As we’ve described in our past couple of Retirement Summary posts, remaining fully employed well into your twilight years may appeal to you – or not. Either way, life doesn’t always go as planned. You may experience a life-altering event. Or you may just change your mind. When that happens, whether it’s driven by a financial or personal agenda – or both – re-careering may be preferred over retiring. This is...

The Road Less Retired Legend has it that news anchor Barbara Walters once asked author Isaac Asimov what he would do if a doctor told him he had only six months to live. “Type faster,” he replied. Are you one of the fortunate few whose career completes you, as Asimov’s did? As I introduced in last week’s post, full retirement isn’t for everyone. To spin off of Robert Frost’s classic poem, I...

Even without seeing the official stats, you’ve probably noticed an increasing number of so-called senior citizens who are no longer behaving like proper old people. In an homage to the new senior lifestyle, I’d like to focus on the “not-retirement” model I mentioned in my last post: Working (or playing) straight through Some people avoid retirement entirely. If you find meaning in your work – maybe you don’t even consider it “work”...

Welcome back! In my last post, I launched this year’s SAGEbroadview summer blog series, “Sheri’s Summer Retirement Summary.” When it comes to retiring, there is no one best way for everyone. That’s what makes the subject so fascinating. That said, most people’s retirement planning falls into these five broad categories, depending on how you slice and dice the possibilities. Beyond the (1) traditional model of working most of your adult life until...

Hey everyone, happy first official day of summer! Is the pool open? Before you head out, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the launch of our fourth annual summer blog series. It all started in 2014, when we shared a summer series of Evidence-Based Investment Insights, followed by a 2015 collection of Investment Basics and a 2016 serving of Sheri’s Summer Refreshers. What’s on the agenda for this summer?...

A curated list for your reading pleasure — some light-hearted articles, some that are thought-provoking, and some of a more practical nature: Why Walking Helps Us Think (The New Yorker) “What is it about walking, in particular, that makes it so amenable to thinking and writing? The answer begins with changes to our chemistry.” Why I Write About Classical Music (My Favorite Classical) “Life is too short to spend it thinking...

In my last post, we covered some of the financial trade-offs to consider before you decide to pay off your mortgage on the early side. Still, sooner or later, I hope that payoff day does arrive for you. There are few financial acts more gratifying than ensuring your castle is all your own, free and clear. Before you pop that cork on the bubbly though, it’s important to make sure you...

We hear this question often: “Should I pay off my mortgage early?” As you’ll hear us say even more often, the answer is, “It depends.” It’s nice to no longer have that monthly mortgage payment, and there’s something satisfying about owning your home outright. That said, if you allocate dollars to paying off your mortgage, you’re essentially ruling out other ways you could be spending, saving or investing that same money. Here...

If there’s an investment instrument that has withstood the test of time, it’s the good, old U.S. savings bond. Since their 1935 debut under “New Deal” President Franklin D. Roosevelt, they’ve never been known for their get-rich glamour. But to this day, investors still turn to them when appropriate. When do savings bonds still make sense, and what are best practices for managing them these days? The Enduring U.S. Savings Bond As...

Okay, I know budgeting is rarely fun for anyone, but it can be especially hard on young adults. You’ve just wrapped up your formal education and received your first decent paycheck – way more than you’ve been earning between classes. What’s a common reaction? “I deserve a shopping spree!” Meantime, the necessary expenses add up too: food, clothing and shelter for today and tomorrow. You get to the end of...