Retirement Savings and Investments
What Is an Index Fund? Why It Matters for Retirement
Index funds charge as little as 0.03% annually and outperform most actively managed funds over time. Here’s how they work.
Articles by Kathleen Coxwell
Taxes
The Most Tax-Friendly States for Retirees in 2026
Florida, Wyoming, and South Dakota are among the most tax-friendly states for retirees. Find out how all 50 states compare.
Financial Wellness
TCJA Made Permanent: Your 2026 Tax Brackets Explained
Most TCJA provisions are now permanent, but your bracket thresholds, deductions, and credits still changed for 2026. Here’s what’s different.
Medicare and Health Insurance
What’s a Health Savings Account (HSA)? A Tax-Free Retirement Tool
Contribute up to $4,400 to an HSA tax-free in 2026 and let it grow. See family limits, HDHP rules, and how withdrawals stay tax-free.
Retirement Income
Investing in Real Estate for Retirement: 8 Options Compared
Real estate can generate income, hedge inflation, and diversify your portfolio. Here are 8 ways to do it, from REITs to rental property.
Aging Well
Blue Zones Report: 3 Okinawan Secrets to a Long Emotionally, Intellectually, and Physically Healthy Life
Want to live healthfully to 100? Learn the powerful and well researched Okinawan secrets to a long life: ikigai, moai, hara hachi bu and more.
Planning
19 Reasons to Create Your Own Retirement Plan (It’s A Lot More than Knowing, “When Can I Retire?”)
What can you learn by creating a retirement plan? Get inspired by 19 planning insights and discover your path to a secure future.
Financial Wellness
Understanding How Concepts of Time Impact Your Financial Plans
Explore how different philosophical and cultural definitions of time can provide insights into your financial decision-making process.
Retirement Planning
Write A Retirement Manifesto: A Declaration of What You Want Your Life to Be
The transition to retirement is an ideal time to write a manifesto. In retirement you are no longer defined by the work you do for money. You can be defined by…
Earning
Retirement Business Ideas: 12 Ways to Start a Business After 50
You’ve built a career. Now build something that’s entirely yours. Explore 12 retirement business ideas for starting over after 50.
Retirement Income
Passive Income for Retirement: 12 Sources to Find the Right Mix
Dividends, annuities, REITs, rental income: 12 passive income sources for retirement, compared by effort needed and what they typically pay.
Planning
Surprising Financial Wellness Wisdom from Lunar New Year Traditions
Explore how the symbolism behind lunar new year traditions actually creates the right conditions for wealth and security.
Value Your Time
Kinder’s 3 Powerful Questions: Use These to Transform Your Financial Plan — and Your Life
George Kinder’s 3 powerful questions about life are great for anyone planning their future and wanting to ensure meaningful and thoughtful outcomes.
Planning
Harness the Explosive Energy of the Fire Horse to Build Your Wealth in 2026
The Lunar new year starts on Feb. 17. Explore the symbolism of the Fire Horse and how to harness that energy for more wealth in 2026.
Lifestyle
The 7 Dirty Little Financial Secrets People Don’t Tell Their Spouses — or Their Advisors
7 common financial secrets that quietly undermine goals — and how bringing them into the open leads to better decisions and more confidence.
Planning
Asset Allocation by Age: The Right Mix at Every Stage
The best asset allocation strategy for you today? As you age? Is age the best way to determine investment strategy? Get answers.
Happy Retirement
The No-Regret Retirement: 16 Ways to Plan for a Life of Freedom and Confidence
A no-regret retirement isn’t about timing or a big bank account. Learn how to plan with clarity and confidence for the life you want.
Estate Planning
Aging Parents and Finances: How to Protect Them Without Taking Over
Worried about aging parents and their finances? Learn how to prevent costly mistakes, reduce fraud risk, and plan ahead.
Retirement Planning
Mandatory Retirement Ages: Pros, Cons, and Why Age Alone Falls Short for Planning
Explore why you should break from conventional thinking on retirement ages, particularly the idea of a mandatory retirement age.
Happy Retirement
The 4 Mindset Shifts That Unlock Retirement Planning Progress
Here are 4 mindset shifts for overcoming the mental blocks that might be preventing you from retirement planning progress.
Retirement Planning
What Great Minds Say About the Power of Planning and How Their Wisdom Can Improve Your Future
What’s the key to feeling great about your retirement? The power of planning. Explore the wisdom of great minds for a fresh perspective.
Aging Well
How to Live a Long Life: 15 Habits of Happy and Healthy Aging
You know diet and exercise can help you live a long life. Have you also developed the social, emotional and financial habits you need to thrive?
Financial Wellness
8 Reasons Why Financial Resolutions Fail (and What Actually Helps)
Ever wonder why financial resolutions fail? It’s not willpower. Learn the real reasons and how to achieve your goals and dreams.
Housing and Home Equity
Will Retirees Use their $14.39 Trillion in Home Equity for Income? A Back Up Plan? As Inheritance?
Your home is a valuable asset. It is also a powerful financial tool for retirement. Explore 5 ways to use your home equity. Read now…
