying off the last mortgage bill and the first day I didn’t have to set an alarm clock, I realized that retirement wasn’t just a financial transition, it was a lifestyle one. I used to think living simply meant giving things up. Turns out, it’s not about having less, it’s about making room
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The Best Decisions People Make in Retirement
I’ve noticed something interesting about retirement: it’s one of those times in life when hindsight becomes crystal clear. After a few years, many retirees can look back and say, “That was one of the smartest things I ever did,” or, on the flip side, “I wish I’d thought that through a little better.” Today, I
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The Best Second Careers in Retirement: Finding Purpose
Upon retiring, I had this romantic vision of sipping coffee on the porch every morning, watching the sunrise, and not having a single care in the world. For about three weeks, that was absolutely bliss. Then reality hit. The days felt longer than ever, my sense of purpose started slipping, and I realized that I
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RMDs Made Simple: How to Take Withdrawals Without Tax Surprises
When I first retired, I remember staring at my IRA statement one morning with my coffee in hand, thinking, “So now that I’ve saved all this, do I finally just get to relax and let it grow?” A few weeks later, my financial advisor smiled politely and said, “Not exactly, William. The IRS will want
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The Best Hobbies for Retirees now
When I first retired, I thought hobbies were something people did just to fill time between naps and doctor’s appointments. I was wrong, very wrong. What I didn’t realize back then was that hobbies can be the spark that keeps your retirement vibrant, meaningful, and full of laughter. In fact, finding the right hobby might
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The Medicare 2026 landscape: Big Changes are Coming
I always like to start with the broad strokes before we dig into the weeds. Here’s the overview of major changes coming to Medicare in 2026 (and yes, weeds are coming, so bring your magnifying glass): Let’s take them one by one, and then I’ll give you my best strategies for navigating them without losing
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How to Build Retirement Income Buckets That Survive Market Crashes
When I first heard about the “bucket approach” to retirement income planning, I pictured myself sitting at the beach, a cold drink in one hand and a bright plastic bucket in the other. It sounded like something kids used to build sandcastles, not something to help me survive 30 years of retirement without going broke.
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Avoiding the Biggest Retirement Regrets: A Candid Look at Life After Work
When I first retired, I thought I’d hit the jackpot. No more Monday alarms, no more meetings that could’ve been emails, and no more pretending to care about office birthday cake. I could finally do what I wanted, when I wanted. But as the weeks turned into months, I began to notice something odd. Every
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DIY Investing in Retirement: The Pros, Cons, and Real Truths You Need to Know
I’ve always believed that retirement should be about freedom—the freedom to sleep past sunrise, wear socks that don’t match, and, for many of us, finally take charge of our money without someone in a suit telling us what to do. That’s where DIY investing comes in. On paper, it sounds empowering. “Do it yourself,” the
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How to Make New Friends in Retirement
When I first retired, I’ll admit, I had this funny idea that my calendar would suddenly be filled with events, neighborhood barbecues, and long conversations at coffee shops with new friends. The reality, though, was different. After a few months of enjoying the freedom, I found myself wondering, “Where did everybody go?” It turns out