My First Job Decision and It's Major Effect on My Life

When I accepted my first permanent job, I based the choice on starting salary, the type of work and job familiarity.  I didn't think about job security and satisfaction, health care benefits, company culture and retirement benefits.  I didn't expect to ever stay the minimum 10 years to be vested in retirement benefits.

In hindsight, my choice of employment and staying until retirement is, perhaps, the one of the biggest factors in our successful retirement.   Health care was free when I first started, although I didn't use it much when I was younger.    Just before I retired in 2007, family health care was about $125/month for family coverage.  Retiree health insurance is excellent but much more expensive. I pay a subsidized rated for my spouse and me and pay full price for the kids.  I was not aware of these benefits when I was deciding on a company.

The company contributed stock starting at 5/% of salary to our retirement plan each year and increased it by 1% a year until a maximum of 23% per year.   When I started, employees vested at 10 years, then 5 years, and now immediately.  The company was a Fortune 50 or higher company all the years I worked and the stock did very well.   In addition, I received stock options which vested after 1 year.  I did not know all this when I was decided on which company offer to accept.

However, I did know jobs security was high since some employees had been working over 40 years when I interned for the summer.  This was not a deciding factor, since I didn't expect to be there over 5 years, but it was good to know.

The company whose offer I accepted was the lowest salary offer, but as much as 10%.  The company culture was great and I liked the worked.  The companies whose offers I turned down had big layoffs in the next five years due to a recession, all of them.  My company didn't have any mass layoffs.  I ended working there 27 years, achieving a senior management position, and retiring at 49.

At the time, I didn't know that my first and only permanent job decision would have such a major effect on my future life.

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

This is not financial, employment nor career advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Sports and Pressure for Youth Athletes

One of the best the activities I did as a youth was sports.  I played football, baseball, tennis and ran track. Back then, I don't remember any pressure on me to perform.  My parents didn't attend games, until we were in the state championships in high school football.  Fans, including parents, were cordial and showed great etiquette at games.  I never felt judged, either way when we won or loss.  I was never concerned about getting a scholarship for college, or not.

Nowadays, it seems sports are flashpoints for stress.  Participation pressure, parent pressure, coach pressure, peer pressure, success pressure, social media pressure, and scholarship pressure.   It's all about dealing with stress. Sports are no longer just for fun for the child, and that's too bad. 

I didn't realize the amount of stress and pressure when I was a volunteer soccer coach. I was like my football coach, who led us to a state championship, and constantly yelled instructions to the players during the game.   If I had been a quiet, there were have been less stress, and the results would have been the same.  I wish I had been quiet.

The best youth coach I ever saw was for my son's flag football team. The coach put on the plays on armband cheat sheets.   All a player had to do was look at the play and do what players A, B, or C were show to do.   Also, he let every player be QB try it out in a game.   The only game the team lost was when the head coach was out of town for work.  Otherwise, they always won.   While fun, it didn't cause my son to want to continue.

He decided to play tennis.  He asked to join an elite program.  But he still wants to avoid stress and pressure, like know about upcoming opponents ratings and records, which I like to analyzed.  At his request, I no longer tell him about his opponents before a match.  I only talk about what he controls, especially his mental attitude and focus.  I don't make any noise during a match (not allowed to coach) other than to softly clap for a good shot.  This has significantly reduced stress and pressure for him. 

The outcome has been great.  I just want him to enjoy tennis and play it for relief of life stresses.   Of course, YMMV.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

I Thought I Didn't Buy Life Insurance While Working

When I started writing this, I thought I didn't buy any additional life insurance while working.  Turns out I did, which I posted about in 2006.   

While I was working, my company had a 1x annual salary life insurance policy on me, but I didn't buy any additional. The reason was that we were both working and we did not have any debt other than the mortgage payment, since we had already paid off both student loans with in ten years.

We adopted our daughter ten years after getting married.  According to my post the post in 2006 Protecting Your Wealth – Insure Against the Risk of Financial Disaster, I purchased more life insurance (2x annual salary, 4x for accidental death)  and survivor income insurance to protect my spouse and child in the case of an unexpected death.  This would enable my spouse to pay off the mortgage,  receive about 2/3 of previous after tax income for living expenses and not have to return to work.

Luckily, my spouse never needed to file a claim on these insurances.  However, we don't regret having and paying for such insurance, which is for protection if an unexpected death occurs that results in loss of significant income.

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

This is not financial, life insurance, nor survivor income advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Dividing the World in to Two Groups

Here's how I see the world.

1. There are people that think they are smarter than me.   
2. There are people that are smarter than me.

Group #1 is very big.  Group #2 is much smaller.

In surveys, up to 93% of drivers consider themselves above average.   I'm guess the same percentage may consider themselves smarter than me.

In deference to that probability, I am going to change my interaction with people but listening more, about 90% of the time, and speaking less, since they are likely to believe they are smarter than me.😎

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Patiently Waiting for 10% 10 year Treasury Yields

I expect interest rates to go up much further.  President Trump apparently doesn't care.   Secretary Bessent is incompetent, thinking the Treasury is the "house," and Fed Chair Chief may soon be all Warshed up, pun intended.   Bond vigilantes aren't going to let the U.S. get away with $40 trillion of national debt.

My plan is to wait and see.   The 10 year yield was over 15% at the peak in 1981.  Maybe it won't hit 10%, but I think higher is very likely.  I'll be patient and wait to buy more fixed income.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Financial Solutions Should be Personalized

I like to do my develop and execute my own strategies for financial success.   I attend many financial planner dinner seminars to learn about potential strategies I can use.  Here's what I learned about independent financial advisors:  they are mainly offering one or maybe two products create a successful result.  Some of the products are insurance products.  Recently, fixed income annuities seem to be the rage, grows with the stock market, but capped, and never a negative return.  Afraid of a downturn, then this is the solution.  I'm never convinced to purchase one of the products.

Here's my challenge.  I'm pretty good at managing our retirement finances.   We have no debt, own our house outright, sufficient income to cover our expenses, good health care and long term care insurance, good liability coverage, able to pay for college expense when our children attend.   However, my spouse has no interest in what I do, does not appreciate the effort and knowledge needed, and managing investment risk, having health, liability and long term care insurance, minimizing tax liability etc, etc, which is OK...as long as I'm still around.   Unfortunately, I expect to be the first to pass away, and perhaps within the next decade.

My first step is to simplify our current investments.  Right now the broad diversity is starting to get to complex even for me as I get older.   I am reducing individual stock holdings and going to market index funds, either broad market or S&P.  In addition, I'm buying some longer term treasuries and municipal bond funds. 

My second step is to understand the stability of the retirement income check I have created.  This may be a little hard to do, since it may require back testing which I'm not particular fond of doing. Maybe I can get one to the financial advisors to calculate.

Third, I will do an insurance checkup.  I believe we are in very good shape with the following:  homeowner, umbrella liability, car liability, health care,  and long term care.

Fourth,  develop a 10 year spending plan for expenses that includes covering higher education for kids, replacing cars, renovating home, and travel.

Finally, I believe I have found two financial advisors that are fiduciaries and are sufficiently independent to assist in developing the plan and  continue to help when I no longer can.  I will do some due diligence on them before meeting with them.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

$1000 to Replace Four Tires on my F-150

We decided to replace the tires on all three cars since they were over 5 years old and two of them had over 50,000 miles on them.   For the two cars, it was about $700 at Costco.  I just got the cost for changing my 2003 F-150 tires, over $1000, despite costing only $660 in 2018, and that included a discount for no cost installation..

I was shocked at the quote, despite knowing Costco usually has the lowest tire prices.   I asked why the price had gone up.  They responded that tire prices started going way up during Covid due to a silica shortage and the prices have never come down.

The tires on have 33,000 miles on them and have good tread.  However, they are 8 years old, and the rubber has deteriorated due to age.  Also, I noticed that my tires were slipping sometimes when starting from a stop on a wet road.   I decided to bite the bullet and pay $1000 for new tires, mainly for safety reasons and the current plan is to keep the truck a few more years.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Being In the Zone

Yesterday, my son was in the zone for the first time in his tennis tournaments.  He wasn't frustrated, he was confident, and he could do no wrong.  Every close shot was in, every angle was perfect, every passing shot did.  He only played each opponent 1 set and he won 6-0,6-0, 6-1.

I've been in the zone a few times in my life.  During that moment, everything when my way.  Every move I made, every action I took, ever word I said was perfect and gave me the result I wanted.

Now that I'm 68, being in the zone seems to be much less likely. I still remember the glory of being in the zone.  I hope it keeps happening for my son.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Make Employees Successful Business Owners

Bezos described four characteristics of a "dreamy" business: "Customers love it, it can grow to very large size, it has strong returns on capital, and it's durable in time — with the potential to endure for decades."

I think this is a great description from a business owner's or stock holder point of view. To me, I would add a statement or mention of sharing company success with employees. Many years ago, companies seemed to make sure employees benefited also when the company did well.  That does not seem to be the norm any more.

AOC was right, one doesn't become a billionaire by earning a wage.  However, as usual,  she neglects to take the point further and tell how one becomes a billionaire.   IMHO, one becomes a billionaire by being an owner.   Let's make more employees owners in the business.

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

This is not financial, employment nor employee advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Financial Mistakes of High Income People - from Subreddit Thread r/Wealth

A popular and my favorite answer was a mistake of not keeping, "Same spouse, same house, same car."

I fully agree.  I've been married 31 years to the same person.   Terrific spouse.   Great kids.   23 years in the same house.   23 years with same cars we bought new.  A third car is one that we bought from my MIL when she moved into independent living, which is 14 years old.

Of course, there are exceptions:   Bezos, Muskman, and Billy Gates.  Even so, I wouldn't want to trade my life for theirs, despite the billionaire status.   I'll stay with my "same spouse, same house and same car."

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC