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Here’s our latest interview with a retiree as we seek to learn from those who have actually taken the retirement plunge. If you’d like to be considered for an interview, drop me a note and we can chat about specifics. This interview was conducted in September. My questions are in bold italics and their responses follow in black. Let’s get started… GENERAL OVERVIEW How old are you (and spouse if applicable, plus how long have you been married)? I’m […]

Let’s get back to basics for this one on where and how to get started with financial independence. Due to reasons that will be clear in my next article, I’ve been inspired to look at the beginnings of my financial independence progress and journey. For long-time readers, this will be a great touch-base. For new readers, this will be a great place to start for finance-related New Years resolutions. Guides like this are helpful no […]

Most retirement income plans don’t fail because the math was wrong. They failed because the plan depended on assumptions that no longer felt reliable once retirement began. While this may be the norm, a more durable approach to retirement income planning is to shift away from assumption-based projections and instead think in terms of a balance sheet, evaluating your assets and liabilities.  Viewed this way, retirement planning is less about forecasting returns and more about […]

In this solo episode, I’m getting real about something we don’t talk about enough in personal finance: imperfect money habits. I’m peeling back the curtain on my own so-called “bad” money habits and explaining why perfection is not required to build wealth, feel financially secure, or move forward on your journey. I also take a moment to acknowledge the heaviness many of us are feeling in the world right now and share how I personally […]

Want to retire before age 59 ½? Have most of your wealth in traditional tax-deferred retirement accounts? Worried about the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty?  This post is for you! Picture it: You’re age 53, have $50,000 in a savings account, a paid-off home, and $2.5M in a 401(k). Including income taxes, you spend about […]

Personal retirement income planning is challenging precisely because there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Many retirees quickly discover this after receiving confident but conflicting advice from different sources, each presenting a different “best” answer. Two retirees with identical balances, the same age, and similar goals may still need very different plans. That reality makes retirement planning deeply personal, but it also makes it harder to tell when a recommendation truly fits you versus when it simply […]

Hey Everyone! Are you enjoying 2026 so far? Life in the US is getting crazy, but I am doing okay. I hope you are safe as well. This year, I’m blogging less frequently, and it is nice. The pressure to write a new blog post every week is gone. I am enjoying the weekends more, and I’m taking another step toward full retirement. 2025 was a rocky year for the RB40 household. Mrs. RB40 retired from her career and refocused on helping her dad. He is transitioning from living alone at home to an assisted living facility. It’s a difficult move. She spent a lot of time in California to facilitate the process. It was tough for me to be a single parent while she was away, but we survived. The house got pretty messy, though. I’m not very good at cleaning. RB40Jr started high school, and he enjoyed it immensely. He took advanced classes to get ahead and participated in several extracurricular activities. He is doing great in high school. We are very glad he is adjusting well. On the personal finance side, we had a good year. The stock market performed very well and propelled our net worth to a new high. Our cash flow looked okay as well. We withdrew from savings to plug some holes, but that’s what retirement is about. Alright, I’ll share my 2025 Report Card. Then, I’ll go over our net worth and cash flow. Let’s go! 2025 Goals Report Card Here is my 2025 goal spreadsheet. It’s helpful. Try it out if you can’t keep up with your New Year’s goals. The key is to review the spreadsheet monthly to track your progress. That way, you can see which goals need extra attention and work on them. Oh man, if I brought home this report card when I was in high school, I’d be grounded for 6 months! Fortunately, I’m retired, and I’m a lot easier on myself. Overall, I did pretty well. There were some failures, but I made the best of them. That’s failing forward, or something like that. Financial Goals Sell Rental Condo- Fail This was my main goal for 2025. The previous tenant moved out of our rental condo in January. I fixed it up and listed it for sale. Unfortunately, the condo market was terrible in Portland. We only had one viewing in 4 months! I think buyers were afraid. That’s why I decided to rent it out for a while. The next tenant broke the lease and moved out at the end of 2025. That’s fine with me because I’m really ready to sell. I painted the interior and it’s ready to go. The unit will go on the market in a week or so. The condo market is still slow, but I’m more optimistic. The interest rate is a bit lower this year. If it doesn’t sell by spring, I’ll lower the price a bit. So the grade for this goal in