A 72-year-old widower with $3.2 million in his old employer 401(k) walks into his advisor’s office in June 2026 with one question: how big will his first required distribution be next year?…
Marc Guberti The competition between states for talent, capital, and businesses has intensified over the past decade. Remote work, lower moving costs, and the rise of digital businesses have made it easier than ever…
Rich Duprey A 67-year-old in Florida picked a $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan two years ago because the math looked obvious: no monthly premium, dental and vision thrown in, a gym membership. Then came a…
Drew Wood For income investors who want to be paid more frequently, a new wave of ETFs has arrived. First came the monthly payers, and now come the weekly payers, which might actually be…
If you hold Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares (NYSEARCA:VYM) in a taxable brokerage account, every December distribution check comes with an IRS partner. At the 24% federal bracket, a…
Danielle Liverance A 68-year-old retiree flies to Lisbon, slips while stepping off a tram on her third day, and suddenly finds herself facing a major medical bill. Between surgery, hospitalization, and transportation home, the…
Drew Wood If you’ve ever inherited a stock portfolio, a rental property, or even a single share of grandma’s old utility company, the IRS hands you a quiet gift most heirs never notice. It’s…
Michael Williams The Federal Reserve chair has always been one of the most scrutinized jobs in Washington. Every interest rate decision affects mortgages, credit cards, corporate borrowing costs, and ultimately the stock market itself.…
Rich Duprey In a blog post dated June 11, 2026, titled “What the Latest Social Security Buzz Gets Wrong,” Suze Orman put a sharp number on a decision millions of Americans make on autopilot.…
Michael Williams A 68-year-old retiree on a $14,000-a-year specialty arthritis biologic used to brace for January. The old Part D structure pushed her through a deductible, an initial coverage phase, the so-called donut hole,…
Drew Wood Someone in their late fifties is staring at a portfolio statement, a Zillow tab full of whitewashed villas in Lagos or Tavira, and wondering whether the Algarve math actually works. Can you…
Michael Williams A surprising number of military retirees end up in San Antonio, and it is not just because they trained there, were stationed there, or have friends nearby. Few cities in America are…
Drew Wood Crude oil has whipsawed traders in 2026 with a violence not seen in years. WTI bottomed at about $56 in early January, then ripped to nearly $115 by early April as the…
If you have a Roth IRA, you have an emergency fund hiding in plain sight. Every dollar you personally contributed, not the growth, just your contributions, can come out anytime, at any…
Michael Williams A 68-year-old walks out of an audiologist’s office with a quote for a mid-range pair of hearing aids: $5,800. She is on Original Medicare and assumed the fitting and the devices would…
Drew Wood 
