Financial Preparedness

Be prepared. ~ Boy Scout Motto                                                                                                              

JP Morgan prepares for trouble before trouble arrives.

“We prepare for low rates, high rates, stock price down 40%, credit spreads going up, bond rates at 8%, high yield at 15%,” Dimon said. “And JPMorgan can handle all of that.”

As a retiree, I believe it is important to prepare for possible financial issues before issue arrives.

Here's what we've done to be prepared.

• Lower interest rates - We own long term bonds, up to 20 years maturity, that pay 4-5%. The teens were horrible with bonds paying less than 1% for 10 years. That made depending on fixed income in retirement difficult.
• Higher interest rates -  We have cash in money market funds that can be used to buy bonds at 7% and higher if rates should get that high.
• Higher inflation - We owns tangible assets such as real estate, precious metals,  and commodity equities.
• Stock market declines of 40% - we have social security,  dividends, interest, and rental income that cover current expenses if needed for several years. 

However, other than a water distiller and a couple months of non perishable foods, we are still not prepared for "black swan events" such as a U.S. default, hyperinflation, nor a nuclear war.

For more on The Practice of Personal Finance, check back every Wednesday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor prepper advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Changed to Washing All My Clothes Together

I posted that I'm Married and Wash My Own Clothes, despite my spouse washing family clothes.  Up until now, I've been sorting my clothes: delicates, whites and darks.   I previously had different "hampers" for each sorted type.  When I washed, I only did one of the sorted hampers.

However, my detergent pods are XL, which is more than needed for one sorted load.  In fact, the XL pod is sufficient for washing all three loads at once.  So I decided to combine all three sorts and wash on the delicate cycle. 

I've done this three times with no issues.  Since all my clothes have been washed several times, there is no no color bleeding.   For me this is a time saver.  I do all my laundry at once.   Do one big sort to hang up or put in dryer.   Then put away the dried clothes.

Eliminates sorting, maximizes detergent use, and easier to manage.  Win, win, win.

For more on  Ideas You Can Use, check back every Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor washing clothes advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Simple Principle to Build and Keep Wealth

On the r/wealth subreddit a poster asked for ways to get wealthy

The aggregated overwhelming answer was:

Same Spouse, Same House, Same Car.

Same spouse -  divorce cuts one wealth in half.   Choose carefully, and lean towards one with good financial sense and habits.

Same house -  No need to keep upgrading nor having vacation homes.

Same car - Drive them until they die.   

This is a good starting point, and of course, YMMV.

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor wealth advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Gasoline Prices are Lower After Midterms - Just as Promised

I filled my F-150 tank up for $1 less per gallon than last week.  Unbelievable, President Trump delivered on his promise.

Of course, I'm still waiting for no taxes on Social Security, which would be really big for me and a lot of other people.  For now,  I'll have to settle for lower gas prices that I got earlier today.  Maybe President Trump will end the war with Iran (again) tomorrow and really drive down gas prices. 😎

For more on New Beginnings, check back every  Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

New MAGA acronym - Made America Grumpy Again

MAGA started as Make America Great Again.  I think this election shows MAGA has become Make America Grumpy Again, as the Republican Party and President Trump have been repudiated with major losses in the midterm elections.  Interestingly, this was only a surprise the Republican Party, especially President Trump.

IMHO, many Americans have become grumpy with how President Trump and the Republican congressional majority is governing.   Costs are up, inflation is rampant, and war rampant.   The only positive is economy and stock market are up, despite all the economic negatives.

Will this be an extinction of the Republican Party as Governor DeSantis commented?   It depends how Grumpy Americans will be in 2028.   If it does happens, it will be the greatest political downfall ever.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor political advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Quotes from a Memorial Service

Last month, I attended a memorial service for donors to medical research.  It was an excellent service.  Not only did they list the names of the donors, they were shown on a slide including any pictures or quotes attributed to them.

Here are some of quotes that I felt are currently worth considering:

• It could be worse.
• It is what it is and I can't do anything about it.
• The only goal worth pursuing is happiness.

I'll try to think of these quotes today and see how I feel.

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday  for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

16 Year Bull Market for Retirees

I sent article below to a few friends, under the subject "Lucky Retirees."

Dad, 79, has been retired 14 years and his nest egg is still growing — his son wonders, ‘Why are we all stressing so much about retirement?’

No surprise since he retired during a 16 year bull market, which was the best ever.

However, one always needs to remember the standard disclaimer, "Past performance does is not guarantee future results."  Or as my roommate from college responded, "It works until it doesn't," noting that his 94 year old dad is having more health issues that require higher costs and more withdrawals.

For more on  Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial, investment, nor retirement advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

I Need to Get Out More

When I was working, I was gone from the house 60+ hours a week.  After retiring, I was still out the of the house 20-30 hours a week with part time jobs and volunteer work.   After I finished that stint, I was at home much more often, like most of the time.  I would get out on occasionally for a tennis league or skiing, but not more that about 4 hours a week.

I've become more of a homebody, not going out except for occasional grocery shopping.  I don't even go out for DIY projects.  Almost everything can be ordered online and delivered nowadays.   Most of my contacts are via email with distant friends local and out of town.

I've decided I need to get out more for mainly social reasons.   I miss the ad hoc interactions with people.   I've started attending regular group get togethers, such as monthly lunches with a church group.   I continue to play in a tennis league, but also play with an individual in addition.  I occasionally attend financial seminars.   

At this point, I'm not looking for regular part time work nor volunteer work.  I still want lots of flexibility, but I definitely need to leave the house much more.

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every  Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial, aging nor social advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

EZ-Pass Easy Peasy

I used to avoid toll roads to avoid tolls.  Now, I use them regularly since I have EZ-Pass.

Five years ago, we drove out to New Jersey for a college visit.  Having driven the trip before, I took the PA Turnpike.  When I last drove it, I could pay at the toll booths.  This time, there were no manned toll booths.   Since I didn't have a EZ Pass transponder, my license plate was used to charge me.

I received the "pay by plate: bill after the trip.  The cost was $143.  Ouch, it was over twice the cost if I had a transponder.  However, Pennsylvania offered a discount option.  If I registered for a transponder, the cost would be reduced to $70, a 50% discount.   The transponder from Pennsylvania had a $3 per year annual fee, which is one of the lowest annual fees.   If I never used it again, I would get 22 years of no $3 fees for just applying.   Easy choice.  I addition, I could register up to 4 vehicles and transfer the transponder, which is OK since we only drive one car at time for long trips.

Although I didn't make the full PA Turnpike trip again, I have used the EZ Pass on a part of the PA turnpike, MD toll roads, GA toll roads FL toll roads and other PA toll roads.   Not only did I get a discount on my first trip, but I have received discounted tolls for all east coast toll roads since then.

EZ Pass was easy peasy. Many eastern states offer a EZ Pass and different prices.  PA had one of the lowest cost activation and annual fees. YMMV.  

Disclaimer:  I was not compensated by EZ-Pass for this post.

For more on  The Practice of Personal Finance, check back every Wednesday for a new segment.

This is not financial, EZ Pass, nor toll road advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Highly Viewed Posts in October 2026

Below are the three most viewed posts in October 2026:

DIY - A Feel Good Story

My spouse commented that the garage outlet was sparking.   I hadn't noticed, but I don't use it often.  I did notice the outlet was a little spongy when I plugged something in. I decided to fix it right away since sparking may be a safety issue.

I thought I had all the parts from previous projects and I had a good idea where they were located.  About 90 minutes from start to finish, including finding the parts in the house, doing the repair, and confirming the fix worked.

How to Speak to an Audience

Fives elements of a successful talk.

Roth Conversion Hack for Trump Accounts

Hey, even non working kids can have a Roth IRA via the Trump accounts after they turn 18.

For more on Ideas You Can, check back every Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC