BEYOND THENoise

Articles

The reading behind each step

Every article that supports a step, gathered in one place. Most are links out to the original sources — I don't republish other people's work. A few, where it helps, are written here.

Step 01 What do I want my retirement to look like?

  • The one-page retirement vision worksheetLink pending
  • What retirees wish they'd pictured soonerLink pending

Step 02 How much will retirement cost, including healthcare?

  • Building a retirement budget that survives real lifeLink pending
  • Medicare, IRMAA, and the costs no one warns you aboutLink pending

Step 03 How should I invest my retirement savings?

  • Stocks vs. bonds, in plain EnglishLink pending
  • A century of market returns, in one chartLink pending

Step 04 Will my retirement plan actually work?

  • What a Monte Carlo simulation actually tells youLink pending
  • Sequence-of-returns risk, explainedLink pending

Step 05 How much can I safely spend each year?

  • Guardrails vs. the 4% ruleLink pending
  • How guardrails feel in a down yearLink pending

Step 06 What should I own, and where should I hold it?

  • Asset location: the free lunch in plain sightLink pending
  • Choosing low-cost ETFsLink pending

Step 07 Should I do Roth conversions?

  • Is a Roth conversion worth it for you?Link pending
  • Filling the brackets without overflowingLink pending

Step 08 How will I handle the risk of long-term care?

  • The real cost of long-term careLink pending
  • Self-fund, insure, or hybrid?Link pending

Step 09 When should I claim Social Security?

  • The break-even math of claiming at 70Link pending
  • Spousal strategies that still workLink pending

Step 10 How do I create my retirement paycheck?

  • The order of withdrawals that saves taxLink pending
  • Turning a portfolio into a paycheckLink pending
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