Launching Early and Modifying Doesn't Work When Cutting Metal

My career was with a company that manufactured a product.  Since we had to create and install machinery, we also were diligent and to time to make sure the product was right.  We were "cutting metal" and would be committed.

However, for software manufacturing, companies are now launching early and modifying on the fly in market. This makes sense since software updates are fast, cheap, and low cost to do.  This works as long as no hardware is involved, which is cutting metal.

Lately, some software firms are moving into hardware by creating data centers. This is cutting metal, and is difficult to adjust on the fly.   We've seen this issue as some software firms are now selling compute to companies that need data centers instead of using the hardware themselves.

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

This is not financial, business, manufacturing nor software advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

A Power Washer Is Must Have Tool for Me

One of my best tools is a power washer.   We have used it to clean our wood deck multiple times.  The power washer has also been useful on concrete (driveway and porch) , and brick (porch and veneer).  Finally, we also power wash our outdoor pots for our plants.

The best part is that we don't use any chemicals, just tap water.  Thus, there is no ecological issues with washing.

This is my second power washer, which I researched before buying.  The best advice I got was to buy one that had a kink resistant hose.   Kinking was an issue on the first power washer that I bought.

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

This is not financial, maintenance, nor do-it-yourself advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Is It Time to Add More Fixed Income?

Back in 2021, I bought a CD paying 1% because I agreed with Bernanke when he said interest rates would never be high again in his lifetime.  Well, Ben is still alive and interest rates are now up to 5%.   My 2021 CD matures this year and I can reinvest it.

Historically, 5% has been a very good long term interest rate.  I've already put some funds into the 20 year treasury bond yielding a little over 5%.   I will wait to see how interest rates move before making our next bond investments.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Success in Sports is 90% Mental

"Baseball is 90% mental.  The other half is physical." ~ Yogi Berra

My son is starting to learn the truth of that quote for tennis.  

Up until a few weeks ago, he was focusing on the physical part,  perfecting his forehand and backhand, and improving his footwork.  He was doing great in these areas, much better than I ever was.  However, he still rarely won a match in local tennis tournaments, even tough his skills were very close to his competitors. 

I had told his coach my observation that he was hitting well but wasn't trying to points.  His coach's advice was that will come with time and experience.

A couple months ago, I decided to help my son gains some experience.   Up until couple years ago, I could play competitively with my son despite him having better form and skills. However, about a year ago, he started to beat me regularly.  Yeah, I have some excuses, like recovery from major surgery, but the reality was he got a lot better.  

Thus, I decided to work on the 90% mental part.   One day, I told him at the start of match he was spotting me 4 games won and letting me have 15 points at the start of each game.  He complained that was unfair and almost quit playing.  He played anyway and I won both sets.

However, we have continued to do this.  Now every point mattered and he needed to work towards winning points, since losing a point was an issue.   Before long, he started beating me.   Then winning tournaments started happening regularly. 

He has made great progress and now I'm upping the stakes.  I've started to anticipate and disrupt his rhythm so that I can win points.   In addition, I'm taking advantage of his few weaknesses.   With him spotting me the same lead, I'm regularly winning a set or two.  I expect he will figure out how to overcome my plays and start beating me regularly again.

Yes, sports are 90% mental and my son realizes that much better than if I just explained it to him.

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

This is not financial, parenting, nor sports practice advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

U.S. Issues with Debt and Interest Payment

Here's a brief article on the current status of the U.S. debt of $39 trillion.

Bessent's Treasury has troubling news for every taxpayer

I expect the economy will be in deep doo-doo in the next few years, if not sooner, if the Federal government doesn't take action to resolve the debt issue.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Stock Market is Looking Really Ugly

The market sentiment is worsening.  With memory stocks falling precipitously, SAAS stocks still down,  AI stocks taking a hit, and even Space stock taking a dive, there doesn't appear anywhere that is protected, except maybe fixed income.  Wall Street Bets is now highly negative with numerous losses being posted.

The declines are becoming bigger, the recoveries are becoming smaller, leading to more investors carrying losses.  Some may start panic selling.  I know I'm starting to feel the urge to close out some of my small gains. 

However, I keep reminding myself of our strategy to create a monthly retirement "paycheck," and I stay the course.   I continue to hodl the majority of our investment positions, with only sales of peripheral small positions.   If the market continues to decline, it will be a first test of our "paycheck" strategy.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Volatility is Back and I Don't Care for Now

First, it was SAAS dropping and not recovering.  Now, it's memory stocks dropping 30-40% after a 9 month parabolic run and all time highs last week.  What's next??  The answer is:  I don't know.  The market may go down, stay the same or go up.  Hopefully, my new strategy will enable me not to care.

Why?   In the past year, I've sent up our investments to create a monthly "paycheck," which will be independent of market volatility.  However, since I created the "paycheck" the market has not had a major pullback.  Most of the time, it has rebounded quickly.

This time, it may continue downward for a longer period.  My immediate reaction will be to do nothing, no adding new positions, and neither selling nor buying for existing positions other that to thin out individual stocks or adding market ETFs.

Will I be agnostic to volatility?   I hope so. We shall see.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Being In the Zone

Sometimes in sports, everything goes one's way.   Winning hits, terrific runs, amazing goal scores, terrific shots or streaks and more.  I haven't been in the zone much, but when it happens, it's great.   The baseball and tennis ball  looks like a watermelon and is going in slow motion.  The basketball hoop or soccer goal looks 3 times bigger. In football, the gaps on the defense look bigger than a Macke truck and players are in slow motion.

 A few years ago, I was subbing in a tennis group despite not playing much.  I happen to be in the zone and helped my partner win the championship that night by getting and making shots beyond my normal capability.  Recently, my son was in the zone playing in a tennis tournament.  He won his matches 6-0, 6-0 and 6-2 for the championship. He didn't seem to be able to do anything wrong and easily won points. 

Being in the zone is great.  I hope my son experiences the feeling many more times in sports and in life.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Using Inherited IRAs to Fund Current Roth Contributions

Here is a great hack for student with summer jobs and zero tax liability.

When my mom was alive, I set up her retirement accounts to have her grandchildren as the beneficiaries. My rationale was that the RMDs for minor children would be much lower than for my sister or me.  This has worked out that way.   However, it has created the complexity of additional accounts to track and manage.

Now that my daughter is old enough to work, I have a solution that will simplify the accounts and maintain tax free growth of a Roth IRA. First I will withdraw in entirety the traditional IRA over three years, to stay below $450 of unearned income to avoid federal taxes on her income.   These withdrawals will immediately be use as Roth IRA contributions.   Next, we will withdraw funds from the inherited Roth to fund current Roth IRA contributions.

Over 3-4 years, all the inherited IRA funds will be withdrawn and put in her contributory Roth IRA.  Eliminates two accounts that have RMDs (that need to be calculated and withdrawn each year) and funds her Roth IRA completely, without using funds from her current income.  

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Freezer Not Cold Enough - Fixed

A couple weeks ago, I noticed the ice cream was softer than usual.  I thought it was because it was moved to a different section in the freezer. Then my son noticed the freezer temperature was 10F instead of the target 0F.  Ah, the real cause!

In the past, the usual solution was to clean the condenser coils.  Our fridge is 23 years old and I've done this two times in the past, with success.  However, our condenser coils are underneath the fridge and are not easily accessible.  I decide to check for other possible solution.  

According to the Internet, there were two possibilities:

• Condenser coils are caked with dust and need to be cleaned.
• Freeze is too packed and blocking cold air from the vents.

In our case, I expect one or both possibilities could be the cause.  I decided to go with cleaning the condenser coils first, which involves unplugging the appliance,  removing the lower grill on the front, pulling the refrigerator out, taking off the lower access panel in the back.  With a narrow brush, I removed dust near the opening.  Using a leaf blower, I blew out dust from the front first.   Then I blew out dust from the back.    As an added benefit, I vacuumed the space underneath the refrigerator, while vacuuming all the blown out dust.

Reassembled and plugged back the refrigerator.   The indicator started at 16F and slowly declined to 8F.  I stopped watching and checked back after an hour.   Success, the freezer was at 0F and we avoided a charge for a service call.

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

This is not financial, maintenance, nor repair advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Managing Our Kids Tax Returns

When I first started working summers, my dad did my tax returns.  That was a great help and relief to me.   Now I'm doing the same for my kids.   One difference now is that tax returns are more complicated, but tax relief for dependents is more frequent, if one fills out the return properly. My dependent kids are exempt for federal and state taxes if they earn less than $16,100 in wages, or less than wages + 450 unearned income up to $16,100.  If they only have unearned income, they need to have less than $1350 income to be tax free.

For my daughter, who will earn less than $16,100, I ensure she has less than $450 of unearned income.  For my son, I ensure he has less than $1350 of unearned income.   If I meet this income criteria, they are tax exempt and do not need to file a tax return.

For federal tax withholding, my daughter can fill out a W-4 exemption from withhold and have zero dollars withheld.  Thus, no federal tax return is needed.  Unfortunately, there is no exception for withholding in our state.  Thus, my daughter needs to file a state tax return each year to get 100% of state withheld taxes refunded.  I am authorized to file on her behalf and do so since I can get it done in less than an hour.

I plan on doing tax return gratis for my kids to help them get through their first few years of full time employment.  

For more on Strategies and Plans, 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

I Quit Buying the Dip

I've stopped buying the dips.  I admit that is has been exciting, an adrenaline rush, that I have enjoyed; but it's not a long term situation that is sustainable. It requires more attention and work than I want in the future.  The index funds are less exciting, but less volatile, and require much less attention.  Overall, I have done better with the index funds than the individual stocks at this point.  Thus, I'm moving back to thinning out my individual stock holdings and investing in broad market equity funds and fixed income.

Basically, it's no longer fun and is becoming stressful.  If I had sold all my buy the dip stocks when initially profitable, I would have made money on all but one.  Instead, I held, hoping for bigger gains and instead half of them dropped to 52 week lows.  Psychologically,  I'm now a long term investor (cynically known as bag holder), waiting for them to profitable again, if ever.   Definitely, not fun and is stressful.

However, I plan to still hodl the buy the dip software stocks I purchased in February 2026.   I won't add to them if they decline further, and I won't sell if get slightly above breakeven.   Also, I still reserve the option to occasionally purchase an individual stock, but I plan to add no new positions and, longer term, reduce to only 10-20 individual stock positions maximum.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Spider on Shower Caddy

I take my showers in the basement bath to avoid bothering my spouse since I shower both early and late when she might be sleeping.  Since it is the basement, we occasionally get some bugs on the floor.  Not being one to kill bugs, I usually pick them up and move them outside.

This time I decided to leave this spider in place since it is small and would be hard to catch without harming it.  I wondered how it would get food, since the bathroom was devoid of flying insects.  I wondered how long it would stay, since it's been there since June 30, 2026.  Since the spider is not causing any issues for me, I'm inclined to leave it alone.

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

Tax Gain Harvesting Article

Earlier this year, I posted about Tax Gain Harvesting as a strategy to eliminate taxes on long term capital gains.  These seemed like an excellent strategy to me.  A tax rate of 0% seems outstanding.   However, I had not seen the strategy on financial websites nor being proposed by financial advisors.  Maybe it's because the catch is one has to be in the 12% tax bracket.

I just read the strategy in a MSN article: Here are the 3 top tax mistakes that cost US retirees thousands — and almost every older American makes them. How many are hurting you?  One of the "mistakes is not using tax gain harvesting.   See the excerpt below.

"Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends are taxed more favorably than ordinary income. As of 2025, the 0% capital gains rate applies to individuals with taxable income up to $48,350, and married couples filing jointly up to $96,700.

These generous brackets allow you to realize gains — such as by selling appreciated assets in a taxable brokerage account — without increasing your tax bill.

Overlooking this opportunity could prove costly, especially if much of your wealth is in traditional IRAs that will be subject to Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) starting at age 73."

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

New Signs of Spring

When I was younger, the signs of Spring were trees leafing out, birds returning, rainier weather, warmer temperatures and longer days.   These still occur.  However, I've notice additional signs for Spring.

Young college aged Gen Z salesmen going door to door selling:

• Insect pest control.
• Window washing

Opening line is, "Your neighbor Matt and your neighbor Sara are using the service.  Since we will be in the neighborhood already, we can give you a discount for the service."  OK, the pressure is now on since neighbors are users of the service and a big discount for committing immediately,

On principle, I don't hire services pitched by door to door salesmen.   I briefly listen to their offer and decline politely, explaining we don't use pesticides or need window washing.  If they continue to sell usually by saying their pesticides are "safe" or window washing is "superior", I tell them a firm "no" and thank them.

Still the salesmen (although a new group) come back every year, indicating that Spring has come.

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

Upgrading to a Costco Executive Membership is FREE

Costco's Gold Star membership is $65 per year.   Costco's Executive membership is an additional $65 or $130 per year.   However, I did the math and upgrading to Executive is "free" and costs nothing at the completion of the year.

Huh?   How can paying $65 more be free?   By reading the fine print.

The main benefits for Executive membership are:

• 2% cash back reward on all Costco purchases, including vacation packages and gasoline.
• Early entry to stores by 30 minutes on Saturday, and by 1 hour on other days.

OK, so where's the free part?   It happens a the renewal of the membership as described below

Free part 1:  The 2% cash back reward returns $65 if one spends $3250 during the membership period.  That's breakeven for the upgrade to Executive membership.  Spend $6500 and 2% cash back reward returns $130, which is the entire cost of an Executive membership.

Free part 2:  What if I don't spend $3250?   Costco guarantees that the cash back reward is a minimum of $65, which is the cost of the Executive membership upgrade.   The cash back reward is issued once a year, just before renewal.  If the amount is less that $65, Costco will give the member the difference, either in cash or as payment to the renewal of the Executive membership.   

Either way, the $65 upgrade is offset.

Of course, picky financial people might claim there is lost interest for 1 year on the $65.  I guess, but that's only $1.95 if the interest rates are 3% which is about the interest rate for a 1 year CD.

Disclosure: I have been a Costco Executive member over 20 years.   I have only had submit for the offset twice.  Every other time, I have earned more than $65 cash back.  Finally, I was not compensated by Costco for this post.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Brush Reuse Hack for Several Days Painting

In the past, when painting over several days, I would clean up the paint brush with soap and water every day.  The next day, I would use the slightly damp brush.  

I learned a hack for reusing a brush from watching painters do our indoor rooms last time.   At the end of the day, the painter wrapped the brush in a damp paper towel and put the brush in a ziploc bag.  The next day, the painter took out the brush, unwrapped the paper towel and used the brush.  After finishing the job, the brush was cleaned with soap and water.

I've done this a few times now.  It works well and I can use the brush over a couple week project without cleaning it before I'm finished. Big effort and time saver.  

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Cleaning and Staining the Wood Deck

We have a treated wood deck in the back.  We do the power wash cleaning and staining ourselves.  In the past, I power washed the entire deck first over several days, due to clearing furniture and plants from one section to another.  Then I stained over several days due to moving furniture and plants to finished sections and allowing that section to be stained.  Since the deck is built from 2X4 treated wood with 3/8 inch gaps, it's acceptable to stain a section over different days since no overlap can be seen.

This year, I decided to clean and stain a section (about 10-15%) at a time.  It was satisfying cleaning and staining in this manner since a section would be finished and looking good, instead of waiting for completion.  Also, it enabled me to go over and touch up the power washing easier, since I often need 2-3 passes to ensure no spots are missed. Finally, I am able to work in 1-3 hour segments, which allows me to schedule into a few hours gap during the day instead allotting the whole day.

I am almost finished and everything looks great so far.  Only one or two more sections to go, depending on how much time I have to do a section.

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

This is not financial, deck maintenance nor do-it-yourself advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

A Relaxing 4th of July

Usually, we attend a local fireworks event, which includes music performers, food and other entertainment.   It feels like quite an effort most years.   Preparing, parking, food lines and traffic after the event.   We usually bring portable chairs to sit in the lawn.   Parking requires finding lots that still have openings and then walking to the site.  Lines are long for food and drink.   Then leaving usually takes one hour minimum to get out of the parking lot and then another 30 minutes to get home, which is usually just before midnight.   In addition, this year was really, really hot.

Despite multiple fireworks displays (about 10) in our area, we decided not to attend.  I'm not a big fan of fireworks, and our son told us that he isn't either.  We used to do it for the kids, and our oldest is 21 and planned to attend with her friends.

Instead, this year I took the kids to the Dave and Busters all you can play $2.50 event.   Dave and Busters has always been a favorite for arcades, and we started there at 11AM.    We left by 1PM and went home for lunch.    Then I returned with my son and his friend for another 3 hours since our passes didn't expire until 1AM.  

After coming home, my son and spouse set off our own fireworks at 8-9PM, which were mostly left over  sparklers and smoke bombs from previous years.   Several neighbors were setting off more elaborate fireworks based the loud bangs.  Afterwards,  we watched the Macy's fireworks display in NYC on TV.  

Very relaxing and enjoyable. 

Disclosure:  No compensation was received from Dave and Busters for writing this post.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

An Excellent Reason for Congressional Term Limits

I've noticed that Republican congress people who are either retiring or lost their primary are diligently working to solve some critical issues like Social Security potentially cutting benefits.  It appears they no longer feel obligated to support the party  positions and are doing what they feel is "right" for citizens.

Maybe it's time to have term limits for Congress also.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Internet Order Processing Gripe

Yesterday, I ordered a battery hedge trimmer, 2 batteries and charger.  It was a special promotion; buy the batteries and charger and get a tool for free.   I ordered it online to be delivered for no charge.  An option was to have it delivered same day, for no charge.  I noticed a small caution that any item not available would be canceled and the rest would be delivered.

I checked the order a couple hours later.  The company had cancelled the batteries and charger, but was continuing to deliver the tool.  Huh?  It was a promotion:  buy the battery/charger and get a tool for no additional charge.  Now I was getting a full price tool and no battery to run it.   Arrgh!

I called customer service.  I asked if my order could be cancelled.  I explained that I needed to buy both items to get the tool for free.  They said same day orders couldn't be cancelled, and a stipulation of the order was that unavailable items would be cancelled and refunded.  They said I could refuse the delivery or return the item.

I told customer service that the online system should have indicated that the entire order could not be fulfilled the same day and only offered later delivery.

I was home when the item was delivered.  I asked if I could refuse the delivery.   The delivery person responded, "I'm an Uber driver, meaning she didn't work for the retailer."   Uggggh!.   Now I needed to drive to the store, which I was trying to avoid with an online same day delivery order.

And now the rest of the story.

I reordered the product with the promotion.  I returned the same day delivered item.   The reorder arrived 3 days early.  Yippee!   However, the packaging, which was just the product box, was significantly damaged.  I opened the box right away.  The tool was bent with a 15+ degree on the blade. I called customer service again.   The only recourse was to drive the the store, AGAIN, and do an exchange.   Arrgh!

So much for saving time by ordering online.  BTW, the retailer didn't give any compensation or credit for my inconvenience, as other retailers have done for much less of an issue.   Ugggh!

However, I will give this retailer another chance.  I've never had such an issue with them before.  Maybe this is, hopefully, a one time occurrence.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Senior Discounts and Other Savings Opportunities

Since being over 55, I check if companies have senior discounts.   Many do, including Half Price Books and Walgreens.  My Ford dealer gives a discount on parts used for service.  I've also used the discount with movers and flooring installation. The discount ranges from 5-10% usually.

Different payment option sometimes charge a fee or offer a discount.  In the past, I asked if paying cash or by check gave a discount.   Sometimes yes, and sometimes no.  If yes, I pay by cash.   Recently, some service retailers have started charging a 3% service fee for using a credit card, with no fee for debit cards, checks or cash.   In this case, I pay by debit card or checks.

Sometimes the additional 3% service is indicated, and sometimes it is not.  I've started asking before making payment if a service fee is charged with credit cards, to avoid an additional charge.

Disclosure:  No compensation was received for writing this post.

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

This is not financial, payment method, nor fee advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Play Sports with Heart and Be Positive

My son has advanced enough in tennis to consistently beat me.   Yeah, I can make excuses like recovering from major surgery or knee pain, but that would dismiss that he just is much better than me skill wise.   It's to the point, I'm not much competition for him.

He was starting to get bored, so I decided to up the stakes.  I had him spot my 4 games each set and 15 points each game.  His immediate response was, "That's unfair!"   Despite his complaint, that's how we played the next two sets, which I won handily.   He showed a lot of frustration.

Of course, I explained to him why I had him spot me the games and points.   I wanted him to mentally get used to being behind, and focus on winning points instead of worrying about the previous error.  It didn't take him long to start consistently beating me again, despite the lead I had.

Then I upped the stakes on him again.  After playing him for several weeks being spotted 4 game and the first game points, I could anticipate his play and shots about 50% of the time.  Also, I knew his weaknesses, one of which was lobs.   I started winning one set.   Today, I won two sets.

However, my son has now keeps calm, forget about missed shots, continue to play hard and stay positive.  This approach is also helping him as he plays in tournaments.  He shows much less frustration than before, which is helping him win more sets.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Forgot to Pay Estimated Taxes by Due Date

Ooops, I forgot to pay my state estimated tax due date of June 15, and paid it today on June 27.  Even though I expect to pay over 100% of our estimated taxes, there my still be a small interest payment due for being late based on the rules of estimated payments.

Here's my understanding of the rules:

• Estimated payments need to be paid by the due date to be considered on time without verification.  Withholding payments can be paid at anytime without consideration for timing.
• If estimated payments are not paid on time, there are two ways to be exempted from interest payments:
• Estimated payment were made later due to timing of receiving income, which is not received regularly.
• The amount owed is less that the threshhold for interest to be charged.
• Otherwise, a form to calculate the interest penalty should be filled out or one can allow the tax agency to compute the interest penalty.
• Finally, one can ask for penalty forgiveness to be granted this one time.

I don't expect to pay interest penalty for this missed payment.   First, my quarterly payments are greater than our expected tax liability divided by 4.  Second, our income is lumpy and skewed towards the end of the year, with 20% of income coming in December.

Anyway, I'm lucky this year.  I will put in place a process to avoid late estimated payments in 2027.  Specifically, I will over pay on the first quarter which should offset any late payments in the remaining quarters.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Writing Down Ideas

I used to have a very good memory; not photographic, but accurate and long term.  I also would remember numbers, especially those related to data and prices.  Recently, my memory skills have declined.  Sometimes, I forget where I put the something a few minutes ago.   Worst of all, I will forget a thought, concept or idea that I had.

I used to write items down on small pieces of paper.  Unfortunately, sometimes these would be misplaced or I would forget where I put them.  My solution is to write things down in a small notebook.  That way, I will remember the ideas and thoughts.  

Now, I just need to remember where I place my notebook and not lose it.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Being More Greedy for Now

I've been selling off our small share holdings just as they become profitable, even though it is a small percentage.   This is consistent with my objective of simplifying our equity holdings.  However, lately, if I had held some of this small positions a bit longer, I would have had more gains.  For example, I sold SandDisk for 58.51 for a very small gain in September 2025, after it was spun off from Western Digital in March 2025 and carried a loss.   Today, SandDisk is about $2000, benefitting from memory shortage due to AI needs.

Of course, even if I had held it, I would have sold long ago, probably less than $100 since I have had previous stock pop over 100% only to pull back and go below my purchase price.  However, now I have a few more stocks that are approaching breakeven after being down many years including: KOPN, DFTX, OUST, CLOV, PSNL, and NWL.  While my strategy is to sell immediately when profitable, I'm temporarily going to be more greedy and hold for bigger profits.

Being greedy can backfire and lose the small gains that I have, but it seems the market is irrational enough that I can stay greedy at least until October 2026, just before the midterm elections.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Wendy's - A Lotto Buy on New WSB Meme Stock

Every so often, Wall Street Bets focus stock becomes a meme stock that members are enthusiastic about buying.  The most famous and biggest meme stock surge is GameStop in 2021.  Others have had much smaller advance, but still attracted buyers.

The latest meme stock is Wendy's (WEN), which is a well know fast food chain.  Wendy's is the most famous running jock on Wall Street Bets, working there officially or unofficially (NSFW) due to losing bets in the stock market.  However, this time the members are out to save Wendy's with a concerted effort to help the stock surge.  Additional factors that may help the surge are:  New management and about 35% short interest.

A number of WSB members are buying large amounts of WEN and gambling on a big win.  Not me.  I just consider this a lotto ticket, likely to lose but entertaining to buy some.   I bought 10 shares of WEN last Thursday.  It's more expensive than most scratch off tickets, but I can deduct the losses when I have a losing lotto stock pick.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Proposals to Save Social Security

Finally, Congress is working seriously on proposals to save Social Security.  Below are four of the proposals summarized.  

Proposal	Target Group	Key Mechanism	Projected Impact
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Benefit Cap	High-income retirees	Cap annual benefits at $50,000 for individuals, $100,000 for couples	Could reduce Social Security spending by roughly $190 billion over the next decade and extend program stability
You Earn It, You Keep It Act (Gallego/Craig)	All Social Security recipients	Permanently eliminate federal taxes on benefits; expand payroll taxes to apply to all annual earnings over $250,000	Recipients keep full benefits; offsets cost via higher payroll taxes on high earners
Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act (Tuberville/Sheehy/Massie)	All Social Security recipients	End what is described as an 'unjust double tax' on Social Security benefits	Reduces tax burden for seniors while maintaining benefit levels
Cassidy-Kaine $1.5T Investment Fund	All beneficiaries	Invest $1.5 trillion in stocks, bonds, and other assets for 75 years to pay back Treasury and offset long-term shortfall	Independent analyses suggest high risk; may fail to cover shortfall 64–83% of the time

Hopefully, Congress will work seriously to solve the issue soon.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Entertainment from Stock Investing

Investing in the stock market used to be hard work and lots of worry for me.  I analyzed stocks, read reports and investment newsletters, and looked for value opportunities. I had to decide when to purchase and when to sell, which resulted in some anxiety when the stock when down after purchasing and rose after selling.  It was like having a stressful job.

Recently, I have changed our investment strategy to focus on creating a monthly "retirement paycheck" through dividend and interest payments.  This has reduced the pressure on me for choosing the best stocks for capital gains and deciding when to buy and sell.  Whether I make a right or wrong decision (either the stock choice or when to buy and sell), it has little effect on the monthly "retirement paycheck" we receive.

Now I consider buying and selling stock for capital gains like entertainment.  I set aside a small amount of funds that can be used for this purpose. If I make gains, great.   I end up with losses, that's OK too.  Best of all,  I can buy and hold comfortably and have fun watching the stock going up, hopefully.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Comfortable Hodling SAAS Stocks

I bought beat down SAAS software starting in February 2026.  These stocks have been on roller coaster ride since then.  Some dropping further and rebounding.  Some just dropping further.  Then most of them rebounded.   Unfortunately, all have fallen again, and some even to new 52 week lows.  It's ugly right now.

In the past, I would be itching to sell as soon as a position became profitable, and sometimes just at breakeven.  My attitude is different nowadays.   First, I am no longer dependent on stock gains to fund our retirement.  Second, I believe this stocks have good businesses, despite the concern that AI will eliminate a lot of current customers.  Third, I believe that these stocks will recover as results from using AI show that the cost isn't worth the actual benefit.

I have significantly reduced the impact of a loss, and therefore, minimized the risk for retirement income, due to creating sustainable income via interest and dividends.  This has allowed me to maintain conviction that the SAAS dip investment is good investment decision.   Thus, I hodl.

As usual, YMMV.  

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Social Security and Me

I started taking Social Security payments at 64.   At 68 and 3 months, I have withdrawn my own contributions, just the principal, no interest.   At 73, I will have withdrawn the entire contributions by my employer and me, again only principal and no interest.    When I'm 74, my benefits will be cut 22% if nothing is done by Congress to address the shortfall.

Net, I am glad that I didn't wait until 70 to start taking Social Security.  Also, I hope live past 73 so that will be able to withdraw an amount greater than was taking out for taxes. According to actuarial tables, I'm expected to make it to 82-84, but with the caveat YMMV. 😎

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

These are Scary Times for the Stock Market

I have been in the stock market since 1980.    TBH, I have always feared a crash like 1929 that started the Great Recession.  That fear has kept me from  being fully invested. 

I have been through several bear markets and short term crashes, each time fearing it would become 1929 again:  1987, 2002, 2008, 2020 and recently 2022.   With each decline/crash, I had great anxiety caused by losing significant invested funds.

Right now, I still think there is reason for caution, as shown by the Buffet Indicator, the Case-Shiller Index the AI bubble stocks.  However, I'm not as anxious as much as before, due to investments in "safer" fixed income options, such as CDs, Treasuries, and Municipal bond funds.  I expect these to help me ride out any significant crash or bear market, until it recovers.   In addition, I have some cash set aside to put in the market if it falls.  I haven't had this cash cushion in previous declines.

Of course, how I weather the next decline is theoretical since the strategy hasn't been tested in a downturn yet.   As Yogi Berra said, "In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.  In practice, there is."  

We shall see.

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

Test of My New Investing Strategy

Today, Micron (MU) reports earning after the market closes.  Possibility, there will be a lot of volatility after earning and guidance is reported, either up or down.  I'm going to just hodl and not worry about it with my new investing strategy, which creates a monthly retirement "paycheck" independent of market volatility.

Thus, I am hodling my shares of MU, without gritting my teeth.  Which ever way the stock moves after hours and tomorrow, won't affect my retirement "paycheck" this month.  In addition, I have conviction that memory chips will continue to be limited in supply, which means MU profits will be improving since the price of chips is going up.

Instead of checking on MU every minute of today, I power washed our deck, "touched some grass," and checked on MU during my breaks.

Update: Although MU closed down slightly, it was up about 16% AH due to outstanding earnings.  Woohoo!

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Social Security Projected Insolvency by 2032

Recently, the Social Security trustees reported the program is expected to be insolvent by 2032 , resulting in a 22% reduction in payments for Social Security recipients.   Ouch.  Congress needs to address this issue, which they've avoided even though its been known for many years.

I'm already disappointed that up to 85% of Social Security payments may be taxable (based on 1993 legislation) since we already paid income taxes before it was deducted from my paycheck.  For reference, Social Security payments were not taxable until 1983 legislation made up to 50% taxable. 

Now, I need to plan for a potential 22% cut on my Social Security payments, if Congress doesn't act.  There are number of proposals being proposed by Congressional members.  Ranging from removing the cap on income for the FICA tax to capping benefits for higher income recipients.  I prefer removing or significantly increase the income cap for the FICA tax.   I feel capping the benefits based on income is punitive for recipients who have paid into Social Security, which is effectively what a tax on Social Security benefits already does.

For reference, I don't think there is an easy or simple solution.  Unfortunately, I feel the eventual solution will have a negative impact and reduce my Social Security payments.  Another uncertainty and issue to worry about as retiree.  My backup plan will be to withdraw needed fund from IRA accounts, since I will be required to do RMDs when I turn 73.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

TIL about Cunningham's Law

Cunningham's Law states "the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."   The reason is that people on the internet prefer to correct wrong answers that to answer a question.   LOL

I already have seen Cunningham's Law effect when I have discussion with people that have opposing views.  Rather than listening, they spend 100% of their comments correcting my incorrect POV.

The Super Saver Corollary to Cunningham's Law is that the responses still need to be sorted and evaluated since not every answer is right, and some answers will definitely be wrong.  This is especially true on Social Media like LinkedIn and Reddit where 100% of poster believe they are above average in intelligence.

Still, IMHO, it is important to remember Cunningham's Law and the Super Saver Corollary when interacting with most people.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Still Not Buying SpaceX

I'm still on the sidelines watching SPCX.  I'm waiting for it to fall below its initial IPO price of $135, which is below its opening price of $150 on June 12, 2026, the first day of trading.  At $135, all retail owners will be underwater, which may create a selling dynamic driving the price down further.

On the other hand, adding SPCX to the indices is expected to drive prices up, due to buying pressure. On June 29, 2026, SPCX will be added to the MSCI and Russell indices.  In early July 2026, SPCX will be added to the Nasdaq 100 index.  SPCX won't be added to the S&P500 until after a 1 year waiting period and achieving 4 quarters of GAAP profitability.  

The valuation of SPCX doesn't make sense to me.  It seems people are betting on Muskman to deliver extraordinary valuation like Telsa.   For reference, Telsa has a market cap greater than the next 35 car companies, despite being seventh in profitability.  Huh??  I guess that's the Muskman premium.

In 2025, SPCX lost $4.9 billion, yet valuation is about $2 trillion.  IMHO, the Muskman premium isn't worth that much.  I think I will wait until SPCX is under $10 before think about buying.  Today, SPCX closed at $157.73, down $30.40 or 14.74%.  

However, FWIW, I've often been wrong about tech/internet stock early valuation including many of the current top market cap stocks.

Disclosure:  I currently own Tesla stock (TSLA) despite being overvalued by traditional metrics.

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

Doing Kids Favorite Activities

My original parenting strategy was to influence my kids to like what I was interested in.  I put them in sports when they were younger.  I had them work with me on DIY projects.  I had them do daily tasks and errands with me. I took them to video game arcades.

The results?   Nothing since they had no interest.   No interest in most sports.   No interest in learning how to fix things, even though they asked me to fix many things.   Definitely, no interest in daily tasks and errands.  High interest in video game arcades, which they would do with me.  The kids did like there own personal gaming machines.

Recently, I decide to try some of my 13 year old son's interests.   He loves F1 racing.  I watched a documentary on F1 racing with him.   It seemed much more interesting than only watching cars going around a track.  There were interviews with the principals and the drivers.  Then I watched a Grand Prix race with him.  It was more interesting knowing who the drivers were. 

While I'm still not interested in attending an F1 race (and neither is he, yet), he now has an Apple TV account and can watch all the Grand Prix races live, and in replay mode.  I've been watching mostly the replays with him.  It's been fun and now I'm interested in F1 racing.  The best part is we're spending time together and having fun.

My new strategy is to be involved with my kids' favorite activities regularly.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Being Prepared for the Next Recession or Bear Market

"No one rings a bell at the top of the market." ~ Wall Street Adage

In the past, I was constant worrier about a market crash destroying my retirement savings. 

I'm not calling a top, but I'm prepared for one.   Currently, I'm not buying an new equity positions, nor adding to any existing equity positions.   Over the past few months, I've been increasing our fixed income positions thought bond and bond funds, building a monthly, though variable, paycheck.

I don't know if have regular investment income via dividends and interest is a good solution yet, since the strategy has been tested with a significant down turn yet.   However, it has done well with high volatility and a short term correction.   Whether it works with a bear market?  We shall find out.

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

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

Copyright © 2017 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

DIY Projects Almost Always Take Longer than Expected

I procrastinate on DIY projects since they inevitably take more time or materials that I expected on planned to use.   In the past, I needed to find and buy new materials or tools.   Lately though, I now have enough material or tools in house and just more time is required.

Recently, I replaced the handle on our sliding glass patio door.   My spouse was particularly unhappy with corrosion/oxidation of the outside metal handle.   It doesn't bother me, and if it did, I would just paint it, which I offered to do.   Instead, we decided to install a new handle which was a different design.  However, the new handle didn't cover the previous area complete, which required that I paint.   In addition, I needed to drill the attachment holes slight larger.

Luckily, I had the paint the the drill bit to make the adjustment.  It took a twice to three the times and effort, but I didn't need to make a trip to the store. 

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Using the Good Stuff Right Away

When I was younger, I used to "save" my best purchases to use sparingly so that they would last a long time.  I also did that with my kids when bought them new toys.  I realize now that was a bad strategy.  I've now switch to using the best stuff, as soon as I purchase it.   

Here are my reasons:

• Things get worse when not being used.  
• I forget about things being saved and don't use them for years.
• Kids out grow things quickly.
• As I get older, I have lots of things saved, but not used much.

My philosophy now is to use the good stuff as much and as fast possible.  That goes for clothing, tools, food, special items and amenities.   Enjoy all my stuff, before it goes bad or I get too old to enjoy using them.  My first move is to regularly wear all the special t-shirts from the vacation spots we visited, the city wide events I organized, and the gifts from my kids and spouse.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Inflation and Interest Rates Like the 70s-80s Again?

Inflation and interest rates in the late 70s and early 80s grew rapidly.  I remember gas prices doubling, interest rates rising, and gold and silver hitting new highs.  Inflation reached 13%.  Mortgage rates reached as high as 17% in my area.   When mortgage rates dropped, I felt lucky to get a mortgage at 12% in the early 80s.  I was also able to get a 5 year CD at 14%.  The 20 year treasury bond yielded 15%.

The stock market suffered also.  The Dow hit 1000 in 1972, fell 50% and didn't reach 1000 again until 1982.

Will the 70s - 80s happen again?  Right now, it looks probable but not certain.  To reduce market risk, I'm keeping a large proportion of our investments in short term money market funds.  I'm holding back on buying additional stocks and bonds to wait for the direction of interest rates.

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

Annuities - Good or Bad?

Here's an balanced article on annuities from MSN.com   which does a good job of covering the pros and cons of annuities.  Basically, annuities guarantee certainty in payouts, and usually at a higher cost.

For reference, I am biased against having an annuity.   I feel the loss of control and costs aren't worth the guaranteed payments provided.  Therefore, we currently do no have any annuities.  However, an annuity can be good option for some people.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Our Kids Have Found Their Own Path

Many years ago, I once commented to someone that my kids aren't like me.  I was hoping they would follow the same path that I did since I feel I have been relatively successful.   Other than working hard on education, they chose their own path, which has turned out well.

As background, I was a four year varsity letterman and starting fullback in football.  I was the starting fullback on the state runner-up team my junior year, and on the state championship team my senior year. I was also one of four valedictorians.

Both kids did well in school and continue to do well.  Outside of education, they followed their own path and I'm glad they did.     

My daughter did horseback riding, soccer and flute when she was younger.   Flute stuck and she achieved mastery and excellence in flute.   Me... I'm completely inept and tone deaf when it comes to music.  Good thing my spouse had music skills and could help guide my daughter.  Playing the flute as become a great anchor for my daughter in college.  

My son, who is younger, tried all the sports: soccer, T-ball, flag football, golf and tennis.  He was not a star in any of these, but tennis stuck.  He works hard at tennis and plays with heart, which is all that I ask.  Also, whatever he achieves, I've counseled him that the number one test is that he enjoys playing.  I think tennis will be a great anchor for my son in high school and, maybe, college.

My kids have done well.   I am glad they found their own path and I am proud of them.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Working Through Lunch was Not a Good Choice

Before I retired, I constantly worked though lunch, often skipping having anything to eat.  I thought I would be more focused and productive by continuing to work.  Now that I'm retired, and eating regularly with several snack, I realize that skipping lunch was a bad choice.

Here's why it was a bad choice:

• I was less healthy.   Being hungry, eating more junk food at meals, and drinking much more coffed.
• I was more stressed.  I should have taken time for lunch, and perhaps a couple breaks in the morning and afternoon.
• In hindsight, I wasn't more productive.  I just spent more time doing the work and stretching it out.
• I extended skipping meals to skipping dinner at times.   Again, not a good choice.
• Even though I was skipping meals, I gained weight. Hmmmm.

Now, I make sure I have breakfast everyday.   I split lunch time up in the 2-3 segments, usually a large salad without dressing, a vegetarian burger, and sometimes a soup.   Dinner is a little more random, but I always eat healthy, another salad and/or a bean dish.   I avoid fried foods, and high fat foods.  Also, 80-90% of our meals are home made.   We rarely eat out nor have frozen meals.

 Looking back, I should have eaten regular meals while working.   I expect I would have had a healthier lifestyle and been more productive.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

End of Cardiac Rehab

Last month, I completed my cardiac rehab sessions.  This is my third time in cardiac rehab.  I pushed it a bit harder this time to confirm that the procedure was successful.  I achieved the same of METS that showed an anomaly on the treadmill stress test without any issue. 

In addition, I spent the last two weeks adding weight training to my exercise routine.  

After the last two times, I didn't continue my exercises after rehab.   I didn't do any weight training the first two times.

Over the past 13 years, I thought managing my diet was the most important factor.    I guess I was wrong.  This time, I plan to continue doing the aerobic exercise and do the additional weight training.   Hopefully, that will decrease my propensity for blockages in the future.

We shall see.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Dick Tracy and the Jetsons

"It's difficult to make predictions, especially about the future." ~ Yogi Berra

When I was a kid, I watched Dick Tracy and The Jetsons cartoons.  The tech was amazing to me at the time.  Dick Tracy had a watch phone.   The Jetson had flying cars.

Well, the watch phone became reality, while the flying car (looking at you Muskman) is not a reality yet.  Cool that these things have happened in my lifetime.

Oh, and Lost in Space, which aired in 1967, took place in 1997.   Still waiting for that to happen.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

SpaceX or ScamX?

Let's just say, I didn't buy any of the SpaceX IPO shares.  I didn't buy any SpaceX in the open market today.  I have no interest in buying SpaceX in the near future.  The valuation doesn't make sense to me and is way to high.   

However, I'm not going to bet against Muskman, who has been doing masterclass in financial  engineering and corporate finance to maximum valuations for his companies.  I'm going to watch from the sidelines for now.

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

Inspirational Movies for Me

Here's my list of recently watched movies that I found inspirational:

• Remarkably Bright Creatures - About aging, finding connections, and making peace with the past and narrated by an aquarium octopus.  Great plot twist.
• Hacksaw Ridge - About Medal of Honor winner medic Desmond Doss at Okinawa, who was a conscientious objector that refused to carry arms in the battlefield and save the lives of over 100 men.
• Miracle - About the underdog US Olympic hockey team road to the Gold medal in 1980 at Lake Placid, which included defeating the USSR 4 time Olympic Gold medal team.
• You Gotta Believe - Underdog team makes it to the Little League World Series to honor their coach who has terminal cancer.

These films moved me and brought tears to my eye.  I tend to root for the underdog, which I have experienced being many times.

Disclosure:  I received no compensation for posting about these movies.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Saved by TACO Thursday

President Trump cancelled the Iran strikes scheduled for this evening.  The markets reacted by reversing on going up significantly.   

At this point, I am no longer buying the dip in anticipation of a TACO.   I'm just hodling what I have already.   Some are up and some are still down from my buying the dip  in February 2026.  Most of the stocks are SAAS software stocks that are down 50-70% from their highs. 

Although each succeeding TACO has less impact, I expect President Trump to continue TACOing up until the midterm election.  It may be hopium to hodl and we shall see.

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

Aspire to Be a Hundred Millionaire or Billionaire

"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore." ~ Yogi Berra

A million ain't what it used to be either.

When I was growing up, becoming a millionaire was considered an aspirational financial goal.  Very few people had a million dollars  and my parents bought a new house for $28,000.  A million dollars seemed very unattainable.  In 1965, there were 100,000 millionaires in the US.  I thought becoming a millionaire was a stretch goal.

Today, a million dollars seems much more achievable. In 2020, the there are over 18 million millionaires in the US.   That house I grew up in is valued at $421,000 on Zillow.   Many families have dual incomes, leading to over a million dollars salary over their lifetime.

 $100 million would have been a better aspirational financial goal.   In 2020, there were about 80,000 households with over $100 million, which is close to the number of millionaires in 1965.  $100 million would have been a appropriate inflation adjusted goal.

Maybe ambitious kids today should set $1 Billion as a stretch goal to achieve in their future.

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

I'm Awful at Stock Picking

I initially thought I could beat the market by buying specific stocks.  I did this for many years, and had some big wins, but I also had big losses.  Recently, I did an evaluation of my stock investments in the last 10 years.   The good news is that I had a gain overall.  The bad news is that I would have had higher gains from  owning an S&P index fund or ETF.   In addition, I would free up the time that I spend evaluating, buying and selling stocks.

Based on this learning, here the actions I'm taking:

• Scale out of owning most individual stocks.   I am avoiding starting new positions.  I will add to some existing positions that are negative, but plan to scale out later when the entire position is positive.   I am holding long term losses in a separate account to remind myself of my previous poor choices.
• Going forward for stocks, invest in total market index funds and etfs, specifically the S&P, total market and growth stock index funds.  This is much easier to manage since stock risk is eliminated.
• For kids' accounts, dollar cost average (DCA) into their investment accounts and hodl.

I expect this to reduce my anxiety when the market declines and help me be agnostic to short term volatility, which seems to be frequent nowadays.

This approach has been helpful so far this year, but there hasn't been a major correction or bear market yet.  That will be the true test on my new investment strategy.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Just Hodl

Currently, there is lots of volatility in the stock market.  Earnings beats, earnings miss, disappointing forward guidance, ceasefire ending, ceasefire extended, President Trump TACO, ceasefire broken, stocks go up, then down, then up again.   What's an investor to do?

The approach I used to follow was to react to the volatility.   Sometimes it was sell; other times it was buy the dip.   Usually, this resulted in a whipsaw effect, sharply up, sharply down and a roller coaster. When the stock went up quickly,  I would sell with small gains of 5-15% and watch the stock go up much further.  When it went down, I would hold hoping to get back to even to sell and exit the position.  I would sell the one's that went above breakeven, but, unfortunately, there were ones that took forever, or never, to recover.

My new strategy now is hodl through the volatility, since I'm no longer depending exclusively on stock gains for our retirement income.   Hodling has significantly reduced my anxiety of owning stocks, since capital gains are no longer the main source of retirement income.  Thus, I am more comfortable hodling though the corrections that inevitably happen.   Of course, the real test will be if I hodl through a bear market, which has not happened since I started this investment strategy.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

The Sky is Falling or Buy the Dip

Last week, especially Friday, June 5, 2026 was dismal for the stock market.  Memory and space stocks took a big hit.  The S&P 500 was down over 2%.  Looks pretty ugly.

I used to agonize over whether to keep my investments or sell them before they go lower, since my metric was how much assets grew to support our retirement.  Last year, I changed our metric to how much monthly income our investments generate, hopefully independent of volatility.  This dip will help me understand how this new strategy is working.

For now, I'm going to hodl what I own and refrain from buying the dip at the current levels.  If the dip goes another 10%, I may reconsider buying into some existing positions.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Need to Do Weight Exercises

When I was younger, I wasn't a fan of weight training.   I was the starting fullback for a State Championship football team, and I didn't do weights.  In college, I didn't do weight training even though I played even though I was the starting fullback in football again. When I played, weight training was not a requirement for athletes.  Thus, I avoided it.  Like many of my teammates, I built strength through practice and drills.

Fast forward to now.  I've been in rehab for a procedure earlier this year.  Most of the exercises have been cardio, treadmills and bikes.  Near completion, I started to do some weight exercises.  I did ok, but I realized I am much weaker than I expected.  

Needless to say, I need to be doing more weight exercises and weight training now that I'm older.  I will start working weights into my schedule in the future.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC