I recently interviewed, Aja McClanahan, who told us how she and her husband built a plan that took seven years to pay off $120,000 in debt. At a young age, they are now debt-free! While they should celebrate, becoming debt-free is just one major milestone in a longer journey. It’s exciting and frustrating to finally get to the top of […]
» Read moreDid I achieve a journalistic milestone? I got my first tip from an insider. What I learned is darn important for our readers. Our article “The Social (IN)Security Charade”, discussed how the government gave us a COLA increase and took it right back by increasing medical premiums. The tipster confirmed I was spot on – however, I barely scratched the […]
» Read moreI’m frequently asked, “Should I count on social security when doing retirement planning?” The best approach is to discuss what my wife Jo and I have experienced. I compared our 2018 benefit statement with 2015. Our Cost of Living Increase (COLA) was 2.3% – (1.15% annually). Our net payments dropped approximately 1.75% – we are clearing less today than we […]
» Read moreI thought I was clever in my early 20’s when I said to my car pool buddies, “How come there is so much month left at the end of the money?” As the month wore on, more brown paper sacks with peanut butter & jelly sandwiches appeared. Sometimes we traded snacks just like when we were kids. We discussed how […]
» Read moreFor decades, every presidential candidate has vowed to “fix” social security, yet it never happens. In the meantime, workers have money deducted from their paychecks and retirees get paid. Is the system really broken? In a word – YES! While the politicians fiddle, the system continues to deteriorate. The challenge becomes more difficult because there is so much misinformation about […]
» Read moreSome of my most enjoyable memories are when my youngest son Drew played baseball. How fortunate we were when an extraordinary coach, Gary Staab, asked him to play for the North Atlanta Mustangs. We spent our summers driving terrific young men all over the southeast. I wish I had taken a photo of 15 teen-age boys sleeping in my motorhome […]
» Read moreIn 1935 the government passed Social Security into law setting up a government managed retirement plan for the majority of US workers. To fund the plan, they passed the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA). The law mandates that employers withhold a portion of the worker’s salary (contribution) and requires the employer to match the contribution. It was sold to the […]
» Read moreDo you really want to retire? You may give up more than you realize. I was on the verge of tears when I called Amy 30 minutes before I was supposed to pick her up for our first date. My parents broke their promise and said I couldn’t use the car; I had no wheels! Amy (fictitious name) was a […]
» Read moreRemember the American Dream? Get a good education, find a good job, own a home, raise your family and retire comfortably when you turn 65. Build a solid foundation when you were young and you would have a wonderful life. I recall many friends taking jobs as teachers, firemen, police officers, or working for Sears, United Airlines or Motorola that […]
» Read moreI hung up the phone and shook my head. I have a good friend (I’ll call him Joe) who talks with me about his retirement fears. He’s in his peak earning and expense years with children getting ready for college. He’s diligent about making his 401 (k) contributions although he is not contributing the maximum. As always, I suggest he […]
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