FINANCIaL
FIELd NOTES
Why Retirees Should Lift Weights
A while back, I wrote a piece on Increasing Healthspan and Lifespan in Retirement, built around Peter Attia's idea of the Centenarian Decathlon. It drew a lot of replies, which made me think many people planning for a long retirement are quietly wondering whether they will be in shape to enjoy it.
One of the main components of that article was strength training. The idea of weight training and how it affects bone mineral density is not new to me, partly because my wife, Emily, often jokes that she’s working on her bones at the gym. But a few weeks ago, I came across a picture that’s been hard to get out of my head…
How Being Present Increases Happiness in Retirement
Over the years, I’ve reshared this blog post with special moments when I’ve noticed people being especially present. There was the couple, surrounded by people on their phones, staring at Rory during The Open Championship. There was David Beckham, watching on as Messi took the field, after years of work putting together the MLS club Inter Miami…
Is a Record $1.2 Trillion in Credit Card Debt a Conern?
Americans now owe a record $1.26 trillion on their credit cards. You may have probably seen some version of that headline on the news. It sounds alarming, and it is meant to. A number that big, sitting all by itself, does exactly what it was built to do. It makes you a little nervous about the state of the world and a little more likely to click.
As I’ve written before, most of the figures cited in the news are a single stand-alone number. “The Dow Sheds 500 points, ”Over 1,000 violent crimes reported in Northern Virginia,” and “US Household Credit Card Debt Hits $1.2 Trillion“ all lack perspective. If the Dow Sheds 500 points, what is the total Dow? If there were 1,000 violent crimes, is that crime figure higher or lower than last year? If credit card debt hit $1.2 trillion, what percent of household net worth is it?
The Future of Social Security (2026 edition)
Will there be anything left when I retire? Will my benefits get cut? These are some of the most frequent questions I get when it comes to someone’s retirement plan. And the media loves to talk about the Social Security problems.
Fortunately, there is data to answer these questions. Every year the Board of Trustees for Social Security reviews the financial status of the trust fund that pays out Social Security benefits. Recently, the board released its 2025 report, and below is my summary…
When Pre-tax (not Roth) 401k Contributions Can Make Sense
Most people think of the Roth vs. pre-tax 401(k) decision as a simple bet on future tax rates. But there is a more specific opportunity hiding in that choice, particularly in the years leading up to retirement, and it has everything to do with where in the bracket structure your deduction lands versus where your Roth conversion starts…
The Age 60-63 “Super Catch-Up”
Last year, as part of Secure 2.0, the “super catch-up” became available to pre-retirees saving in their 401k. It’s a generous rule, specifically for the four-year window between ages 60 and 63, that allows a meaningfully larger contribution during what are often peak earning years…