Saving Strategies

Acting today greatly reduces regrets later

It is Mid-May 2021, and a new wave of young adults recently exited the halls of academia, entering the world of adult responsibilities. Those looming responsibilities present challenges. Sarah Brooks recently identified, on iGrad, lifestyle adjustments (relocation from family and friends) and excessive demands (obligations beyond the workplace) among 5 key challenges graduates face. Sharon Elber, on WorkBloom, cited unrealistic expectations (“I will land my […]

reggie2021-05-17T18:23:15+00:00May 17th, 2021|

We are all in our 50’s. How can we improve our retirement?

Planning for the future for those in their 50’s may seem easy, but it isn’t! People in this general age group know they NEED to get really serious about their future, but they live in the “land of a 1000 obstacles” to borrow from the title of the 1960’s R&B/Hip-Hop song. There are family demands as children graduate, move into their first career, marry, and buy their […]

reggie2020-10-12T18:50:00+00:00October 12th, 2020|

Pennie offers principles to guide financial decisions

Over the years there have been several published advice columnists who have answered questions from readers. Random House distributed Abigail Van Buren’s advice for decades. Ann Landers answered questions from anyone willing to pour out their heart. As recently as 2000, those two trusted advisors were published in over 500 newspapers across the USA.

These two headliners spurred others to offer similar, although more targeted, Q&A columns. Billy […]

reggie2020-09-03T14:33:24+00:00September 3rd, 2020|

Fielding this routine groundball can change your future

Today, I would like to address those serving in the early years of their ministry. Follow closely.

Baseball is a game made up of intricate movements. Those who watch a game on television never see ninety percent of the shifts and adjustments that affect the outcome. Those who attend games may observe only fifteen percent more. Fans are waiting for the game changing moment. They await the key […]

reggie2020-08-31T15:53:46+00:00August 31st, 2020|

Avoiding the sound of “splat” while accepting risk

Last week, we posted thoughts on the necessity of accepting risk into life. God wants our heart, our mind, and our life open to others. This openness places us in a position where our feelings can be hurt, our emotions can erupt, and our lives can seem crushed. Opening ourselves also allows God to use the talents he has given us to bless others. It allows the […]

reggie2020-07-30T12:43:00+00:00July 30th, 2020|

A few ideas to make your day, your life, or your retirement better

Headed into the Monday of the first full week of July, we have found some impressive headlines in the news. Here are a sample. “This ONE change could undermine the retirement security of millions of Americans.” “This ONE thing could help more workers retire with money.” “This ONE decision can change your 401K.” “ONE foolproof way to create retirement income for the rest of your life.” “This […]

reggie2020-07-06T14:54:18+00:00July 6th, 2020|

Safely correcting course when you discover you made a wrong turn!

I have been guilty of making an abundance of wrong turns in my life. Duh! I am, after all, a man. You are well acquainted with the stereotype, men do not ask for directions, we crank the car and we DRIVE! Thankfully I have never made a wrong turn like the one depicted in the image above, or one driver’s missed turn recorded on Youtube here. […]

reggie2020-06-25T13:00:56+00:00June 25th, 2020|

Calling all recent college grads & rising college seniors…

It is Friday June 4, and 2020 has been a CRAZY year…particularly for the recent college grads and rising seniors. Your last college semester was not upset…it was torn apart. You were sent home and you were forced to join the online college program, even if you didn’t want to. Your spring sports, spring banquets, end of the semester planned travel, and your graduation was cancelled. For […]

reggie2020-06-17T12:28:18+00:00June 5th, 2020|

Lifetime Income – a Foundation for Retirement

In 2016, Liz Davidson began an article with the words, “Our retirement is not our parent’s retirement.” What an illustration of understatement as literary device! Fifty plus years ago, I remember discussions my parents had with coworkers, family, church friends, and others about retirement. They normally centered around 1) the pension provided by a company, 2) Social Security, and 3) (when only immediate family was present) […]

reggie2020-05-15T11:51:44+00:00May 15th, 2020|

Controlling Everyday Expenses – Auto Insurance

“Insurance,” the mere mention of the word has the potential of triggering memories of unhappy phone calls wrangling with people in some distant call center. Insurance in all its forms seems to be accompanied with thoughts of expensive premiums and unfeeling corporate entities. Friends who own vacation property were recently complaining about the inability to control the annual increase in premiums.

Insurance can be frustrating…until…you need the benefits […]

reggie2020-05-06T14:35:26+00:00May 6th, 2020|