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Plain-English guidance for people approaching retirement, moving out of work now, or already retired on income, taxes, Social Security, health coverage, and investment decisions.

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What happens if the market drops right after I retire?

A drop early in retirement hurts more than the same drop while you're working. Why the order of returns matters, and three things to have in place before your last paycheck.

Investing & Retirement · September 25, 2026 · 10 min read

How to turn your retirement savings into a monthly paycheck

Your salary stops, and the balance just sits there. How to turn it into a deposit that lands in checking every month, with the tax already accounted for.

Investing & Retirement · August 25, 2026 · 9 min read

"How does your 401(k) stack up?" is the wrong question

A 401(k) balance on its own can't tell you whether you can retire. It's one input among many, and the chart doesn't know what you spend, when you plan to stop...

Investing & Retirement · August 11, 2026 · 8 min read

Do you have enough to retire?

Answering "do I have enough?" comes down to four steps: what your retirement costs, what income you'll have that doesn't come from your portfolio, what's left...

Investing & Retirement · August 4, 2026 · 10 min read

The Roth conversion window between retiring and RMDs

Between your last paycheck and your first required withdrawal, you set your own tax bracket. How to use those years to lower your lifetime tax bill.

Investing & Retirement · July 30, 2026 · 7 min read

When to take Social Security

Claiming at 62 when your full retirement age is 67 locks in about 70% of your benefit permanently. Waiting until 70 gets you about 124%.

Investing & Retirement · July 30, 2026 · 6 min read

When your company stock is too much of your net worth

Single-stock risk builds gradually. After six years of quarterly RSU vests, your employer's stock can become most of your net worth. How to size and unwind it.

Financial Planning · May 7, 2026 · 7 min read

How RSUs can leave you owing more tax than expected

Your employer withholds 22% on RSU vests by default. If you're in the 32% or 35% federal bracket, that's 10 to 13 percentage points short of what you owe.

Career & Income · May 3, 2026 · 8 min read

How much home can you actually afford on a high income

Say you and your spouse earn around $300K combined, you have good credit and 20% down saved, and the lender pre-approves you for $1.5M.

Financial Planning · March 29, 2026 · 4 min read

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