FREE NEWSLETTER

Renting is a financial sinkhole—and yet mighty prudent compared to buying a home you’ll sell within a few years.

Latest PostsAll Discussions »

Insurance

Umbrella insurance

Donald Nix  |  Nov 11, 2026

"Are you trying to compare premium cost, or coverage? Surely you obtained cost information by recently increasing your coverage. If you wish to compare your premiums to others nationwide, try perusing this discussion thread on the Bogleheads site. Premiums vary greatly, by location, vehicles, family size, insurer, etc.. Reading through the thread convinced me that my 74% increase in umbrella premium this year was not only consistent with what others have received, but also that the total cost was still a relatively good deal."
- Jo Bo
Read more »

Investing

Does my bond strategy make sense?

R Quinn  |  Nov 11, 2026

"Thanks, I think you are right, the key is “what are you trying to accomplish?” I know what I’m trying to accomplish. That’s to cover every financial contingency and to maximize what we can do for our family. I’m pretty confident I’ve done that, but less confident I did so in the best or most efficient way possible. I wish I had time to use Roth accounts before I retired. If it had been an option in our 401k, I would have been all in."
- R Quinn
Read more »

Family

Pirates, Pieces of Eight, and the $ in Your Pocket

Mark Crothers  |  Nov 11, 2026

"David, I appreciate the positive feedback!"
- Mark Crothers
Read more »

Taxes

Roth Conversions

ArticleAdam M. Grossman  |  Nov 7, 2026

AMONG THE MOST COMMON debates in personal finance is whether Roth conversions are a wise strategy. Especially as the end of the year approaches, it’s worth looking at both sides of this question. If you aren’t familiar with it, the idea behind a Roth conversion is that individuals can choose, at any time, and at any income level, to move money out of a pre-tax traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. There’s a catch, though: In the year that you complete a conversion, you must pay income tax on the amount that you convert. So, the bet you are making with a conversion is that your tax rate today will be lower than it will be in the future, when you otherwise would have taken those dollars out of your IRA. For example, if you could pay a tax of just 22% today to convert dollars from your pre-tax IRA to your Roth IRA, you would happily do that if you expected your tax rate down the road to be much higher—say, 32%.  This seems straightforward, but not everyone agrees. For starters, Roth conversions’ detractors point to the uncertainty inherent in the exercise. Predicting future tax rates is an imperfect science, and if rates end up going lower in the future, that could turn the benefit of a conversion upside down. You could end up paying a higher rate today than you would’ve in the future. Given the state of federal finances, it might seem unlikely to expect tax rates to go down, but no one can say that with certainty. Congress often changes the rules, and as recently as the late-1980s, the highest ordinary income tax rate was nine percentage points lower than it is today (28% vs. 37%). In addition, it can be difficult to predict our own future income with precision. Consider required minimum distributions (RMDs) from retirement accounts. They’re a key component of most retirees’ income, but because they’re dependent on future investment returns, the best any of us can do is to estimate this figure. Roth conversions, in other words, involve uncertainty along multiple dimensions. This is a point even supporters acknowledge. That’s why, to help manage this uncertainty, I look at Roth conversion candidates as falling into one of three categories. The first category: When a taxpayer’s marginal tax rate is currently in one of the two lowest brackets, either 10% or 12%, I see it as an easy decision to complete a conversion. That’s because it’s hard to imagine that their future tax rate would be any lower. At worst, in that case, a Roth conversion in one of these two lowest brackets might just be a wash. The second category: When a taxpayer’s marginal rate is over 30%, I see that as an easy decision as well, but for the opposite reason. Roth conversions rarely make sense at that level because it’s hard to make the argument that a taxpayer in a very high bracket might end up in a bracket that’s even higher. To be sure, it can happen—and I’ll describe one clear case below—but it’s hard to have confidence in that expectation. For that reason, a conversion at a rate over 30% typically doesn’t make sense. The third category: If your marginal rate is in one of the middle brackets—either 22% or 24%—that’s when the conversion decision doesn’t have an easy “yes” or “no” answer, and it’s worth examining other factors. When would a conversion in this middle range make sense? If the composition of your assets is such that you have significant balances in pre-tax accounts and you haven’t yet hit RMD age (either age 73 or 75), that’s when you’d want to sharpen your pencil. If your RMD based on your current pre-tax balances would push your income into a much higher tax bracket, then it would be safe to assume that, with some additional investment growth, your tax bracket will almost certainly be higher down the road. That’s a clear case for a Roth conversion. Similarly, if you have other income sources, such as a pension, that are guaranteed, that too would make the conversion decision easier. What if the comparison between your current and projected future tax rates isn’t conclusive? Suppose, for example, your taxable ordinary income today is $210,000. For someone married and filing jointly, that would translate to the 22% marginal tax bracket. Even if your income rose sharply in future years with required minimum distributions, up to $300,000, for example, the tax impact would be modest. Income of $300,000 would translate to a marginal bracket of just 24%. So a Roth conversion might not seem like an urgent priority. In that case, there’s another factor that might be a tie-breaker. If one spouse passed away, the surviving spouse would be subject to the tax brackets for single taxpayers. Continuing with this same example, $300,000 of income would result in a substantially higher marginal bracket of 35%. If that were the case, then a conversion today at 22% might make good sense. The upshot: If you’re doing Roth conversion math, and the results look inconclusive, consider what might tip the scales. Another potential tie-breaking factor to consider, if the math isn’t conclusive, would be the estate tax. At the federal level, a tax of 40% applies to assets over $15 million, or $30 million for a married couple. For someone with a balance sheet at that level, Roth conversions can make a lot of sense because they have the result of reducing the size of an estate without reducing the after-tax value of the assets. Consider a simple example: If you complete a conversion of $200,000 that results in $40,000 in taxes, that $40,000 is no longer in your estate, and thus no longer subject to estate tax. This is the only case in which I see an argument for conversions at rates over 30%, because any tax below 40% would still be less costly than the future estate tax levy. Adam M. Grossman is the founder of Mayport, a fixed-fee wealth management firm. Sign up for Adam's Daily Ideas email, follow him on X @AdamMGrossman and check out his earlier articles.
Read more »

From HumbleDollar Founder Jonathan Clements

Investing

Not Exactly True

THERE ARE FINANCIAL issues on which reasonable people can disagree. This article is not about those issues. Instead, it’s about issues where people disagree—because…
Read more »

Investing

2026 Bogleheads Conference

William Perry  |  Nov 12, 2026

Be the first to comment.
Read more »

Life Events

A Gift, Not A Given

Andrew Clements  |  Nov 11, 2026

"Jeff, there’s something lovely about finding those happy reminders of your dad whenever you fix or build something. Lessons taught quietly by example can stay with us for a lifetime. And sharing your mother’s birthday with your son must make that date especially meaningful. Thank you for sharing these memories."
- Andrew Clements
Read more »

Estate Plan

Protecting What We Built

ArticleDennis Friedman  |  Nov 7, 2026

SINCE RETIRING, WE’VE done a lot of traveling. One thing that continually stands out is just how crowded airports have become—even top-tier airline lounges are sometimes packed to capacity. Watching the endless stream of travelers, my wife often turns to me and asks, “Where do all these people get their money?” I suspect some of them, especially the older travelers, are “middle-class millionaires.” They didn’t build their wealth through massive salaries. Instead, they accumulated it gradually through home appreciation, retirement savings, disciplined investing, and decades of compound growth. That’s how my wife and I built our net worth. We grew our savings slowly over the course of our careers through patience and discipline. Now that we’ve reached a point where we feel we have enough, our focus has shifted from growing our wealth to protecting it. Here are three ways we are protecting our hard-earned savings while continuing to enjoy our retirement. Fortifying Our Liability Coverage Ever since a friend told me that his own son-in-law sued him after falling down his stairs, I’ve been concerned about our own liability exposure. I don’t consider us to live a lifestyle that would expose us to a particularly high risk of being sued. We don’t have a dog, swimming pool, rental property, or boat. Even though I consider our risk relatively low, I’ve become more conscious of how much we have to lose from an unexpected liability claim, such as a severe auto accident. I’m not an attorney or insurance professional, so I’m not suggesting that our approach is appropriate for everyone. But it did lead me to take a closer look at how our assets might be protected if we were ever sued and a judgment entered against us. In recent years, our modest California home has appreciated significantly alongside real estate values across the state. When I considered our home equity together with our taxable savings and other assets, we eventually concluded that our existing umbrella coverage was no longer sufficient for the amount of wealth we had accumulated. I also learned that California’s homestead exemption provides a certain amount of protection for equity in a primary residence, although the rules are more complicated than I had previously realized. The amount of protection depends on the circumstances and is subject to statutory limits and adjustments. For our home, I didn’t want to assume that all of our home equity would be protected from a judgment. Our IRAs also have statutory protection under California Code of Civil Procedure §704.115 based on what is deemed reasonably necessary for retirement support. Learning this gave me some comfort, but it also reinforced the fact that different types of assets can have different levels of protection. Our taxable brokerage account, however, does not have the same type of statutory protection. It remains exposed to potential legal claims. We ultimately purchased additional umbrella coverage through a specialty insurer. Securing that extra layer of protection provides us an invaluable peace of mind. Adopting a Moderately Conservative Asset Allocation  Now that we’re in our 70s, we feel we can afford to be less aggressive in the stock market. Our portfolio is currently allocated 45% to stocks, 45% to bonds, and 10% to cash.  This asset allocation gives us enough exposure to growth to help combat inflation while providing some protection against a severe bear market. Consider a difficult scenario in which the stock market falls 40% and the bond market declines 10%. Under those conditions, our portfolio would lose roughly 22.5%. Alternatively, if our 55% allocation to bonds and cash holds its value while stocks absorb the full 40% decline, we would still have 82% of our portfolio’s value intact. This allocation gives us a larger cushion against a severe stock-market downturn. It would allow us to rebalance into stocks after a major decline, rather than being forced to sell stocks when prices are depressed. More importantly, this asset allocation has so far allowed us to maintain a comfortable lifestyle without worrying about market swings. Hiring a Financial Advisor I don’t recommend a financial advisor for everyone. In fact, if we were younger, we probably wouldn’t have one. But at age 75, I have to concede that I’m not as sharp as I used to be, and I can get emotional at times. Those aren’t ideal qualities to have in a world where scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. What I like about having a financial advisor manage our money is that I have to go through my advisor to access our funds. That extra layer of protection helps protect our portfolio from scams—and from ourselves. It gives us a chance to pause and think things through rather than make an emotional decision in the moment. At this stage of our lives, we’re paying for more than investment management. We’re paying for another layer of discipline and protection—and for the peace of mind that comes with knowing someone else is looking out for us. Focusing on Making It Last Now that we're retired and have accumulated enough to support the life we want, our priorities have changed. We don't need to squeeze every last dollar of growth from our portfolio. Instead, we're trying to make what we've built lasting—protecting it from lawsuits, market declines, scams, and, perhaps most importantly, our own mistakes.  Dennis Friedman retired from Boeing Satellite Systems after a 30-year career in manufacturing. Born in Ohio, Dennis is a California transplant with a bachelor’s degree in history and an MBA. A self-described “humble investor,” he likes reading historical novels and about personal finance. Follow Dennis on X @DMFrie and check out his earlier articles
Read more »

Taxes

Time to QCD

R Quinn  |  Oct 12, 2026

"The draft 2026 1040 from the IRS has row 12f added to accommodate below the line deduction for charitable deductions for non-itemizers."
- Harold Tynes
Read more »

Houses

Full Asking Price

D.J.  |  Nov 5, 2026

"You may have paid full price for your home, but it sounds like you received more than full value. Well done."
- Edmund Marsh
Read more »

Investing

Is Direct Indexing Useful?

Paul Ward  |  Nov 8, 2026

"Yes. Just call Fidelity and tell them how much. They manage the withdrawal, so it doesn't create a taxable event. They sell winners and losers, I guess. I have also added money. It works just like an ETF or mutual fund. It works best if you leave it alone. I have never failed to get a capital loss on the annual 1099. Like I said, it works great for me, it's not for everyone."
- Howard Schwartz
Read more »

In Retirement

Should One Liquidate in Retirement?

Feisal Brahim  |  Nov 7, 2026

"Feisal, thank you for initiating the discussion with your article and sharing your wisdom. Comments and your responses to them are very helpful. All the best to you!"
- V Saraf
Read more »

Insurance

Umbrella insurance

Donald Nix  |  Nov 11, 2026

"Are you trying to compare premium cost, or coverage? Surely you obtained cost information by recently increasing your coverage. If you wish to compare your premiums to others nationwide, try perusing this discussion thread on the Bogleheads site. Premiums vary greatly, by location, vehicles, family size, insurer, etc.. Reading through the thread convinced me that my 74% increase in umbrella premium this year was not only consistent with what others have received, but also that the total cost was still a relatively good deal."
- Jo Bo
Read more »

Investing

Does my bond strategy make sense?

R Quinn  |  Nov 11, 2026

"Thanks, I think you are right, the key is “what are you trying to accomplish?” I know what I’m trying to accomplish. That’s to cover every financial contingency and to maximize what we can do for our family. I’m pretty confident I’ve done that, but less confident I did so in the best or most efficient way possible. I wish I had time to use Roth accounts before I retired. If it had been an option in our 401k, I would have been all in."
- R Quinn
Read more »

Family

Pirates, Pieces of Eight, and the $ in Your Pocket

Mark Crothers  |  Nov 11, 2026

"David, I appreciate the positive feedback!"
- Mark Crothers
Read more »

Taxes

Roth Conversions

ArticleAdam M. Grossman  |  Nov 7, 2026

AMONG THE MOST COMMON debates in personal finance is whether Roth conversions are a wise strategy. Especially as the end of the year approaches, it’s worth looking at both sides of this question. If you aren’t familiar with it, the idea behind a Roth conversion is that individuals can choose, at any time, and at any income level, to move money out of a pre-tax traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. There’s a catch, though: In the year that you complete a conversion, you must pay income tax on the amount that you convert. So, the bet you are making with a conversion is that your tax rate today will be lower than it will be in the future, when you otherwise would have taken those dollars out of your IRA. For example, if you could pay a tax of just 22% today to convert dollars from your pre-tax IRA to your Roth IRA, you would happily do that if you expected your tax rate down the road to be much higher—say, 32%.  This seems straightforward, but not everyone agrees. For starters, Roth conversions’ detractors point to the uncertainty inherent in the exercise. Predicting future tax rates is an imperfect science, and if rates end up going lower in the future, that could turn the benefit of a conversion upside down. You could end up paying a higher rate today than you would’ve in the future. Given the state of federal finances, it might seem unlikely to expect tax rates to go down, but no one can say that with certainty. Congress often changes the rules, and as recently as the late-1980s, the highest ordinary income tax rate was nine percentage points lower than it is today (28% vs. 37%). In addition, it can be difficult to predict our own future income with precision. Consider required minimum distributions (RMDs) from retirement accounts. They’re a key component of most retirees’ income, but because they’re dependent on future investment returns, the best any of us can do is to estimate this figure. Roth conversions, in other words, involve uncertainty along multiple dimensions. This is a point even supporters acknowledge. That’s why, to help manage this uncertainty, I look at Roth conversion candidates as falling into one of three categories. The first category: When a taxpayer’s marginal tax rate is currently in one of the two lowest brackets, either 10% or 12%, I see it as an easy decision to complete a conversion. That’s because it’s hard to imagine that their future tax rate would be any lower. At worst, in that case, a Roth conversion in one of these two lowest brackets might just be a wash. The second category: When a taxpayer’s marginal rate is over 30%, I see that as an easy decision as well, but for the opposite reason. Roth conversions rarely make sense at that level because it’s hard to make the argument that a taxpayer in a very high bracket might end up in a bracket that’s even higher. To be sure, it can happen—and I’ll describe one clear case below—but it’s hard to have confidence in that expectation. For that reason, a conversion at a rate over 30% typically doesn’t make sense. The third category: If your marginal rate is in one of the middle brackets—either 22% or 24%—that’s when the conversion decision doesn’t have an easy “yes” or “no” answer, and it’s worth examining other factors. When would a conversion in this middle range make sense? If the composition of your assets is such that you have significant balances in pre-tax accounts and you haven’t yet hit RMD age (either age 73 or 75), that’s when you’d want to sharpen your pencil. If your RMD based on your current pre-tax balances would push your income into a much higher tax bracket, then it would be safe to assume that, with some additional investment growth, your tax bracket will almost certainly be higher down the road. That’s a clear case for a Roth conversion. Similarly, if you have other income sources, such as a pension, that are guaranteed, that too would make the conversion decision easier. What if the comparison between your current and projected future tax rates isn’t conclusive? Suppose, for example, your taxable ordinary income today is $210,000. For someone married and filing jointly, that would translate to the 22% marginal tax bracket. Even if your income rose sharply in future years with required minimum distributions, up to $300,000, for example, the tax impact would be modest. Income of $300,000 would translate to a marginal bracket of just 24%. So a Roth conversion might not seem like an urgent priority. In that case, there’s another factor that might be a tie-breaker. If one spouse passed away, the surviving spouse would be subject to the tax brackets for single taxpayers. Continuing with this same example, $300,000 of income would result in a substantially higher marginal bracket of 35%. If that were the case, then a conversion today at 22% might make good sense. The upshot: If you’re doing Roth conversion math, and the results look inconclusive, consider what might tip the scales. Another potential tie-breaking factor to consider, if the math isn’t conclusive, would be the estate tax. At the federal level, a tax of 40% applies to assets over $15 million, or $30 million for a married couple. For someone with a balance sheet at that level, Roth conversions can make a lot of sense because they have the result of reducing the size of an estate without reducing the after-tax value of the assets. Consider a simple example: If you complete a conversion of $200,000 that results in $40,000 in taxes, that $40,000 is no longer in your estate, and thus no longer subject to estate tax. This is the only case in which I see an argument for conversions at rates over 30%, because any tax below 40% would still be less costly than the future estate tax levy. Adam M. Grossman is the founder of Mayport, a fixed-fee wealth management firm. Sign up for Adam's Daily Ideas email, follow him on X @AdamMGrossman and check out his earlier articles.
Read more »

From HumbleDollar Founder Jonathan Clements

Investing

Not Exactly True

THERE ARE FINANCIAL issues on which reasonable people can disagree. This article is not about those issues. Instead, it’s about issues where people disagree—because…
Read more »

Investing

2026 Bogleheads Conference

William Perry  |  Nov 12, 2026

Be the first to comment.
Read more »

Life Events

A Gift, Not A Given

Andrew Clements  |  Nov 11, 2026

"Jeff, there’s something lovely about finding those happy reminders of your dad whenever you fix or build something. Lessons taught quietly by example can stay with us for a lifetime. And sharing your mother’s birthday with your son must make that date especially meaningful. Thank you for sharing these memories."
- Andrew Clements
Read more »

Estate Plan

Protecting What We Built

ArticleDennis Friedman  |  Nov 7, 2026

SINCE RETIRING, WE’VE done a lot of traveling. One thing that continually stands out is just how crowded airports have become—even top-tier airline lounges are sometimes packed to capacity. Watching the endless stream of travelers, my wife often turns to me and asks, “Where do all these people get their money?” I suspect some of them, especially the older travelers, are “middle-class millionaires.” They didn’t build their wealth through massive salaries. Instead, they accumulated it gradually through home appreciation, retirement savings, disciplined investing, and decades of compound growth. That’s how my wife and I built our net worth. We grew our savings slowly over the course of our careers through patience and discipline. Now that we’ve reached a point where we feel we have enough, our focus has shifted from growing our wealth to protecting it. Here are three ways we are protecting our hard-earned savings while continuing to enjoy our retirement. Fortifying Our Liability Coverage Ever since a friend told me that his own son-in-law sued him after falling down his stairs, I’ve been concerned about our own liability exposure. I don’t consider us to live a lifestyle that would expose us to a particularly high risk of being sued. We don’t have a dog, swimming pool, rental property, or boat. Even though I consider our risk relatively low, I’ve become more conscious of how much we have to lose from an unexpected liability claim, such as a severe auto accident. I’m not an attorney or insurance professional, so I’m not suggesting that our approach is appropriate for everyone. But it did lead me to take a closer look at how our assets might be protected if we were ever sued and a judgment entered against us. In recent years, our modest California home has appreciated significantly alongside real estate values across the state. When I considered our home equity together with our taxable savings and other assets, we eventually concluded that our existing umbrella coverage was no longer sufficient for the amount of wealth we had accumulated. I also learned that California’s homestead exemption provides a certain amount of protection for equity in a primary residence, although the rules are more complicated than I had previously realized. The amount of protection depends on the circumstances and is subject to statutory limits and adjustments. For our home, I didn’t want to assume that all of our home equity would be protected from a judgment. Our IRAs also have statutory protection under California Code of Civil Procedure §704.115 based on what is deemed reasonably necessary for retirement support. Learning this gave me some comfort, but it also reinforced the fact that different types of assets can have different levels of protection. Our taxable brokerage account, however, does not have the same type of statutory protection. It remains exposed to potential legal claims. We ultimately purchased additional umbrella coverage through a specialty insurer. Securing that extra layer of protection provides us an invaluable peace of mind. Adopting a Moderately Conservative Asset Allocation  Now that we’re in our 70s, we feel we can afford to be less aggressive in the stock market. Our portfolio is currently allocated 45% to stocks, 45% to bonds, and 10% to cash.  This asset allocation gives us enough exposure to growth to help combat inflation while providing some protection against a severe bear market. Consider a difficult scenario in which the stock market falls 40% and the bond market declines 10%. Under those conditions, our portfolio would lose roughly 22.5%. Alternatively, if our 55% allocation to bonds and cash holds its value while stocks absorb the full 40% decline, we would still have 82% of our portfolio’s value intact. This allocation gives us a larger cushion against a severe stock-market downturn. It would allow us to rebalance into stocks after a major decline, rather than being forced to sell stocks when prices are depressed. More importantly, this asset allocation has so far allowed us to maintain a comfortable lifestyle without worrying about market swings. Hiring a Financial Advisor I don’t recommend a financial advisor for everyone. In fact, if we were younger, we probably wouldn’t have one. But at age 75, I have to concede that I’m not as sharp as I used to be, and I can get emotional at times. Those aren’t ideal qualities to have in a world where scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. What I like about having a financial advisor manage our money is that I have to go through my advisor to access our funds. That extra layer of protection helps protect our portfolio from scams—and from ourselves. It gives us a chance to pause and think things through rather than make an emotional decision in the moment. At this stage of our lives, we’re paying for more than investment management. We’re paying for another layer of discipline and protection—and for the peace of mind that comes with knowing someone else is looking out for us. Focusing on Making It Last Now that we're retired and have accumulated enough to support the life we want, our priorities have changed. We don't need to squeeze every last dollar of growth from our portfolio. Instead, we're trying to make what we've built lasting—protecting it from lawsuits, market declines, scams, and, perhaps most importantly, our own mistakes.  Dennis Friedman retired from Boeing Satellite Systems after a 30-year career in manufacturing. Born in Ohio, Dennis is a California transplant with a bachelor’s degree in history and an MBA. A self-described “humble investor,” he likes reading historical novels and about personal finance. Follow Dennis on X @DMFrie and check out his earlier articles
Read more »

Taxes

Time to QCD

R Quinn  |  Oct 12, 2026

"The draft 2026 1040 from the IRS has row 12f added to accommodate below the line deduction for charitable deductions for non-itemizers."
- Harold Tynes
Read more »

Free Newsletter

Get Educated

Manifesto

Nov 11, 2026

NO. 54: WE NEED to be great savers to amass enough for retirement. But we shouldn’t get so good at saving money that, once we’re financially successful, we can’t bring ourselves to spend.

humans

Nov 12, 2026

NO. 48: WE MAY believe an investment is an obvious buy or sell, but never forget somebody’s on the other side of the trade. Investing isn’t like playing tennis against a wall. Rather, you’re up against champion players—perhaps company insiders, or a hedge fund, or a Wall Street trading desk. What are the chances you know something they don’t?

think

Nov 12, 2026

MENTAL ACCOUNTING. Rationally, we should view our finances as a single pot of money. But often, we mentally categorize money depending on how we got it or plan to use it. For instance, we’re happy to spend dividends, but not capital gains. We’ll also happily pull from bank accounts, but hate to touch the mutual funds we’ve earmarked for the kids’ college.

act

Nov 11, 2026

CHECK YOUR financial advisor's credentials. What are all those initials after his or her name? Some designations, such as those for Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Planner, involve serious study, rigorous exams and continuing education. Others are all but meaningless. You can learn more from FINRA’s website.

Money Guide

Start Here
Planner
Portfolio
Retire
Invest
Estate planning

Manifesto

Nov 11, 2026

NO. 54: WE NEED to be great savers to amass enough for retirement. But we shouldn’t get so good at saving money that, once we’re financially successful, we can’t bring ourselves to spend.

Spotlight: Insurance

Insurance to cover losses from hacking?

eludom   |  Nov 7, 2024

I view it a matter of when, not if, large companies will be hacked. A list of breaches from this year alone  shows hacks at Truist, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America. I don't think the likes of Vanguard, Fidelty or Swchab are immune. And…
Read more »

How to Choose

Adam M. Grossman   |  Jul 11, 2021

A FEW WEEKS BACK, I discussed some of the challenges with traditional long-term-care (LTC) insurance: In addition to steep and rising premiums, these policies are complex. Many policyholders have to contend with an annual renewal letter that presents a mind-numbing matrix of options. But there’s more…
Read more »

Self Defense

Adam M. Grossman   |  Jan 5, 2025

ONE SPRING DAY IN 2022, an elderly woman entered Paris’s Picasso Museum to see a new exhibit. Among the items on display was a decorative blue jacket, which was positioned on a wall next to a portrait of Picasso. The woman liked the look of…
Read more »

Their Loss, Your Gain

Adam M. Grossman   |  Jun 27, 2021

LONG-TERM-CARE insurance policies are, in my opinion, both a blessing and a curse. They're a blessing because they can help cover critical and costly care when a family might have no other financial options. But they can also feel like a curse. That's because of…
Read more »

Leaky Insurance

Ron Wayne   |  Apr 5, 2022

I JUST LEARNED a hard lesson about insurance companies: They have the upper hand. Water leaked into my ground-floor condo’s bathroom and laundry room from a unit two floors above. The unit owner offered to report the damage to his insurance company, but I decided…
Read more »

Umbrella insurance

Donald Nix   |  Nov 11, 2026

Every state has its own laws regarding what assets are protected from creditors, and the litigation environment and liability laws also vary.  I can relate to "Protecting What We Built" by Dennis Friedman, and recently doubled our Umbrella insurance limits.  Strangely, few insurance companies offer…
Read more »

Spotlight: Powell

Dear Bogdan, Sorry to Bother

David Powell   |  Oct 2, 2025

Dear Bogdan, would you please send your email address to the HD writers group? There are times when we need to reach you, such as when WordPress holds a new piece whenever it has embedded web links. Best, -David
Read more »

Staying Wealthy

David Powell   |  May 24, 2021

A CLOSE FRIEND'S LONG career in the motion picture business recently came to an end when the studio eliminated her job. Even before the pandemic, the industry was changing, so she wasn’t surprised or, for that matter, especially sad about getting laid off. She was lucky to receive a good severance package and is now ready to do something different.…
Read more »

Making a Mesh

David Powell   |  May 24, 2019

THERE ARE AREAS in my life where I’ve spent too much money and time trying to be cheap. My reward: steady aggravation—until I spent a bit more to get the right solution. Which brings me to home networking technology. Most of us spend some $500 a year or more for internet broadband service. The problem: Many families are still living…
Read more »

Phoning It In

David Powell   |  Nov 14, 2021

THOSE PAPER COVID-19 vaccination cards weren’t designed for heavy use. Yet many jurisdictions require proof of vaccination to enter a restaurant, theater, museum or sports event. How do we avoid wearing out the card when we’re constantly pulling it out of our purse, pocket or wallet? Simple. Provide digital proof of your vaccine status. There are some state-specific mobile apps…
Read more »

Losing It All

David Powell   |  Jul 5, 2021

OVER A PRODUCTIVE 30-year career that ended in 1950, Willie Sutton robbed as many as 100 banks for gains worth $40 million today—without ever firing a shot. That sort of bank robbery is rare now and, when it happens, customers don’t lose a dime, thanks to FDIC insurance. Today, Sutton—the Babe Ruth of robbers—wouldn’t waste time knocking over banks. Trillions…
Read more »

Elon and Me

David Powell   |  Apr 10, 2019

IN MARCH, I DROVE off the Tesla lot in a new Model 3 with Ben Franklin’s quote in my head: “So convenient a thing to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do.” Elon Musk had just announced availability of lower cost versions of the Model…
Read more »
FREE NEWSLETTER
How To
Follow Us
HumbleDollar · https://humbledollar.com/ · printed Nov 12, 2026

Log in