Removing Friction is a Great Business Strategy

I used think product and pricing were the most important elements for business success.   While I still think product and pricing are important, I now believe making the consumer experience as easy as possible is the most important factor.

Here's one example for the DIYer.   In the past, to fix something, I would take the part to Lowe's or Home Depot, walk around the store, talk to an associate, compare the part to what I have, buy it and bring it home.   It would take me 20 minutes to drive and park, 30-60 minutes in the store, and 30 minutes to return home.   Now I can look 15 minutes online for the part, order it and get it delivered for free in 1-2 days, try the part and only drive back 20 minutes if I got the wrong part.   The process now take 60 to 90 minutes less time.   Home Depot has a 1 year return policy for those that use the Home Depot credit card and Lowe's has a 5% automatic discount for card holders and a 90 day return policy.  Easy peasy.

Here's another example for the Costco shopper.   Costco now has a 30 day price match guarantee.  If I buy it and the price goes down within 30 days, I am refunded the difference.   Costco also has a forever satisfaction guarantee return policy on most items, except electronics and computers, which are 90 days.  Rather than deal with manufacturer warrantees, I let Costco handle by returning items that stop working in the first couple years.   

In both examples, the stores are within few miles of my house and I pass by them when doing other errands.  Thus, no additional travel effort on my part to return items.  

Disclosure:  I was not compensated by Costco, Lowe's nor Home Depot for writing this post.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Outcome Bias -YMMV

Our brains look for patterns especially patterns that appear to result in success.

We assume that successful outcomes result from taking certain actions or making certain choices based on those who have been successful.  For example, to be a very successful investor, do what Warren Buffet would do would be recommendation based on his success results.  Naturally, people believe that doing what successful people have done will lead to success.

The main fallacy with this logic is that it rarely includes those people that took similar actions and make similar decisions and did not succeed.   What if 99 other people were Warren Buffet like but did not get the same great results or even lost money.  That would imply there is only a 1% chance of success using the Warren Buffet methodology, which is not a high probability.  Another fallacy is that we don't know every one of Warren Buffet's actions or choices on what to do or not do.   One of those missing pieces of information may have been the key to success.  Finally, we don't know how much luck, or factors not in Warren Buffet's control, contributed to his success.

All of these factors suggest that doing what one thinks other successful people have done does not guarantee one will also be successful.  YMMV when using strategies and plans that were previously led to successful outcomes.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Falling More than Ever When Snow Skiing

Since having open heart surgery in 2024 and missing the 24/25 skiing season, I have seen a decline in my snow skiing capability.   This year, I have skied less than normal and have fallen as many times this season than cumulatively over the past 10 years.  Not only have I fallen on the tougher slopes, but I have fallen getting off the lifts and even fell once just standing around.   One time I fell twice during same ski run on a relative short but steep double black slope.

I realize now that I'm starting to experience significant declines in previous capabilities with aging and, in some cases, due to the heart surgery.  I've learned time and aging doesn't wait. My solution is to get out more early and often to do the things I enjoy, before the inevitable decline prevent the ability to do so. 

Oh well... it's off to skiing next week before spring weather comes and before another birthday happens.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Levels of Wealth for Retirement-Age American

I saw this infographic on LinkedIn and though it was worth reposting in my blog.   

Credit: David Vernich on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidvernich/

Disclosure:  I did not receive compensation for reposting this graphic.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

More Volatility with Buy the Dip Stocks

Yesterday I was elated and today not so much as downside volatility creates some emotional stress.   It's been a bit of a roller coaster for the buy the dip stocks. Yesterday, I thought the dip was over.  Today, I'm not so sure.

They were down at the open, recovered a bit buy noon, the down again until 3PM, and then advancing until 3:30 before final dip and V advance at to close at the high of the day.  Whew, that was too much excitement and anxiety for me.  My buy the dip stocks followed the same trend as a group, but did not close at the high of the day.   Unfortunately, several but the dip stocks were down 1-2% due to the wholesale producer prices edging up higher than expected.

I made two purchases today, both index ETFs, RSP and VXUS.   Those index ETFs were both relatively stable today, which is the low volatility I am trying to achieve in the future.

In the meantime, I plan to ride out the volatility on the buy the dip stocks that I have and deciding whether to sell or hold as they become profitable.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Managing Income for Tax Benefits in Retirement

I've learned that income planning is even more important in retirement than when working.  The simple reason is that taxable income may be controllable by the retiree to maximize tax benefits and minimize tax liability.  When working, most of taxable income usually comes from a regular paycheck which limits the options for minimizing tax liability.

 

During my working years, I only had a few options to manage income.  Specifically, whether to make tax deferred contributions to retirement accounts and whether to take capital gains from stocks in taxable accounts.

Now that I'm retired, I no longer have working income.  Instead, I have Social Security, Dividends and Interest, and Capital Gains.   Social Security is tax free below a certain income and up to 85% can be taxed above a certain income.    Dividends and Capital Gains can be tax free depending on adjusted grosss income (AGI).  Several tax credits are phased out above AGI thresholds. Federal tax free interests is now more important keep below AGI thresholds. Also, premiums for Medicare are dependent on one's income. Higher incomes may incur higher premiums.

I didn't expect managing tax benefits would increase in importance in retirement.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Emotional Thrill and Anxiety of Buying Beat Up Stocks

I used to enjoy buying beat up stocks and waiting for them to be profitable.   Not that I was very good at it.  But I was good enough to not lose money too often. And when I did, it wasn't very much.  It was worth the excitement and adrenalin rush when I was younger.

Back then, I had the cushion of a job that covered my living expenses.   If I made a poor choice and the position lost money, it didn't affect my lifestyle which was supported by my paycheck.  Now that I'm retired, I depend on my investments to cover living expenses now and in the future.   Thus, short term losses from poor stock buys create more negative emotions, such as worry, anxiety, and regret, more than when I was younger.

Right now, the stocks portfolio I bought on the dip is up slightly.  I'm feeling good.  However, it took a month worry, anxiety and regret before it changed to excitement.    Not worth it to me to emotionally go down before potentially going up in the end.

At this point, I plan to retire from large scale buying the dip in the future.  I may buy the dip for the company from which I retired, or a couple other select stocks, but no more that 5 or maybe 10. That way I can avoid the emotional downside I felt this time, even though it appears that it has worked out for now.  

If I do make a major buy the dip purchase in the future, I will be buying index mutual funds or index ETFs for the S&P 500 or the total market.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Learn to Cook

When I was growing up, we ate virtually all of our meals at home.  My mom was a SAHM and made us breakfast (before school), lunch (I packed until high school) and dinner.   Eating out, even out McDonald's, was rare and was considered a special treat.

I learned to cook while still in high school.   I was on a meal plan while attending college.  When I started working, I ate lunch in the company cafeteria, but mostly cooked my own meals for breakfast and dinner.  Back then groceries were much cheaper than eating out. Also,  I shopped the sales and used coupons.

Cooking my meals and not eating out as often enabled me to save more money in my early working years.  My spouse and I still cook and eat most of meals at home.  We do it mainly for health reasons nowadays and not to save money, since health groceries are expensive.

My kids have or are learning to cook.  This will be a great skill to have as they get older.

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

This is not financial, saving nor adulting advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Patience Pays Off on Buying The Dip

I recently bought the dip on mainly software stocks in early February 2026.   After I started buying, the stocks kept dipping, resulting in many of my purchases going negative.   This was disappointing.   It is now the end of February and most of the stocks are recovering, with one, HUBS,  even going positive for every purchase.

It appears that patience has paid off, at this point.   I thought many of these stocks were oversold  (down 50-80%) on the threat of AI, which I think is being overestimated for decimating many jobs and businesses.

I will scale out of some shares and hold some shares for bigger gains, in the hope that these stocks will continue to recover instead of reversing and dipping again.  My worst buy the dip stock was TEAM, which dipped over 25% from when I started buying despite already being down about 60%.  ACN is the second worst.

Disclosure:  The stocks I bought on the dip were:  MSFT, TSLA, NOW, CRM, TEAM, ADBE, ACN, NFLX, UNH, and PYPL.  The ETFs I bought on the dip were:  VOO, RSP, MGK, and SCHD.

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

This is not financial, investing, nor stock picking advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Buying Individual Stocks on the Dip is Gambling for Me

Last week,  I reviewed the buying the dip stocks for how much they could add to our funds.   Turns out not much.  I only buy a few shares since I'm just betting on a rebound to make a few dollars.  I am hesitant to hold for very long due to volatility and sell for quick gains of 5-15%.   A few shares times a few dollars doesn't amount to much of an increase.   I enjoy the fun and excitement of the gain, but it really doesn't grow our investments much.

Looking back,  the big gains have come from large investments in a diversified portfolio, my company's stock, or a lucky buy and hold tech stock such as Alphabet.  Not from buying multiple stocks on the dip.

Over time, I've ended up positive on my buy the dip stocks, but not by much. 

Lesson learned.  It's fun to buy the dip, guess right and collect the winnings.  But it's not a sustainable investment strategy for me.  For the long run, I would have done better investing in a total market index, holding and collecting the gains many years later.  Not as much fun, but much better results.

I'm definitely putting my kids' accounts in market index funds for their future.   

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

New York Times Front Page Test

Here's one way to judge whether to do something or not.   If one wouldn't want the the activity, written document, or action to be published on the front page of the New York Times, then don't do it.  If publishing it wouldn't bother one, then it's OK to do.

I like this criteria.  It's easy to understand and easy to use.  

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Stock Picking Advisors Hate This One Simple Trick

Invest in the S&P 500 or the Russell 1000 and hodl.

Found this chart on LinkedIn.  Makes a good case for investing in the S&P500 or Russell 1000 Index.  Unless one is good enough to consistently identify the winning individual stocks, which I am not.

Bottom Line:  Start early, contribute regularly, invest in a broad market index and hodl.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

AI Plan to Access More Personal Data

Open AI and Grok are now advertising that they will do AI analysis of one's health records for free.   ROFLMAO.    It's likely that Open AI and Grok is providing this "service"  to get one's personal data for free to use for AI learning.   Maybe I'm cynical, but I tend to err on the side of caution.

First, I'm not a fan of corporations having my personal data, especially if it's privacy related.   Second, I'm not a fan of corporations making money of my information, without any compensation.    Even if there was compensation, I would not provide my data.

Of course, there is data that I cannot avoid being used by corporations.  For example, I use a loyalty card with my grocery store, for discounts and special sales.  I know that Amazon tracks my purchases and likely uses or sells that information.  However, I do not use social media such as Facebook, Instagram or other similar products. Hopefully, this will make my personal data less accessible.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Prediction Markets

Prediction markets started as a methodology to aggregate numerous opinions to assess the probability of an outcome.  Prediction markets then evolved into a form of entertainment.  Lately, it has become a source of winning funds based on correctly choosing future outcomes by individuals.  Examples include: Who will win an election: and Will a certain action be taken.

Prediction markets have adeptly avoided being regulated by states as gambling nor the SEC as investments. Cleverly, the prediction markets are neither for now.

IMHO, prediction markets appear to be also a form of gambling.   Participants are "betting" on the outcome of an event and are compensated if they choose correctly.  Participants can also "bet" on the future value of an item, which makes it close to "investing" in options.

Given the easy online access and lack of regulation, it seems prediction markets can become a source of financial issues for some people.  Personally, I am staying away from playing in prediction markets and just periodically follow people's opinion on different issues.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Towel Warmer Gift

One year, my spouse gave me a towel warmer to use at the hot tub on cold days.  I would put my bathrobe in it on cold days when I was using the hot tub.   I tried it for one fall to winter season.   It was nice to have a warm bathrobe.  However, it took too much effort carry the towel warmer out on the deck and bring it back in every time I used it.  I stopped using.

After a few months, my spouse commented that I should give it away.  I hate giving away things that we have recently bought and not used.  I decided to use the towel warmer for my showers, instead of with the use of the hot tub.   It has been great.  I have enjoyed getting out the shower and into a warm towel.

Using the towel warmer requires a little more advance planning for my shower.  Sometime before the shower, I need to put a towel in the warmer.  Then, I need to wait about 10 minutes before taking my shower, since I take quick showers that don't last enough to sufficiently warm the towel.

At this point, we're keeping the towel warmer since I use it almost every time when I shower.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Roth Conversion or Not

I've been doing a lot of thinking about how to deal my retirement accounts and future RMDs.  I had considered doing Roth conversions again, which I have done in the past.   For me, it seems like a no brainer to do a Roth conversion while in the 12% tax bracket.  Lately, I've been considering doing Roth conversions even in the 22-24% tax bracket.  However, I am leaning towards not executing a Roth conversion at the higher tax bracket.

Here's my thinking:

• It doesn't change the amount of money I will ultimately get. Doing a Roth conversion now at 22% tax bracket or keeping funds in traditional IRA and withdrawing later at 22% tax bracket give me the same amount of after tax money in the future, even though no taxes on Roth and federal taxes on traditional IRA.  
• It may affect the taxes my heirs need to pay.   Inherited IRAs need to be withdrawn within 10 years.  However, the amount withdrawn may or may not put them above the 22% tax bracket and unlikely to put them over the 24% tax bracket.   Both my kids are younger, not even graduated from college yet.  I expect the inherited traditional IRA withdrawals keep them in the 22% bracket and may put them barely into the 24% tax bracket if they are single.   It is highly unlikely to put them above the 24% tax bracket even if they are single.  Net it likely be a wash whether I pay the taxes now or the heir pay them later.
• Doing a Roth conversion mainly will give my heirs flexibility not to manage how much is withdrawn each year, since no taxes are paid.    With an inherited traditional IRA, they will need to do more advanced tax planning.

Based on my current situation, I believe my traditional IRA amount is low enough not to create a tax bomb for my heirs.  Therefore, I will only do further Roth conversions if I'm in the 12% tax bracket.

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

This is not financial, Roth conversion nor tax advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Muni Bond Funds Pay Based on Accrual, Not 100% on Ex Date

I've been buying municipal bonds funds for the federal tax exempt interest payments.  On January 25-28, 2025, I bought some T Rowe Price municipal bond funds,  PRIHX, PRFHX and PRTAX.  Since this was before the ex-dividend date of January 31, I expected to get the full month's interest payment.  That's what happens with stocks purchased before the ex-dividend date.

When I checked on Friday, January 30, 2026, the date of the ex-dividend, I only received 1/10 or less of the expected dividend.  I called the brokerages, and they gave a couple of explanations/recommendations.  First, wait until until Monday.  Sometimes, it takes an overnight adjustment to correct the issue.  Second, one brokerage said several people had the issue and it was being corrected.   I also called T Rowe Price.  They said that the dividend had not been posted on their website yet and therefore, I should wait.

On Monday, February 2, 2025, there was no change and I call Schwab back for more assistance.  The agent put me on hold and consulted with the mutual fund specialists.   After a few minute, he explained that the bond mutual funds paid dividends on a accrual basis, i.e. a prorated amount based on how long I owned it.   Hmm...  I didn't know that.   I called T Rowe Price and confirmed.

After further investigation, I learned many bond funds use the accrual method to pay monthly dividends. 

Disclosure:  I was not compensated by T Rowe Price  nor Schwab for writing this post.

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

This is not financial nor mutual fund investing advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Recession Indicator - 10-year vs 3-month Spread

The 10-year vs 3-month treasury spread just turned positive, which may indicate an upcoming recession according to this Motley Fool article.

This signal triggered before the last 4 recessions. It just happened again.

Here's the graph from article:

For the past four recessions, the 10-year/3-month yield spread turned positive just before a recession officially started.

That spread just recently flipped from negative to positive again, which historically has meant a recession occurring within the next year.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Forbes Article on Private Equity

By the time alternative investment options used by institutions and high net worth individuals are made available to main street investors like myself, I suspect that the opportunities are not as good or more risky.

Below is a Forbes article on why Private Equity may not be a great opportunity now and reflects the concern I have.   

Private Equity is Suddenly Awash with Zombie Firms

Yeah, I plan to still stay away from Private Equity and Private Credit.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Reframe RMDs as Our Pension

I've been reading about concerns with managing RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) in the future.  RMDs are requirements by the IRS to withdraw a certain amount from IRAs, 401Ks and similar retirement accounts.   The main concern is the significant increase in taxable income versus if the retiree was not required to withdrawal the funds.

I understand the tax implications.   However, I decide to reframe the RMDs as a pension payment instead of an involuntary withdrawal.  If I think of an RMD as another pension payment, I don't worry about the payment causing an increase in taxes.  It's just a fact of life.  More income equals more taxes.   

This is especially true for IRA/401Ks that are less than $1 million since the RMD is about $38,000 per million at 73.   Most people probably will have less than $1 million in their IRA/401K.   If I had over $2 million in an IRA/401K, I'd start worrying and considering whether Roth conversions or other strategies to reduce taxes should be used.

This reframing ignore the impact of inherited IRA/401Ks on the beneficiaries, but that is a topic for another post.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Third Time Procedure for Heart Condition

Happy Valentine's Day.

Last month, I had my third procedure on my heart.  

The first one was after failing a treadmill stress test despite have no symptoms, such as shortness for breath or heart pain.    The procedure put 4 stents in the three major arteries about 13 years ago.  I became a vegetarian and followed the  Esselstyn/Ornish no added oil diet. Even with this strict diet, my LAD heart artery re-clogged to 90% or higher in several places.

About a year ago, I failed a second treadmill test despite having no symptoms again.  The recommendation and decision was to do a coronary bypass arterial graft (CABG) with the left interior mammary artery (LIMA) since the LAD appeared to be severe blocked.  Essentially, it's taken the artery going to the left chest muscle and rerouting it to the LAD.   Very low failure rate for this CABG since the LIMA, for some unknown reason almost never clogs up with plaque. 

Well, mine failed.  Turned out the LAD is clogged so badly, the LIMA wasn't getting enough blood to the heart. In fact, for the first time ever, I experience some some angina symptoms. So the decision was made to attempt cleaning out the blockages and restenting.   Since doing this, I still feel about the same.  I will be doing cardiac rehab for a few months.  This time,  I will push it a little harder to determine if the procedure has solve the issue.

Either way, I will assume this procedure will last 5-10 years.  I will work with my cardiologist to monitor it more frequently that once every 10 years.  I will also be less strict on my diet going forward, as long as I can maintain my current weight. 

Finally, I think I may start flying first class for our trips in the future.😎  

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

The Value of Bitcoin to Me and My Retirement

There are lots of pundits that rave about Bitcoin as a great investment and a storage of value, versus fiat currency such as the U.S. Dollar..  There are even companies, such as Strategy (MSTR), that buy bitcoin as their primary operation.  Financial advisors have started recommending putting a percentage of one's saving into bitcoin. 

I guess I'm not convinced.  I did buy one share of GBTC, a bitcoin trust, a couple years ago and sold it for profit.  Other than that, I have not taken much interest in owning or investing in bitcoin.   I don't get how it has any value.  So bitcoin is worth nothing, nada, zero to me.  I've been called "old school" for that perspective.

Even if I could justify bitcoin having value, it is way too volatile for me to consider as a worthwhile investment for retirement.  I prefer currency that has some stability, even if it is the fiat dollar.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Cars Broken Into at College

My daughter uses one of our cars at college.  She parks in a secure garage by her apartment.  Unfortunately, due to freezing the temperatures, the gate at the entrance has been kept open. Yesterday, she received an email that some cars were broken into the previous night.   The perpetrators smashed the passenger side windows to get into the car.

She was worried and  called me as she was going to inspect her car.  The car is fully insured against vandalism, but it's still takes time and effort to work with insurance companies and get the car repaired.  Maybe a week of losing use of the car and she needed for a trip home soon.

Fortunately, her car was not damaged, probably because she does not leave anything of value in view on the seats.  Just bags from take out food runs.   Also, the vehicle is 22 years old and most break ins were on newer vehicles.

She was lucky.  Some of the other residents at the apartment were not.  Unfortunately, the video surveillance cameras did not get good pictures of the perpretators.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Private Placement Investment Opportunities for Regular Investors

Options such as Private Equity and Private Credit have only be available to institutions and high net worth accredited investors and not been offered to investors like myself... until recently.    The lure of Private Equity and Private Credit as always been higher returns, which are sometimes significantly higher, than available in traditional investments and bonds.   The tradeoffs are a minimum investment amount  and a lockup period. Now, registered investment advisor (RIA) firms are offering small "slices" to their clients at lower minimum investment amounts.

I have been offered both through my brokerage accounts.  For due diligence, I asked for the prospectuses.  They were an inch thick and up to 800 pages.  The prospectuses described the multiple investments in each offering and the expected returns.  It described the lockup period, periodic withdrawals/distributions and if future contribution were expected.   A significant part of the prospectus was focused on risks of loss.    

Overall, I decided the additional returns was not worth the loss of flexibility to access funds and the additional risk.  I've decided to pass on Private Equity and Private Credit at this time.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Buy and Forget Stocks - Robert Kirby

It's better to buy and hold a diversified stock portfolio than to constantly trade.   Some stocks will go down, some stocks will go up and a few will go up a lot. In my case, I tend to sell winners too soon, e.g. Apple, Amazon and Google which I owned early on, and hold the losers for a decade or more. 

 Here's the same anecdote from two different sources.   

Invest and forget? The fascinating story behind coffee can portfolio from upstox.com

The coffee can story

The woman's financial affairs were handled by her husband, a lawyer. He was also her primary contact with Kirby’s firm.

Kirby worked with the woman for around 10 years, after which her husband suddenly died. She inherited his estate and securities and wanted to add the latter to her portfolio.

When Kirby analysed the list of assets left by the man, he was “amused” and even “shocked”.

The woman’s husband had passed away with an odd-looking portfolio of many small and large holdings. Several small investments in his portfolio were valued below $2,000. There were also many large holdings valued over $100,000.

However, one of his investments stood out. The man had shares of Haloid (which later became Xerox) worth $800,000. And this single investment was larger than the entire portfolio of his wife.

So, how did the man secretly amass such a big portfolio?

Kirby found the man was secretly piggybacking on recommendations for his wife's portfolio but with a twist of his own.

Every time Kirby gave a buy recommendation for the woman, her husband purchased shares worth $5,000 but never paid attention to the sell calls. After every purchase, the man tossed the share certificates in a safe deposit box and forgot it.

The Coffee Can Portfolio from the Stingyinvestor.com

"I had worked with the client for about ten years, when her husband suddenly died. She inherited his estate and called us to say that she would be adding his securities to the portfolio under our management. When we received the list of assets, I was amused to find that he had secretly been piggy-backing our recommendations for his wife's portfolio. Then, when I looked at the total value of the estate, I was also shocked. The husband had applied a small twist of his own to our advice: He paid no attention whatsoever to the sale recommendations. He simply put about $5,000 in every purchase recommendation. Then he would toss the certificate in his safe-deposit box and forget it.

Needless to say, he had an odd-looking portfolio. He owned a number of small holdings with values of less than $2,000. He had several large holdings with values in excess of $100,000. There was one jumbo holding worth over $800,000 that exceeded the total value of his wife's portfolio and came from a small commitment in a company called Haloid; this later turned out to be a zillion shares of Xerox."

It's too hard to know which individual stocks will be a longer term winner. I've owned AAPL, GOOGL, and AMZN but sold for relative small gains of 10-20%.  I've also owned SFIX and didn't sell at 500% and now am down 80%. That's why I'm switching to holding index ETFs which own a basket of stocks and continuously cull out the losers and keep the winners.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Appears the Dip is Continuing

There wasn't a big recovery at close.  It looks like the dip will continue.  At this point, I'm mostly done buying and will wait out the decline.  It seems buying now will be like catching a falling knife.  I may put some way out of the money buy orders, but other than that, I will be on the sidelines.

I did sell some TSLA for a small profit.   But other than that, I am holding my buy the dip purchase for now, and maybe for much longer.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Buy the Dip Stocks Quit Rebounding

My buy the dip stocks reversed today and decline significantly at mid-day.  I guess the CPI and Jobs report didn't impress investors.  At this point, I'm going to stop purchasing the buy the dip stocks, with the exception of putting some low ball bids on a couple stocks.   Unfortunately, this may end up as "catching a falling knife."   Ouch.  Now I wish I had sold some for a small profit yesterday.

This experience reinforced my plan to move our investments from individual stocks to index ETFs.   I already mentioned VOO (S&P 500) and MGK  (Large Cap Growth).  I decided to add SCHD (a dividend stock ETF) and RSP (Equal weight S&P 500).     Today, I added some VOO, SCHD and RSP to some of our accounts.

I'm hoping for a recovery into the close of trading.   

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Avoiding New Real Estate Investments

Here's the back story.  My dad was a big proponent of owning investment real estate.   Back then, there were significant tax advantages for owning rental real estate, that are no longer available today.  At that time, one could use real estate losses, due primarily to depreciation, to offset and reduce wage income.   In addition, depreciation recovery was taxed at long term capital gains rates. 

I partnered with my dad on a few real estate investments, mainly for the tax breaks which did reduce my taxable income.  However, none of the investments did much better than break even.

Since then, those tax benefits have mostly been eliminated by the tax code changes.   Real estate losses are now limited to $25000 and only below $150,000 AGI income unless one is a "real estate professional."  This limits high income earners from using rental real estate to reduced wage income.  In addition, depreciation recapture is now taxed at 25% rate instead of the 15% long term capital gains rate.

When my parents both passed away, I inherited a partnership share in commercial rental property and vacant investment land.  The commercial property was fully paid off, long term tenants, and managed by a property management company.  The vacant land was residential property that abutted commercial properties.  Both properties were located in different states from where I resided and were relatively low effort.  After 6 years, I received an unsolicited offer by a developer for the  vacant land and it took almost 3 years to complete the deal.   The commercial property is positive cash flow, but most of the other partners are not involved leaving all the work to one other partner and me.

Based on stories I've heard, I realized I have been extremely lucky with both of these real estate investments.  They both have been profitable and relatively low effort.   However, I also realize that most real estate investments take much more effort, financial commitment and risks.  Since I am moving towards simplifying our retirement investments, I am unlikely to take on any new real estate investments, other than to invest in REIT stocks.

Are real estate investment right for some people?  Absolutely. It can be a great investment.  Doing well takes a lot of time, effort, skills and patience, which I don't want to do in retirement.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

After Market Close Evaluation of Buy the Dip Stocks

Well the market peaked about mid-day and faded from there until the close.  That doesn't bode well for tomorrow.  I guess everyone is waiting for CPI and jobs data, which is coming out late due to the short government shutdown.

Here is my latest reassessment and the last I am posting.   Black is originally from yesterday.  Green and black cross outs from mid-day today.  Red is from the after market.

                                     Index ETF Keepers:   VOO, MGK

                              Holds for higher returns:   MSFT, TSLA, 

Possible Holds but scale out on the way up:   NOW, CRM, HUBS, NFLX, ADBE, ACN

                            Hoping to get some gains:   HUBS, NFLX, ADBE, TEAM, ADBE

                                         Praying not a loss:   UNH, TEAM, ACN 

The rebound fading is cause for some concern.   We'll see how tomorrow goes and make adjustments as needed.

       

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Mid-Day Reassessment of Buy the Dip Stocks

I'm feeling pretty good about my picks at this time.

Here's my reassessment of the stocks I bought on the dip last week.  The stocks are all positive mid-day, Woohoo!  Hopefully, they continue to stay positive.

The ones in black are yesterday's assessment.  Green is the new assessment.

                                     Index ETF Keepers:   VOO, MGK

                              Holds for higher returns:   MSFT, TSLA, 

Possible Holds but scale out on the way up:   NOW, CRM, HUBS, NFLX, ADBE, ACN

                            Hoping to get some gains:   HUBS, NFLX, ADBE, TEAM

                                         Praying not a loss:   UNH, TEAM, ACN

Of course, the results and status can change quickly in this market.   

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

This is not financial. stock picking nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Cash Basis Creates A Realistic Budget

Budgeting seems like a lot of extra planning and detailed work.  My simple solution to budgeting was to live on a cash basis initially.

After graduating from college, I lived on a cash basis for a couple years.  It was very empowering financially.  I learned quickly how to live within my means.   In my first month of employment, I ran of out money three days before my monthly paycheck.  

Fortunately, I was paid on the last business day of the month via direct deposit.   Thus, I had funds to pay my rent on the 1st.   However, it was a good learning experience for me.  I managed my finances so I didn't run of out money again.  I lived on a cash basis, i.e. no credit cards, until I took out a loan for my first new car a couple year later.

I started managing my spending to have a little left over by next monthly payday.  I considered that my savings.  I did this for many years.

If I did it over again, I would use the 50/20/30 rule:  50% necessities, 20% savings, 30% wants.  I wrote about how to do this in Be One's Own CFO for Personal Finances.

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

This is not financial budgeting, nor spending advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Tomorrow's Stock Trading Thoughts

Pretty wild in the stock market today.  My beaten down dip buys did OK overall.  Tonight, I a pre-thinking my trading for tomorrow. 

                                     Index ETF Keepers:   VOO, MGK

                              Holds for higher returns:   MSFT, TSLA, 

Possible Holds but scale out on the way up:   NOW, CRM

                            Hoping to get some gains:   HUBS, NFLX, ADBE

                                         Praying not a loss:   UNH, TEAM, ACN

The above is my starting point.  As the day evolves, the stock category may change and I will treat the position accordingly.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Individual Stock Prices Seem Too Schizophrenic

Down, up, or sideways erratically is how stocks seem to move nowadays.

Here's how my last week buy the dip stocks went today.  Down at the open, up after an hour, rising through mid-day, faded into the close and was mostly positive.   ACN and TEAM are still down.  UNH, NFLX, HUBS and ADBE went from down almost break even.  NOW and CRM went from down to up.  MSFT and TSLA advanced further.  The index ETFs, VOO and MGK, were stable and remained up.

I'm still down a little from buying the dip.   However, the emotions were a roller coaster as the individual stocks look like they might decline further before reversing.   Too much anxiety/excitement for me.  I definitely enjoyed the results confirming my choice to buy the dip, but who knows what tomorrow, next week or next month will bring.  I will scaling out of these individual stock over the next few days, weeks, or months and taking the profit.  

Based on this experience so far, I don't expect I will be trading individual stocks for short term profits on a regular or substantial basis. I may occasionally trade up to 10 stocks that I track which allows me to better anticipate short term price movements.   Other that that, I will stay invested in the current previously managed accounts and add broad market index ETFs, such as VOO and MGK, on the future dips.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Evaluation for Buying on This Dip

It looks like I bought the beaten down stock too soon.   ADBE, ACN, TEAM, NFLX, HUBS, and UNH dropped further early in trading.  MSFT and TSLA rose.  NOW and CRM are even.  The index ETFs, VOO and MGK, are up.

For now, I may try to add to couple positions, such as HUBS and TEAM, but not planning to buy much otherwise.   I will wait a few days before considering making more purchases. 

Overall, this decline occurrence of individual stocks versus rising index ETFs is supporting my move out of individual stock selection and into market index ETFs/mutual funds.  Less attention needed and less volatility stress.

Hopefully, the day will end better for the individual stocks.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

How to Thrive in Retirement

I thought this was a good article about managing retirement finances:

How to actually thrive in retirement with the simple plan almost everyone ignores

Here were the key points from the article:

• The overlooked foundation: knowing your real spending
• The simple plan almost everyone ignores: separate short‑term and long‑term money
• Designing a cash buffer that lets you sleep at night
• Turning a nest egg into a paycheck: withdrawal rules that actually work
• Aligning money with meaning: values, expectations, and regret
• Health costs, tax moves, and other unglamorous levers
• Social Security as a risk‑management tool, not just a benefit
• Clarity and discipline: the behavioral edge most retirees miss
• Putting it all together into a life you actually enjoy

Disclosure:  No compensation was received for reposting this article.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Trading Thoughts

This weekend I realized the many of the stocks I bought last week have fallen be cause the are SAAS (Software as a Service) stocks.   The current expectation is that AI may obsolete some of the software offered by these companies, since AI will do it for much lower cost.

I'm not sure if the market will continue to rebound or reverse to fall again.   If it continues to rebound, I will consider whether sell some positions I bought last week for a small profit, or risk that it will be a bull trap and wait.   If the market reverses, I will hold the positions I have and be ready to buy some more VOO which is the S&P index ETF.

I expect this week will be volatile which may create unexpected/unwanted excitement.  I don't plan to sell any of the diversified stock, ETF, or mutual fund positions that I am holding.   I only plan to sell individual stocks that have been bought on speculation that a rebound will happen.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Correction Over?

It looks the correction of February 2-5.  2026 may be over😎  The stock market apparently only goes in one direction, UP.     However, that isn't true for individual stocks, some of which are down over 50% from their 52 week high: e.g. HUBS, TEAM, and NOW.  For fun, I am trading small positions on these stocks hoping to make some short term profits.   As the market (hopefully) rebounds, I will be scaling out of these positions at profits targeting 15% or more.

I think the best approach to buying the dip may be to buy the market index funds and I started buying last week.  The two I am purchasing are VOO (S&P 500) and MGK (Large Cap Growth).    I plan to continue scaling into these to ETFs over the next week or more, as the market recovers from the dip.

Disclosure:  I bought HUBS, TEAM,  NOW, VOO, and MGK last week.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Real Estate Crash May Be Coming

Is this story an indication of the decline for real estate prices?

Chicago Office Tower Sells at an 87% Discount to Pre-Covid Price

I'm assuming the owner decided it was better to take the loss than to wait for a recovery and just tossed the keys to the lender.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

The Dip Bottomed Today - For Now

The stock market had a massive rebound with the Dow index closing at an all time high.  Many of the stock that I purchased this past week, but only a few have gained past the purchase price.   Still I bought most at a significant discount (30-50%) from their 52 week highs.  

Most rose today, with a couple falling further.  I was able to sell one of the TSLA shares I purchased yesterday at a 3.5% profit.   At this point, I expect the rebound to continue next week, but I don't know for sure.   I decided to buy some MGK and VOO in case the rally continues in next week

I feel good right now from buying.  Hoping for the rebound to continue.🙏

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Looking for a Stock Market Bounce Today

I'm doing a small amount of trading in our retirement accounts.  Hoping for but not expecting a bounce in the fallen stocks the past few days.  If there is a big bounce, I may sell some positions for a small profit.  If the recently purchased stocks keep falling, I am reluctant to increase my holdings in the stock.   I want to avoid trying to catch a falling knife.

However, I do plan to scale in some funds to our kids' college accounts in a S&P500 index.  Even if the market dips further, we'll be keeping these accounts for several years.  In addition, if the market falls further, I will be able to add more funds at that time. 

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Volatility Still Not Worrying Me -Yet

Per my post Market Volatility Not As Worrisome Anymore - For Now, I am still comfortable the current volatility, even if it continues.   We're still getting a monthly retirement paycheck that I created, and I have been working to increase the monthly payments with Municipal Bond Mutual Funds.  January's payment was much lower than usual, but that's because some January 1 dividends moved up to December 31.    So i expect that we're still OK.

However, the recently volatility is still short lived, only about 3 days, though turbulent.   We shall see how I feel if the volatility continues for all of February 2026.

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

The Dip Kept Dipping - Arrgh!

I decided to buy today's stock market dip by purchasing several individual stocks, which what I did when I was younger.  Buying individual stocks on a dip is a hard habit to break.   I picked up some good buys, but the dip kept dipping to the close and my purchases ended the day down.  Fortunately, I don't have much invested in the buys today since I plan to put most funds in a S&P Index fund as the dip continues, which I expect it will.   

Looking back, a good time to buy is when the market dips. I'm going to take this opportunity to invest my kids' college accounts in the S&P Index fund tomorrow.  These are long term accounts and won't matter much if the dip keeps dipping.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Feels Like a Stock Market Correction is Coming

It sure feels like a market correction is in progress.   Corrections happen every 1-2 years.  Bear markets happen every 5-7 years.

• Tech is weak, down from its high and keeps falling
• 59% of stocks are down more than 30% from their 52 week high
• Stocks fall even on good news
• I've been buying into this correction

Typically, when I buy, the market falls further. 😈 If I wait, the market rebounds quickly.😆

I've bought into the following large cap stocks on the drop:  MSFT, TSLA, CRM, TEAM, UNH, HUBS, ADBE, and NOW.  I hoping for a rebound in these stocks.

I've bought into the following small cap stocks on the drop:   GERN, GALT, SIGA, SNDL, PACB, SDLP, and SLS.  I'm just hoping on these.😎

I bought the following a deep loss for tax harvesting purposes:  PYPL.

If this isn't a correction.  Great.  If it is a correction or worse, I'm prepared to implement my strategy of putting more funds in a S&P index mutual funds for my kids and our retirement accounts.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Did Better Buying the Dip Today

I continued to buy the dip today and did much better.  I bought and sold HUBS for a profit.  I bought TEAM and NOW, and closed up on those positions for the day.  My bad pick was TSLA.  I bought a few shares at $415 and $407 and it continued to decline to below $400, but recovered to close at $406.  I did buy 1 share under $400.

The market is very volatile right now.   Most of my purchases are just a guess of whether the stock has bottomed yet.   Thus, I am very attuned to the stock movement after my purchase.  I worry if it goes down since I purchased too early. I worry if it goes up and I don't sell before it goes down again.  Too much time worrying.😠

I realize now why I'm not a good stock picker.  I'm too nervous about not taking profits when I own individual stocks.  I worry that I don't sell, the stock will become a loss, which has happened to me many time.  The result is my big winners don't give me big gains, which causes me to worry again since I left a lot of money on the table.

I'm definitely much better off investing most of our funds in the market index and using a very small percentage of our funds to buy individual stocks.  That way, I can enjoy the thrill of picking a winner, instead of worrying whether I should sell or hold.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Cover Necessities Before Other Expenses

As a new hire just graduated from college, I had three buckets of spending: necessities, savings and discretionary.   Necessities were highest priority, followed by savings and discretionary.   Necessities had to be paid each month.  Savings were next for a emergency fund, future purchases and retirement savings.  Discretionary was for fun.  Here's what was in those categories.

Necessities:  Rent, utilities, groceries, student loans, auto costs, insurance (health, rental, disability) and clothing.   These are the must cover expenses.  

Savings:  Emergency savings for unexpected cost, savings for future large purchases, retirement savings.

Discretionary: entertainment, vacations, eating out, upgrade phone/computer

Personally, I managed necessities to be the lowest cost acceptable.   I rented a lower cost apartment close to work.  It was half the cost of a nearby luxury apartment other new hires rented.  I used coupons for groceries and bought items that were on sale.  I had a low student loan payment that was less than $100/month.   I drove a 13 year old hand me down car for the first 2 years.  My parents gave me my bedroom furniture, and recreation room furniture from their house and I used them for several years.

I ran out of money with two days left in the first month, but was able to adjust and save money the second month.   For discretionary spending, I kept costs to a minimum by playing rugby  ($25 fee/season) for entertainment and cooking most of my meals.

As my income increased, I was able to save more and spend more on discretionary items.  Eventually, I was able by a new car because I had kept my initial necessity costs lower.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Buying This Dip

The stock market dipped on February 2-3 and I bought several positions:  TSLA, HUBS, PYPL, MSFT, TEAM, ADBE, NOW, GERN, SNDL, PACB, and PDBC.    These are all stocks that I already owned.  I still intend to simplify my holdings, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to (hopefully) make some profits on the inevitable bounce.

There is the possibility that the stock will continue to dip.  This often happens when I buy the dip.😟  We'll see.😎

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Cataract Surgery Decision to Avoid Reading Glasses

I am planning on getting cataract replacement surgery this year.  Many people choose to correct their vision to 20/20.  However, this option requires wearing reading glasses for near vision options.  For additional cost that's not covered by Medicare, some people choose to use variable distance lens replacements, which is a new innovation in the last few years.

I'm choosing a third option, having one far sighted eye and one near sighted eye.   I will correct one eye to 20/20 vision and I will have the other eye continue to be near sighted at reading distance, which a slight correct, but not to 20/20.    This way, I won't need to wear contacts for driving, since one eye is 20/20 nor glasses for reading, since the other eye is near distance.  

For most people, this is a difficult option since the brain is not used to integrating different vision levels.  This works for me since I am already accustomed to my eyes having different distance vision when not corrected.   Most of the time, I don't wear any glasses or contacts  and mostly wear for driving and sports. 

When I  am playing sports, tennis or skiing, I still prefer to have both eyes be 20/20.  After cataract surgery, I will wear one contact lens, which will be covered 80% by Medicare.  Glasses are covered 100% by Medicare, but I prefer contacts for sports

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Arrgh! Every One of My Friday Investment Decisions Was Wrong

On Friday, January 30, 2026,  I held TSLA, bought PDBC on the dip and put in higher Good Til Canceled Orders for SLV and GLD.

On Friday, SLV and GLD crashed.  PDBC fell.    Today, TSLA, PDBC, SLV and GLD all were down pre market and fell when the market opened..  

As usual, when I buy on the dip or don't sell at the peak, the stock goes down.   If I don't buy on the dip, the stock pops the next day.   Arrgh!

I should inverse myself.😖

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Planning to Sell into GLD and SLV Bounce

The decline of gold and silver on Friday, January 30, 2026 was massive, 10% and 28% respectively.  Typically, when silver falls this far and fast, it will be a while before silver reaches new highs. That's because buyers who bought above the closing price on Friday may be selling to minimize or or eliminate losses.  If SLV bounces significantly today, I plan to sell some of the position into the rally.  I will consider selling GLD also, if it bounces.

If SLV and GLD do not bounce, I will consider scaling out over the next couple weeks, since it may indicate further declines are coming.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Placing a Bet on Commodities

With the dollar devaluation that is happening, I expect commodity prices to increase since they are typically dollar denominated.  This happened after the Great Recession of 08/09 when the Fed used QE to devalue the dollar.   Back then, oil rose to record highs.

While oil still below those all time highs, there has been a significant increase on Gold and Silver prices in the last few months to all time highs..   I expect other commodities will soon follow upward, but maybe not as drastic.

Since I don't know which commodities will go up the most, I decided to buy a commodity ETF, PDBC.  I chose PDBC over DBC since PDBC is a non K-1 ETF.   I avoid ETFs that issue K-1s since it may cause complexity when filing taxes.  For examples, K-1s are sometimes issued as late as October results in either filing an extension or amendment to include the K-1 in the tax return.

Disclosure:  I purchased PDBC in our accounts this past week, January 27-30, 2026.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Getting a Really Big Tax Refund

I will be getting a big tax refund when I file my 2025 tax return.  My refund will be larger than our tax liability. I'm getting back about 60% of the federal taxes withheld for 2025. I'm not happy about that since I try to make our refund as close to $0 as possible, or even owe a small amount.   That money that could have been earning 3-4% instead of earning 0% at the government.

How did I end up with such a big tax refund?

• I started withholding about 110% of last year's tax liability to avoid any penalty since I expected to have about the same taxable income as in 2024.
• One Big Beautiful Bill was passed in July 2025 with significant tax changes.
• Several tax changes retroactive to 2025 were made that affected our tax liability
• Senior Deduction
• SALT Cap increase
• Child Tax Credit increase
• I waited until September 2025 to estimate the effect on 2025 tax liability.
• Estimated 30-50% reduction in federal taxes depending on income
• Began tax loss harvesting in investment to reduce capital gains tax
• Stopped tax withholding for final two months of 2025.

Bottom line:  By the time I realized how much our taxes would be reduced, we had already over withheld significantly.  

I prefer to get a small refund or owe a small amount of tax. For 2026, I've already adjusted our withholding to be 110% of our expected tax liability for 2025 since I expect our income to be about the same as 2025.   If we get a windfall and owe more taxes, there is no penalty for underpayment of tax liability.

No huge tax refund for me in 2027 for the 2026 tax year.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Good Tips from a Financial Seminar

I attended a complementary financial seminar a dinner a few days ago. Most seminars Here are my key takeaways from the presentation.

• One's job is only half done at 65, a typical age of retirement.   This is still important work to do.  Financial stewardship is a major job in retirement:  Ensuring enough funds to cover lifetime expenses, maximizing income generate, and spending for enjoyment.  This is work that requires educating oneself or hiring others with the knowledge.
  
  
• Managing finances to legally reduce current and future taxes is a important task for retirees.  Retirees need to be aware of strategies that can help reduce or eliminate taxes on long term capital gains, dividends, and RMDs.  In addition, there are a number of tax efficient ways to get more tax benefit from charitable contributions.

I was aware of many of the methodologies:  0% dividend long term capital gains tax bracket, 1031 real estate exchange, and donor advised funds.   My new learning was about QLAC which can delay taking RMDs until age 85, but probably will not use.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Lack of Routine is a Retirement Adjustment

After many years of work, I had developed a pretty set routine.   

Weekdays -Routine

• 6AM   Get up, shower and get dressed for work.
• 7AM   Drive to work
• 8AM - 6PM   Work with collegues
• 6PM    Drive home, pick up items, run errands
• 8PM    Home tasks and relax

Weekends -No Routine

• No set schedule
• Generally do errands, kids activities, house/yard work
• Manage retirement investments and spending

Upon retirement in 2007, I no longer had a weekday routine.  I filled it partly with part-time work (no pun intended) by doing seasonal taxes, working at local parks and teaching some after school classes.   For one year, I was the interim executive director for a new non profit.  These were all good transition jobs, but nothing stuck for a last hurrah job.

In 2015, I ended doing retirement part-time work.  I started focusing more time on determining my retirement purpose and delivering on that: My Retirement "Career" and Purpose.   Except for kid's activities, there still isn't much routine, but there is much more focus and direction, which helps a lot.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

More Frequent Medical Treatments

When retirement planners said I needed to plan on spending about $200,000 on medical costs, I thought not me.  Most of my life, I hardly ever went to the doctor, even though I played physical sports such as football through college and rugby until my 30s.  In my 30s, I scheduled an appointment with my primary care physician, and the scheduler asked if I was a current patient.  I said yes and she asked when was the last time I saw the doctor.  I answered, "About 5 years ago or more."   She answered, "That's why I don't have you as a regular patient.  We archive records if you haven't been here for three years."  I made a point after that to visit at least once every three years.

In my 50s, my frequency of medical visits increased, mainly due to cardio vascular disease  (CVD) that required stents.  Thus, I started yearly visits with a cardiologist.    In my 60s, joint pain from arthritis began to increase and I needed a brace for sports activities.   In addition, stents weren't a permanent solution and my CVD issues returned after 12 years, despite my changing to a vegan diet.   This time Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery was needed.   

Now a 14 months after CABG, there are still blockages that need to addressed and I'm going back in for more stents that will hopefully resolve the issue, for a few more years.   I also plan to have cataract surgery to replace my clouding lenses later this year.  This is in addition to my regular checkups with my primary care physician and my cardiologist.   These 2026 visits will result in me reaching my out of pocket limit for health insurance for the third year in a row.   

I've gone from rarely going to see the doctor in my youth to exceeding insurance maximum out of pocket costs regularly as a senior.  I did not expect such a change in my health needs as I became older.  

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Non Optimal Outcomes from Lack of Financial Literacy

I confess, I am a financial geek.   I enjoy investing our retirement accounts.  I enjoy analyzing ways to legally reduce our tax liability.  I try to maximize our fixed income interest.  I learn about new income opportunities.

I find almost none of my friends and family have the same level of interest in finances.   In fact, I have learned some have very little simple financial knowledge and almost no complex financial knowledge.  

Lack of financial literacy can lead to issues and sometimes catastrophes.

I remember many years ago, a friend told me her strategy for maintaining a higher lifestyle was to max out her credit cards and pay only the minimum each month. She rented a high end apartment, furnished it via credit card debt, and bought a new car.   Within a year, her expenses, including minimum credit card payments, were more than her net monthly paycheck.   For reference, she was a new hire chemical engineer and paid very well.  Her solution was to get a second job as a waitress to pay for her expenses.  I tried explain to her that cutting back on expenses would help also, but to little avail.

Financial literacy would help people avoid punitive debt problems such as minimum credit card payments, payday loans and exorbitant student loans.  Financial literacy may also help reduce the incidence of financial scams since many people don't recognize financial red flags of scams.  This leads to people being tricked by bank phishing, catfished for money, or involved with a hobosexual partner.  I've seen this happen to otherwise very intelligent people.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Buying High Yield Muni Bond Funds

To reduce our taxable income, I've been keeping cash in a Municipal Money Market Fund.  It pays less than taxable money markets, but keeps our taxable income below threshholds for tax benefits, such as deductions and credits.    However, due to seasonality, the interest payments are very low in January, less than 1% in mid January.   This caused me to look for Municipal Bond funds that pay higher interest, with some risk.

I found some high yield Municipal Bond Funds.   I decided to go with PRFHX is the T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund.   Dividends are around 4%, federal tax free, which is higher than my taxable money market interest I've been receiving.

Disclosure:  I was not compensated by T. Rowe Price for this post.  I have already purchased PRFHX for several of out taxable accounts.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Screening Phone Calls Reduces Annoyance

We screen all our landline incoming phone calls.  We don't answer if we don't recognize the phone number.  97% of those calls don't leave a message.   The other 3% are cold calls or returned calls where we don't know the number yet.

I can monitor calls from the main phone or the two cordless extensions.  Saves us a lot of time.  We don't need to decline making contributions, listen to sales calls, or deal with potential scammers.  

Too bad email isn't as efficient at screening out scam email yet.   Wishful thinking.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Managing RMD Impact at 73

I've  been thinking about doing Roth Conversions to minimize the RMD tax bomb.   Tax rates are pretty low now.   I would definitely do conversions in the 12% tax bracket.   However, I'm rethinking as to whether to do RMD conversions, pay the tax now, to avoid paying taxes in the future at higher tax brackets.  It seems the RMD tax bomb might not be as big a deal as the media implies.

According to the 2026 Uniform Lifetime Table, a $10,000 IRA would require a $3774 RMD at 73.   For a $1M IRA, multiply that by 10 to get a $37,735 RMD. 

With a median IRA balance of $200,000 at 73, that means a median of $7,500 annual RMD. With an average IRA balance of $600,000 that means an average of $22,600 annual RMD.   Neither of these seem outrageous from a federal tax point of view.  This is causing me to lean towards just paying taxes when I have to take an RMD.

Another factor is the Inherited IRA RMD requirement to be distributed in 10 years.   At a median of $200,000 that would be $20,000 per year for 1 heir, which probably is a nice bonus for 10 years.  At $600,000 that would be $60,000 per year for 1 heir, which my create a minor tax bomb but still they  would still receive at least 2/3s even after higher tax rates.

If I had $100 Million in an traditional IRA (I wish),  I might think about Roth Conversions and RMDs differently.  Even then, I might just take my annual $3.7 million RMD and pay the taxes.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC