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ChatGPT’s Portfolio Advice

Gary Klotz | Jun 6, 2026

Be the first to comment.

"Has anyone decided to age in place after looking at the expense and hassle and stress of downsizing? Every time my wife and I start considering downsizing we end up concluding that we would be better off staying put in a too big house until we need to move to assisted living. thanks"

- Lester Nail

Money & Me (Kindle version) has dropped

William Perry | May 26, 2026

"I finished it this week. It was comforting to read familiar words of advice from our dear friend. Kudos for including plenty on happiness!"

- stacey

The Quiet Failure of Good Advice

Javier Escobar | May 29, 2026

"Hi Javier, great post to jumpstart FP conversations! In the late 1990s while my children were toddlers I took and passed the 5 CFP classes at DePaul University. My career as a CPA led me down various paths--audit, a bit of tax, and a lot of bookkeeping/accounting manager work. Unfortunately I felt I never had the "right" hours of work experience to take the exam to earn the CFP trademark after my name. My love of FP has to be genetic, I've been wired this way since childhood, maybe because my folks had some money issues. In hindsight, they had impulse control issues, but I digress. I've always been a good saver, thrifty, and ready to play the long game. Fortunately, my spendthrift husband has been trainable. 😀 So I view my educational background, as well as his finance/MBA credentials as a "get out of paying a planner" card. I'm well-read on the subject and my husband at least dips his toes into it with Kiplingers. As far as Q2, folks are not thinking of their 60, 70, 80 year old selves. Now more than ever they are concerned about making it to the next payday. So thinking of having wiggle room for saving might seem impossible."

- stacey

Time to share our financial info with children?

R Quinn | Jun 6, 2026

"We have substantial retirement accounts that will pay out fairly quickly upon our deaths, so we have let everyone know the approximate value of just the retirement accounts and the portion they will receive, and how long they can expect to wait for settlement. They also have been sent information about required disbursement which would impact their own tax situation. In each case the amount of money we are talking about would easily replace salaries for a couple for the 10 years of draw down. However, the vast majority of our funds are going to be more complex and require more time to roll out as they are (will be) in trusts for the different parties, mostly to protect from unexpected divorces, lawsuits, etc. So those amounts we have told only our executors about. We hope it will be a nice surprise, it will essentially provide a very comfortable immediate retirement, but because it may take 1-2 years for payments to begin as the estate settles, we are comfortable keeping the amounts under wraps while providing security with the retirement funds they will receive much sooner."

- cesplint

Bucket Strategy

ArticleAdam M. Grossman | Jun 6, 2026

A WHILE BACK, I was speaking with a fellow who had recently retired. He shared this observation, only half-jokingly: “Working was easy,” he said. What he meant was that financial management during our working years is more straightforward than it is in retirement. We earn and save and hope that our savings grow. But when we get to retirement, it becomes more complicated to know exactly how to manage those savings. In the 1950s, a Ph.D. student named Harry Markowitz developed a framework to help investors answer this question. His approach, which is now known as modern portfolio theory, provided new insights on how to effectively diversify a portfolio. He later won a Nobel Prize for this work. But useful as it was, modern portfolio theory involved a lot of math and didn’t offer investors any practical help in managing their savings. Other academic theories have emerged over the years, but all of them involved similar levels of complexity. It was for that reason that in 1985, financial planner Harold Evensky developed an idea that’s now known as the “bucket strategy.” The idea is that investors—especially those in retirement—should segment their portfolios. To understand this idea, we can look at a simple example. Suppose Tom is a recent retiree and planning to withdraw 5% of his portfolio each year for the next several years. To protect against a potential stock market downturn, it would be reasonable for him to hold five years worth of withdrawals in some combination of cash and short-term bonds, since that corresponds, more or less, to the length of the worst stock market downturns we’ve seen in modern times. In Evensky’s model, cash and bonds would be the first bucket, and the math is straightforward: If Tom wants to withdraw 5% each year and wants to set aside enough for five years, then he’d hold 25% (that is, 5% x 5) in the first bucket. With that 25% allocated to bonds for stability, Tom could then feel free to allocate the remaining 75% to stocks. The benefit of this structure is that Tom would then have the flexibility to withdraw from either the stock or bond side of his portfolio depending on where the stock market stood in any given year. Most importantly, by putting a wall between his stocks and his bonds, Tom would be able to avoid selling stocks during market downturns. The bucket concept can be very useful, but it’s important to know that there isn’t just one bucket strategy. Since Evensky first introduced the idea 40 years ago, a handful of alternatives have evolved. Evensky’s original structure consisted of just two buckets. This makes it simple and easy to manage. A downside, though, is that bonds can still lose money, so neither of the two buckets could be considered truly safe. In 2022, in fact, total-bond market funds lost more than 10% of their value, and it took several years for investors to get back to even. Thus, one of the most popular ways to structure a bucket portfolio is to add a third bucket, for cash. To be sure, cash doesn’t offer much growth potential. But it would’ve been extremely helpful in a year like 2022, when both bonds and stocks lost money. While it provides more protection, the downside of a three-bucket approach is that it’s more complicated and somewhat harder to manage. Proponents, however, argue that it doesn’t require much more effort than traditional portfolio rebalancing and is well worth the effort. In his book, The Aspirational Investor, Ashvin Chhabra lays out another bucket alternative. Chhabra is less concerned with the distinction between bonds and cash. Instead, he advises investors to focus on the riskier side of their portfolios. He suggests that investors distinguish between standard, publicly-traded stock market investments and any alternative assets, such as private funds and real estate, that they might hold. Chhabra feels this segmentation is important because of the nature of alternative investments. They’re a little like lottery tickets: They can turn into home runs but can also go to zero. If you’re constructing a portfolio and like the idea of a bucket approach, which way should you go? Since each of these approaches has merit, you could combine them all, creating a four-bucket setup, consisting of cash, bonds, stocks and alternatives. That wouldn’t be unreasonable, but it would also ratchet up the complexity level. Here’s the approach I recommend: First, like Chhabra, I would draw a distinction between traditional assets and alternatives. Traditional, publicly-traded investments, including standard stock and bond mutual funds and ETFs, would go in your core portfolio. These are the assets around which you’d build your plan. Alternatives, if you own them, would go in their own separate bucket. In general, I don’t recommend these types of assets because their performance is more variable and more unpredictable, and because they tend to carry higher fees. But if you already own some alternatives, I’d separate them from your financial plan and view them only as a bonus if they deliver value. In other words, make sure that your financial plan will still work if you were to rely on only your core portfolio. Within the core, I’d have just two buckets: one for stocks and one for bonds. The result is that you would have just two buckets, plus alternatives, if you happen to own them. But what about cash, since, as we saw earlier, bonds aren’t guaranteed and can certainly lose money? In my view, a dedicated, separate cash bucket isn’t necessary. Instead, what I recommend is to be diligent in diversifying your bond holdings. I wouldn’t own a total-bond market fund. Instead, take a building block approach, holding some short-term and some intermediate-term bond funds. Short-term funds will shine when rates are rising because they’ll decline much less than total-market funds. Intermediate-term bonds, on the other hand, will shine when rates are dropping. You could also add some inflation-protected bonds to round out your holdings. At the end of the day, the best portfolio structure is the one that’s simple to manage while also protecting your savings from whatever surprises the market delivers. Adam M. Grossman is the founder of Mayport, a fixed-fee wealth management firm. Sign up for Adam's Daily Ideas email, follow him on X @AdamMGrossman and check out his earlier articles.

Mega Backdoor Roth

ArticleBogdan Sheremeta | Jun 6, 2026

I WAS RECENTLY asked about strategies that high earners can use to reduce their tax bill.

Most people know the usual options. They contribute to a 401(k), fund a health savings account or make a Roth IRA contribution through the backdoor method. Business owners may have additional opportunities through retirement plans and business structures.

But there's another strategy worth knowing about: the Mega Backdoor Roth (MBDR).

The MBDR allows some workers to put far more money into Roth accounts than the usual contribution limits permit.

Consider somebody who contributes the maximum $24,500 to a 401(k) in 2026 and receives a $5,000 employer match. If the employer's retirement plan allows after-tax contributions, that worker may be able to contribute an additional $42,500 to the retirement plan.

This is because the total 401(k) contribution limit for 2026 is $72,000. That limit includes employee contributions, employer contributions and after-tax contributions. Subtract the $24,500 employee contribution and the $5,000 employer match, and there's room for another $42,500. Workers age 50 and older might be able to contribute even more ($80,000 total 401(k) limit in 2026) because of catch-up provisions.

For savers who have already exhausted other retirement account options, this can be a powerful way to build additional tax-free savings.

The catch

Your employer's retirement plan must permit after-tax contributions.

Many plans don't. According to Fidelity, only about 11% of employer-sponsored 401(k) plans offer MBDR conversions.

If you log into your retirement plan and review your contribution options, you may see a category labeled "after-tax." That's the option you need:

Importantly, don't confuse it with a Roth 401(k). They're similar, but different. Small-business owners with a solo 401(k) may also be able to use this strategy if their plan allows.

The MBDR process generally involves two steps:

Contribute money to the plan's after-tax account.
Move those funds to a Roth account.

Depending on your plan, the money may be rolled into either a Roth IRA or a Roth 401(k).

The rules vary from plan to plan. Check your plan documents or summary plan description before enganging in this strategy.

Why use it?

Suppose you've already maxed out your traditional 401(k) contribution and completed a backdoor Roth IRA contribution. You now have additional money to invest.

One option is a taxable brokerage account. Another is the Mega Backdoor Roth.

The Roth strategy offers several potential advantages:

Future growth can be tax-free.
Dividends aren't taxed each year.
Rebalancing investments doesn't trigger taxable gains.
Retirement assets may receive creditor protection under federal law.

A taxable brokerage account also has advantages:

No contribution limits.
No age-based withdrawal rules.
Greater flexibility if you need access to the money before retirement.

That flexibility shouldn't be overlooked. Retirement accounts come with restrictions, and those restrictions may matter depending on your goals.

Importantly, some plans allow you to move after-tax contributions to either Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) accounts. A Roth 401(k) may be simpler because some plans offer automatic conversions. A Roth IRA typically offers a wider range of investment choices. It may also provide greater flexibility when it comes to withdrawals.

I generally prefer the Roth IRA option when it's available. Still, either choice can work well.

Mind the earnings

After-tax contributions are usually invested while they remain in the 401(k).

If the account earns money before the conversion takes place, those earnings are taxable when moved to the Roth account. For that reason, many investors try to complete the conversion quickly. Some plans even allow automatic conversions.

Suppose you contribute $10,000 to the after-tax portion of your 401(k). Before the conversion occurs, the account earns $100.

You then move the balance to a Roth IRA. The entire $10,100 can be transferred, but the $100 of earnings will generally be taxable if you put it all into Roth IRA. There are plans that allow you to split between Roth and Traditional, which could be helpful.

At year-end, you'll receive Form 1099-R reporting the transaction.

Using the example above, your tax return would show a $10,100 distribution, with $100 generally treated as taxable income.

If you work with a tax professional, make sure they understand exactly what happened. The reporting isn't especially complicated, but it should be handled correctly.

The Mega Backdoor Roth isn't available to everybody. But for those whose retirement plans allow it, the strategy offers a chance to put a substantial amount of additional money into a Roth account and enjoy tax-free growth for years to come.

Have you used this strategy to contribute to your retirement accounts? Let us know in the comments!

Bogdan Sheremeta is a licensed CPA based in Illinois with experience at Deloitte and a Fortune 200 multinational.

SpaceX IPO: Is Margin Optional?

Mark Gardner | Jun 4, 2026

"I read an article yesterday that said the IPO is extremely overpriced. Best to wait to buy"

- Boomerst3

Rethinking the “Right” Time for Social Security

Andrew Clements | Apr 23, 2026

"I’m still an outsider on all this as I cannot understand any relevance of social security break even concerns. Who cares? You begin SS when you need the money most or when you don’t, but want to enjoy it. Seems quite simple, no spreadsheet required😎 As I have said too often, I started our SS at FRA while I was still working. For years it was invested in Muni funds with interest reinvested (still is). We now use the incoming SS checks, but never touched the accumulated investment which is now well into six figures and generating tax-free income should we need it or it all goes to our family. When we stopped investing the SS checks several years ago after I retired it was our travel fund. These days the money goes into a bank account to be used as needed, but not routine spending. True, if we had delayed, the checks would be larger, but then we would not have a substantial nest egg and additional tax free income stream. I supposed ages 83 and 87 help my case though."

- R Quinn

The Ping

Mark Crothers | Jun 4, 2026

"This article brought a smile to my face. Not only were most of you quite understanding of a woman's love of nice things, but you also admitted you have your own "faults." The Humble Dollar crowd is special."

- Sonja Haggert

Peter Cancro from age 14 to 69 covered in oil and vinegar

R Quinn | May 31, 2026

"Hey Richard. That’s two weeks in a row you’ve been criticized for admiring the wealthy. Tough crowd. Don’t you realize that they light their cigars with $100 bills?"

- Dennis Riley

The thief of joy

greg_j_tomamichel | Jun 6, 2026

"Greg, was there some hook to lure those responding to the survey to use the firm's services to move up in ranking? I'd stick with the advice in your closing sentence."

- Edmund Marsh

ChatGPT’s Portfolio Advice

Gary Klotz | Jun 6, 2026

Be the first to comment.

Moving is Expensive!

DrLefty | May 29, 2026

- Lester Nail

Money & Me (Kindle version) has dropped

William Perry | May 26, 2026

"I finished it this week. It was comforting to read familiar words of advice from our dear friend. Kudos for including plenty on happiness!"

- stacey

The Quiet Failure of Good Advice

Javier Escobar | May 29, 2026

- stacey

Time to share our financial info with children?

R Quinn | Jun 6, 2026

- cesplint

Bucket Strategy

ArticleAdam M. Grossman | Jun 6, 2026

Mega Backdoor Roth

ArticleBogdan Sheremeta | Jun 6, 2026

I WAS RECENTLY asked about strategies that high earners can use to reduce their tax bill.

But there's another strategy worth knowing about: the Mega Backdoor Roth (MBDR).

The MBDR allows some workers to put far more money into Roth accounts than the usual contribution limits permit.

For savers who have already exhausted other retirement account options, this can be a powerful way to build additional tax-free savings.

The catch

Your employer's retirement plan must permit after-tax contributions.

Many plans don't. According to Fidelity, only about 11% of employer-sponsored 401(k) plans offer MBDR conversions.

If you log into your retirement plan and review your contribution options, you may see a category labeled "after-tax." That's the option you need:

Importantly, don't confuse it with a Roth 401(k). They're similar, but different. Small-business owners with a solo 401(k) may also be able to use this strategy if their plan allows.

The MBDR process generally involves two steps:

Contribute money to the plan's after-tax account.
Move those funds to a Roth account.

Depending on your plan, the money may be rolled into either a Roth IRA or a Roth 401(k).

The rules vary from plan to plan. Check your plan documents or summary plan description before enganging in this strategy.

Why use it?

Suppose you've already maxed out your traditional 401(k) contribution and completed a backdoor Roth IRA contribution. You now have additional money to invest.

One option is a taxable brokerage account. Another is the Mega Backdoor Roth.

The Roth strategy offers several potential advantages:

Future growth can be tax-free.
Dividends aren't taxed each year.
Rebalancing investments doesn't trigger taxable gains.
Retirement assets may receive creditor protection under federal law.

A taxable brokerage account also has advantages:

No contribution limits.
No age-based withdrawal rules.
Greater flexibility if you need access to the money before retirement.

That flexibility shouldn't be overlooked. Retirement accounts come with restrictions, and those restrictions may matter depending on your goals.

I generally prefer the Roth IRA option when it's available. Still, either choice can work well.

Mind the earnings

After-tax contributions are usually invested while they remain in the 401(k).

Suppose you contribute $10,000 to the after-tax portion of your 401(k). Before the conversion occurs, the account earns $100.

At year-end, you'll receive Form 1099-R reporting the transaction.

Using the example above, your tax return would show a $10,100 distribution, with $100 generally treated as taxable income.

If you work with a tax professional, make sure they understand exactly what happened. The reporting isn't especially complicated, but it should be handled correctly.

Have you used this strategy to contribute to your retirement accounts? Let us know in the comments!

Bogdan Sheremeta is a licensed CPA based in Illinois with experience at Deloitte and a Fortune 200 multinational.

SpaceX IPO: Is Margin Optional?

Mark Gardner | Jun 4, 2026

"I read an article yesterday that said the IPO is extremely overpriced. Best to wait to buy"

- Boomerst3

Rethinking the “Right” Time for Social Security

Andrew Clements | Apr 23, 2026

- R Quinn

Manifesto

Jun 5, 2026

NO. 7: THE TWO easiest financial wins are paying off credit card debt and putting enough in our 401(k) to get the full employer match. Failing to do either is the height of financial foolishness.

act

Jun 6, 2026

BUY THE BIG THREE. The market portfolio consists of four major sectors, roughly equal in size: U.S. stocks, U.S. bonds, foreign shares and foreign bonds. Arguably, foreign bonds are optional, offering modest yields but wild currency swings. The other three sectors, however, are crucial to a diversified portfolio. Do you own enough of all three?

Truths

Jun 5, 2026

NO. 77: TO MINIMIZE taxes, use your taxable account to own stock index funds, municipal bonds and Treasury bonds. Stock index funds in a taxable account will benefit from the low federal tax rate on qualified dividends and long-term capital gains. Meanwhile, the municipal bonds should be tax-free and the Treasurys will avoid taxes at the state level.

think

Jun 4, 2026

SELF-INSURE. If we have a moderate amount of savings, we might choose to scale back our insurance coverage and perhaps drop some policies entirely, and instead self-insure. Let’s say we have enough set aside for retirement. We might cancel our disability insurance, knowing we could cover costs for the rest of our life, even if we never worked again.

Money Guide

Manifesto

Jun 5, 2026

NO. 7: THE TWO easiest financial wins are paying off credit card debt and putting enough in our 401(k) to get the full employer match. Failing to do either is the height of financial foolishness.

Spotlight: Charity

Playing Nice

Adam M. Grossman | Jun 30, 2019

JUST BEFORE Thanksgiving in 2017, a heartwarming story hit the news. A young woman from Philadelphia named Katelyn McClure had run out of gas on the highway and found herself stranded. By chance, a homeless veteran named Johnny Bobbitt was nearby and, in an act of selflessness, he gave McClure his last $20 to buy gas.
After making it home safely, McClure wanted to express her gratitude, so she set up a GoFundMe page to help Bobbitt get back on his feet.

Bearing Gifts

Rand Spero | Dec 24, 2019

GIVING GIFTS DELIVERS significant emotional and health benefits, or so says the research. But I find much depends on how the actual giving takes place.
My best giving lesson occurred many years ago. At a rural busstop on the island of Crete, off the coast of Greece, I sat next to an old local woman dressed in ragged clothing and torn shoes. Neither of us spoke the other’s language. She carried with her a small bag of fresh peaches and motioned for me to take one.

Giving Sensibly

Adam M. Grossman | Nov 12, 2023

WITH DECEMBER FAST approaching, it’s a good time to think about end-of-the-year financial planning. What steps might you take?
A popular strategy is to make charitable gifts, both to support good causes and reap a tax benefit. But before you start writing checks, take a moment to better understand your tax picture. Because of the complexity of tax forms, that’s often easier said than done. Still, you don’t need to decipher every number. Instead,

More Than Enough

Jonathan Clements | Mar 30, 2023

IF YOU’RE LIKE MANY readers of this site, you’ll reach your 60s and discover one of those nice problems to have—that you’ve over-saved for retirement.
What now? For answers, check out a new book, More Than Enough: A Brief Guide to the Questions That Arise After Realizing You Have More than You Need. Author Mike Piper is the driving force behind both the Oblivious Investor website and the free Open Social Security calculator.

Easy to Miss

Chuck Staley | Aug 17, 2023

“WHERE’S THE QUALIFIED charitable distribution on Mom’s tax return?” Mom had never before executed a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD. Her tax return was 41 pages, and we weren’t sure where to find it.
There was a long pause. “I forgot your mom had made QCDs as I prepared her return,” allowed her tax preparer. “I’ll need to recalculate her taxes.”
A QCD can be a tax-efficient way to donate money for those who are charitably inclined—but only if it’s correctly documented on your tax return.

Help Helping Others

Phil Kernen | Sep 30, 2021

AMERICANS ARE a generous people. They gave $471 billion to charity in 2020, according to Giving USA. Of that sum, 69% was contributed by individuals like you and me, as opposed to foundations or corporations, plus another 9% took the form of bequests.
Are you charitably inclined? Donor-advised funds can offer a tax-efficient way to make financial gifts, allowing folks to fund their own giving foundation and then direct money to charities for years to come.

The great COLA debate-maybe not the expected solution.

R Quinn | Apr 26, 2026

“Everyone” knows that Social Security was never intended as the sole source of retirement income or even the majority of income - but apparently not everyone knows it if you believe the rhetoric. Many people claim that the COLA in inadequate, even unfair, some rage that what they receive from Social Security is not what they were promised or what they paid for. Truth is that it is what was promised and we did not pay for our benefits, we paid a tax to fund a pool of money, a notational government trust fund. If people had paid for their benefits, the incoming tax revenue would be sufficient to sustain full accrued benefits - it isn’t as we know. To correct the perceived COLA shortfall based on use of the CPI-W, many people suggest using the (experimental) CPI-E which better reflects spending by those over age 62. I read that the CPI-E may be higher, but can also be lower. I did some research and ran some numbers. Here are the estimates. CPI-E is designed around households age 62+ and historically rises about 0.2 percentage points faster per year on average. If Social Security COLAs had used CPI-E instead of CPI-W since 2010: $1,000 monthly benefit indexed by CPI-W → about $1,475 Same benefit indexed by CPI-E → about $1,520 So over time, CPI-E compounds into a modest difference. In the estimate that is $45 per month after sixteen years. Using today’s average FRA benefit the dollars would all be higher. No doubt it helps, but not a significant change, especially when Medicare premium increases will likely continue to outpace inflation in the future. Changing the COLA calculation accelerates the trust depletion as well. Using CPI-E increases the funding gap by 12% according the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget…

Focus on the real healthcare financial risk in post age 65 retirement

R Quinn | Mar 23, 2026

One of the big mistakes retirees make with healthcare coverage is focusing on premiums. The real risk is out of pocket costs, especially if catastrophic medical events happen. For example, Medicare Advantage may look great with low, even no premiums and perhaps extra benefits like dental. But MA typically has out of pocket costs, up to $9,250 (sometimes less) per year. That expense can occur year after year. MA plans generally use deductibles and copays of some type while the lower OOP costs may also mean limited choice of health care providers. There is always some way to manage spending. I chose to avoid that risk. We have regular Medicare Parts A, B and D. The standard Part B premium is $202.90 (I pay IRRMA, but that is not relevant to the comparison because it would apply to MA as well.) I also have Medigap G which in my case is $311 a month (higher than normal because I was forced to obtain an age based plan when my employer dropped our coverage). Connie has the same coverage. The thing is, our coverage protects me (and Connie) from out of pocket costs above the Part B deductible. We could have taken Plan F but the premium difference wasn’t worth it. Now along comes a major illness. We had the ability to receive care wherever we wanted, from whom we want or where our doctors refer us. The first incident was Connie’s eye injury which required multiple surgeries included seeking care at a well known eye hospital in Philadelphia. That incident was hundreds of thousands of dollars for which we paid the Part B deductible. Now we are dealing with cancer. I haven’t taken the time to add up the costs so far, but the care is expensive. One treatment on…

Coping with inflation in retirement, what’s the plan?

R Quinn | Mar 30, 2026

It’s not hard to find articles about high prices, the burden inflation puts on seniors, those with a so-called fixed income, which is a myth. Virtually no retiree is on a fixed income and the more they depend on Social Security the less so. Of course, high inflation, actually any inflation creates financial stress for many retirees, but is it a surprise? Isn’t being aware of and planning for inflation a key part of retirement? Inflation is nearly always with us. The highest period of inflation since 1900 was between 1973-1982 where it average 8.7% and hit a peak of 13.5% in 1980. That’s when my mortgage had a 9-3/4% interest rate They were tough times. Remember WIN buttons? To my surprise the lowest period was 1920-1929 with an average of 0.0%. No wonder it’s called the roaring twenties. While we can’t predict inflation from year to year, it’s a pretty good bet that goods and services, property taxes, etc. will cost more ten years after we retire. Many claim Social Security doesn’t keep up with inflation. It does, but it depends. The overall inflation rate for 2025 was reported as 2.6%. The 2026 Social security COLA was 2.8% so yes, SS keeps up with inflation. If inflation takes off after September of a year, the COLA may be less. On the other hand, the opposite may happen. The important variables are what percentage of total income is Social Security and how close to the CPI is an individual’s inflation rate? For example, I’m not affected by housing prices, but I am by premiums for Medicare. Indirectly many seniors see rising expenses reflected in property taxes as towns cope with rising prices and wage pressures. The CPI-E (Consumer Price Index for Americans 62 Years of Age and Older) has been…

Time to share our financial info with children?

R Quinn | Jun 6, 2026

Our children know we are not your typical retirees when it comes to finances. I’m sure they figured that out from our funding eleven 529 plans, gifts and more often than not, picking up the check when families go out to eat, but that’s all they know. They have no idea of our income, no knowledge of our investments-what kind, or how much. They, of course, know we own two homes, but not our net worth. So, the question is, how much detail do we share, who do we share it with and how? There are four children. We have a good relationship with all four. One family is wealthy, one struggles and two do okay. Do we have a family meeting with all four, give details to the executors who will handle our estate or pick one? Do we share every detail, every dollar and where it is? I should mention our son-in-law is a Wall Street, high net worth client manager. Let’s have HD ideas.

Enough complaining already. Live your life and stop worrying about “they” “ them” or things

R Quinn | Apr 24, 2026

Over the years I have mentioned some of this before, but the perception of unfairness and complaining about what others have is getting worse in my view. Did I and others in my generation have everything easier because we were born in the 1940s? True I wasn’t burdened with student loans, but on the other hand I never had the full college experience and most of my night school was paid by the GI Bill. I was never burdened by credit card debt, because I was taught never to buy what you couldn’t pay for- the alternative was doing without. I grew up in a modest income family, probably not reaching middle-class ($3,000 in 1950- $41,000 in 2026 money). In the early years I remember we didn’t have a car and my parents couldn’t afford a house until my father was in his 60s and then shared with my sister’s family. Unlike what I hear these days, there was no complaining, no talking of unfairness. There were a couple of overnight and one week long road trip, but never a real vacation, my father didn’t get paid for vacations until years later when I was an adult. Life was life and you accepted it and made the best of it and enjoyed it as simple as it was. I don’t recall whining about millionaires or thinking about them and what they had and we didn’t. We didn’t know anyone as rich as Rockefeller. There weren’t many billionaires in those days, J Paul Getty and H.L. Hunt were exceptions. I had no feelings of going without, but I admit I had thoughts of doing better. While I never received an allowance, I always had some change in a piggy bank or my pocket, enough for a ice cream cone at ten…

Dickie and his magic beans

R Quinn | May 6, 2026

I like a good cup of coffee - not that easy to find. I have two or three cups each morning (decaf) and use a Keurig. I know, not the best way to make coffee, but it’s quick, easy and expensive. I received the machine as a gift (it does cappuccino and lattes too- which I rarely use). My true love is Starbucks, black no sugar, that too is expensive. I spend considerable time in the supermarket market coffee aisle trying to figure out the best deal on K-Cups and looking for sales. I use my handy phone to divide the cost by the number of Cups in the box. I’m looking for $0.60 or thereabouts. All this leads me to take the lowest cost regardless of brand, which is pretty ridiculous I admit. Just a frugal retiree because it seems the thing to do. The other day Connie and I were having “breakfast” in a Starbucks. While there, I looked at the bags of coffee beans. $18-ridicules! But as I was enjoying my coffee and egg bite, I began to convince myself to splurge so I picked up a bag of beans and asked it be ground. The barista asked how I planned to use it which apparently determines the grind. I left with my Starbucks ground for a Keurig. Since I already had the Keurig inserts that allow you to use your own coffee, I was good to go. I guess some of the engineers and spreadsheet folks know where this is headed. My $18 bag of beans ends up being far less expensive than buying $7.00 boxes of ten or twelve K-Cups. 🤑 It should have been obvious, but all these years I couldn’t get past the Starbuck’s sticker price to my detriment. A classic penny wise…

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