Planning done well should feel like a state of flow. Money flows in, money flows out; the rate of this flow is determined by your chosen lifestyle. Ideally, your lifestyle conforms naturally to your desires and needs, as they shift with your health and interests. Thus your accumulated assets should provide you with enough income (flow in) to match your …

There’s a term being used that began with the millennials: ‘lifestyle design.’ While there’s no single definition, it roughly translates to designing the work-life balance that is ideal for you. By being intentional about making work fit your lifestyle aspirations, and vice-versa, the outcome of lifestyle design is one where there’s a sense of balance achieved. As an example, there’s …

In discussion with retirement planning clients, I’m often reminded that the best outcomes to challenges and opportunities are generally realized after asking the right questions. And since we all only have one shot at living a great life, there’s a fair amount of responsibility I feel in learning how to ask great questions, which hopefully lead to better outcomes. With …

Retirement means something a bit different to everyone. To some, it’s a financial finish line. To others, retirement represents a transition from paid work to volunteer work. Whatever it means to you and those close to you, retirement happens, whether by choice or by force. As a person nears ‘retirement age’, a litany of decisions arise that must be carefully …

For years, I’ve been on a quest to determine the optimum set of inputs to design the ideal retirement plan. And while the topic of formulas may not appeal to you, I hope you’re somewhat comforted that it does hold some appeal for me, a retirement planning guy. I’ve thought much about the ideal blend of guaranteed income sources, risk-based …

I’m susceptible and I’ll bet you are too. It’s deafening when you begin to hear it; its influence is almost overwhelming once you begin to feel it. What is this force that’s being used to keep you perpetually off-balance? Allow me to offer a few examples: if you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind. If you’re eating that, you’re getting …

Money can be stressful. This is a statement so obvious that it seems silly to write it out, but there it is. It can stress me out, and I’ll bet you feel it from time-to-time as well. While I won’t suggest that money’s emotional and intellectual burdens can be tamed fully, there is an exercise that I’ve found to be …

Everybody knows that old music is far better than new music. In fact, can you even call this new stuff music at all? It’s just noise. Said every generation ever. Elvis was practically criminal when he came on the scene, The Beatles were credited with destroying a generation of kids, and Madonna turned daughters against parents all over the world. …