Personal Finance Archives

A man with gray hair and glasses sits beside a blonde woman, both looking at a white tablet and financial documents on a glass table. The man points at the tablet with a pen while the woman smiles, resting her chin on her hand. Papers with colorful charts and graphs are spread on the table next to a yellow mug. A blurred living room with a gray sofa is in the background.

How a 71-Year-Old Collects $6,200 a Month From Just Three Tickers: SCHD, O, and MAIN

Three tickers, one retiree, and a specific monthly income target that most financial planners would say requires far more diversification to pull off safely.

Michael Williams · 2 weeks ago

An older man with gray hair sits on a gray sofa, intently looking at a white calculator in his hands. Next to him, an older woman with short blonde hair holds white papers and gestures with an open hand, her expression one of frustration or concern. On a black coffee table in front of them are an open laptop, a white mug, and an open notebook with a pen.

They Married at 70 to Share Expenses. SSI Cut Their Combined Benefit by $497 a Month.

For two SSI recipients in their seventies, moving in together and splitting expenses seemed like the obvious financial move. What happened at the Social Security Administration after they said their vows was something neither…

Gerelyn Terzo · 2 weeks ago

An older Asian man with graying hair and a beard, wearing glasses and a red polo shirt, holds financial documents while an older white woman with gray hair and a yellow collared shirt sits beside him, smiling. They are at a light wooden kitchen island with an open laptop, a white mug, and a notebook. In the foreground on the right, a white plate holds two golden croissants. The background shows a bright, modern kitchen with white cabinetry and woven light fixtures.

Your Roth 401(k) No Longer Has RMDs. The 2024 Rule Change Plenty of Plans Never Told Retirees About

A rule buried inside a 2022 law quietly changed the retirement math for millions of Roth 401(k) holders, and most plans never sent a single notification about it.

Jake Fitzgerald · 2 weeks ago

A pink ceramic piggy bank sits on the left. In the center, a roll of U.S. hundred-dollar bills, featuring Benjamin Franklin, is neatly tied with natural twine. To the right, a small rectangular wooden sign reads 'RETIREMENT FUND' in bold white capital letters. All items are placed on a solid dark grey surface.

He Delayed Social Security for an 8% Annual Credit. While He Waited, His Pension Lump Sum Shrunk.

He followed every rule in the retirement playbook and still watched a six-figure number shrink while he waited. The reason has nothing to do with markets, and it could hit any retiree holding two…

Gerelyn Terzo · 2 weeks ago

A smiling middle-aged man and woman stand embraced on a sandy beach at sunset. The sky behind them is filled with dramatic orange, pink, and purple clouds, and the setting sun casts a bright glow over the blue ocean. A palm tree is visible on the left, adding to the tropical scene.

No Passport Required: Here’s How to Retire to Puerto Rico at 62 on $500,000

Puerto Rico checks every box on the retirement shortlist, but three details buried in the fine print will make or break whether a $500,000 nest egg actually survives the island.

Michael Williams · 2 weeks ago

A picturesque log cabin lake house with a large stone chimney and illuminated windows sits next to a calm lake at dusk. In the foreground, a stone fire pit with a bright fire is encircled by six empty wooden Adirondack chairs. Pine trees frame the scene, with reflections visible on the water and a colorful sunset sky overhead.

The Family LLC: How Parents Hand Down the Lake House Without Probate, Fights, or a Forced Sale

Your will is probably the worst tool for passing down the lake house, and there is a quieter legal structure that sidesteps probate, prevents a forced sale, and stretches your gift tax capacity far…

Jake Fitzgerald · 2 weeks ago

A happy Black couple sits at a wooden table, smiling at each other while engaged in financial planning. The woman on the left, wearing a yellow top, holds a pen and writes in a notebook, with a smartphone nearby. The man on the right, in an orange collared shirt, holds several papers, with a partially visible laptop on the table.

Make Sure You Do This Before 65: The 401(k) Conversion Move That Saves Six Figures in Taxes

A quiet five-year window sits between retirement and Social Security where you control your taxable income almost completely, and most people let it close without touching it. Here is what bracket math reveals about…

Marc Guberti · 2 weeks ago

A male steer wrestler, wearing a plaid shirt and cowboy hat, is airborne between a brown and white steer and a brown galloping horse. He is leaning over the steer's head, gripping its horns with both hands, while his legs are extended towards the horse. Both animals are kicking up a significant amount of dirt in a rodeo arena under what appears to be a bright, sunny sky, with spectators and fences visible in the background.

He Won $50,000 at Rodeos After Filing for Social Security. The IRS Asked Whether He Was Having Fun or Running a Business.

A retiree pockets $50,000 in rodeo prize money and files it as income, but the IRS and Social Security are asking a very different question about how he spent his summer.

Gerelyn Terzo · 2 weeks ago

Expresssive Indian asian senior old man reading newspaper at home

How a 66-Year-Old Built a $4,600 Monthly Paycheck From Just Two Funds: SCHD and JEPI

Two funds, two very different philosophies on what retirement income should actually do for you. Finding the right balance between them could mean the difference between a paycheck that grows and one that quietly…

Michael Williams · 2 weeks ago

Wooden block with the letter IRA with some money around. Concept: Retirement Plan in USA, Individual Retirement Account

A $500,000 IRA Went Through Probate Instead of to the Kids, Because of a Beneficiary Form From 1998.

A beneficiary form filled out in 1998 quietly overruled decades of careful estate planning, and the family who expected to inherit half a million dollars found out too late that a will means nothing…

David Beren · 2 weeks ago

A close-up shot of an older man with a grey beard, wearing a light-colored collared shirt, sitting at a desk. He holds a white document in his left hand and rests his right hand on his chin, holding a pen. His gaze is directed downwards, focused on the document. A silver laptop is visible on the desk to his left, and a blurred background shows bookshelves with books and potted plants.

He Spent His 60s Quietly Moving His IRA Into a Roth. At 73, When the IRS Showed Up to Dictate His Withdrawals, There Was Nothing Left to Tax

Between retirement and the birthday the IRS circled on your calendar, there sits a narrow window that lets you quietly drain the account the government was planning to raid on its own schedule. Most…

Jake Fitzgerald · 2 weeks ago

Personal Finance

All Personal Finance Articles

How a 71-Year-Old Collects $6,200 a Month From Just Three Tickers: SCHD, O, and MAIN

Your Roth 401(k) No Longer Has RMDs. The 2024 Rule Change Plenty of Plans Never Told Retirees About

No Passport Required: Here’s How to Retire to Puerto Rico at 62 on $500,000

The Family LLC: How Parents Hand Down the Lake House Without Probate, Fights, or a Forced Sale

Make Sure You Do This Before 65: The 401(k) Conversion Move That Saves Six Figures in Taxes

How a 66-Year-Old Built a $4,600 Monthly Paycheck From Just Two Funds: SCHD and JEPI

A $500,000 IRA Went Through Probate Instead of to the Kids, Because of a Beneficiary Form From 1998.

He Spent His 60s Quietly Moving His IRA Into a Roth. At 73, When the IRS Showed Up to Dictate His Withdrawals, There Was Nothing Left to Tax

Ocala Is Quietly Becoming Florida’s Retirement Capital and Homes Are Still Under $300,000

Social Security Took $1 of Every $2 She Earned at 63. At 67, It Quietly Started Giving the Money Back.