If you’re a teacher, state worker, or public employee in Arizona, you probably feel pretty good about your pension. And you should, most people don’t have pensions which is a very valuable source of lifetime income. But, it’s not perfect. In particular, there are three major problems that everyone needs to fully understand as they prepare for their retirement. This post is meant to help you actually do something about some of these issues while you still have time. Problem…
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4 ASRS Decisions Every Employee Needs to Make Before They Retire
There are 4 decisions every ASRS member must make before they retire that can significantly impact your financial security. Most people make these decisions without fully understanding their long-term consequences, or they’re unaware of all their options. Today I’m going to walk you through each decision and show you the math so you can make informed choices that align with your retirement goals. Since some of these elections become permanent once you retire, understanding them now will help you feel…
26 Things Every Retiree Needs in Their Financial Plan
In this post, I go over the 26 items I cover in every financial plan I create for retirees. If you haven’t made a retirement plan and don’t know where to start, this will be your comprehensive guide to getting started. Retirement Income Strategy • Withdrawal strategy from retirement accounts – The order and rate you withdraw from different account types (taxable, tax-deferred, tax-free) can significantly impact how long your money lasts and your tax burden. A 4-5% withdrawal rate…
10 Things I Learned About Long Term Care From My Grandparents
As we age, we’re all going to have slightly, or drastically, different experiences with our health. That was the case with my three grandparents. Each one taught me something different about the costs, choices, and trade-offs you’ll face. I’ll be going through a few lessons from each of them, as well as some action items at the end. Lessons From George 1. You might be too proud to move in with relatives. George, my Dad’s Dad, didn’t want to move…
Emergency Fund Plus Opportunity Fund: A Smarter Approach to Cash (For Working Years)
Most financial advice around cash management boils down to “save 3-6 months of expenses in an emergency fund.” To be clear, that is good advice! But it’s not fully exhaustive as there’s an additional step I think people should take, especially for people with steady income to replenish funds if needed. If you’re retired or approaching retirement, your cash strategy should be different – we’ll cover that in a future post. The Foundation: Your Emergency Fund Start with 3-6 months…
George W. Bush Was Right About Social Security
In 2025, it’s hard to think of a politician who is more in a no man’s land than George W. Bush. He was widely reviled by Democrats during his Presidency, and ever since Donald Trump ushered in a new type of Republican party, he’s not exactly welcome there either. He hasn’t been to the last three Republican conventions, which is unheard of for a former president and their party. Nevertheless, I think he deserves a bit more credit than he…
Why I Don’t Reinvest Dividends (And You Shouldn’t Either)
Most financial advice tells you to automatically reinvest your dividends. Turn on DRIP, set it and forget it, they say. But after managing portfolios for years, I actually think this “common wisdom” isn’t the best way for investors to manage their investments. Dividend reinvestment feels like the responsible thing to do—after all, you’re keeping your money working in the market instead of letting it sit in cash. Most people assume it’s always better than taking the cash payments. But I’ve…
When To Rebalance Your Investment Accounts: A Simple Guide for Retirees and Pre-Retirees
“When should I rebalance my portfolio?” It’s one of the most common questions I get from clients, and for good reason: getting this wrong can leave you taking on more risk than you intended. Portfolio drift is completely normal and inevitable. Markets move at different rates, so your carefully crafted 60/40 allocation will naturally shift over time. What I’ve observed in my practice is that retirees and pre-retirees typically fall into two camps: those who rebalance too often (costing themselves…
Looking To Buy A home? Here’s What You Need To Know.
If you’re looking to buy a home in the next few years, there’s some good news for you: We are no longer in a housing bubble like we saw from 2021-2024. In this video I’ll explain why that is, and what you can do to prepare to buy a home at a solid price. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfIGp1tH8FE&ab_channel=ForthrightFinances
Why I’m More Certain Than Ever That Taxes Will Rise…Eventually
I wrote The Retirement Tax Bomb back in 2019 because I believed taxes were bound to rise—and now, I’m more convinced than ever that something drastic will have to change. At the time, I hoped our elected officials would take action before we reached a true crisis point. But here we are, years later, and meaningful reform still hasn’t happened. Frankly, I don’t see the political will appearing anytime soon. That’s the unfortunate part. The fortunate part—for those paying attention—is…