Life After Full-time Work Blog

Learn about preparing for life after full-time work through posts from Don's upcoming book.

#176 Index Of Blog Posts

This update includes all posts to the end of 2022

 

As much for myself as for you, I’ve updated this list of all blog posts to the end of 2022.

The categories are the same as before. I hope you find this an easier way to locate posts that have a special meaning for you, than saving each post separately (which a number of you have told me you do).

Each listing in the index includes the post number, a link to the full post, the blurb describing the contents of the post, and any takeaways. That should enable you to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Click on a category name to go to all the posts with that theme, and when you find the one you’re looking for, click on the link to read the post in full.

Here’s the link to the index itself:

If you missed some of the 2022 posts, here’s a quick overview of them.

Happiness and mental wellbeing: A round dozen posts on related themes. #154 explains why sleep is the most important ingredient in our health. #155 then sets out a list of useful habits to improve our sleep patterns. #160 moves to the brain, suggesting that you think of it like a muscle: use it or lose it, but don’t abuse it. #161 is about mindfulness, a specific form of brain exercise. #162 then suggests more brain exercises that are fun to do on your own or in groups. #157 talks about how to plan your future psychological life and your future financial life if you’re in uncertain health. #163 suggests that, if we knew we’d live to 100, we’d pace ourselves differently. #166 deals with health in later life, because it’s not just longevity, it’s the years of good health that are important.  #167 is about aging with dignity: it’s difficult to be dignified as the end nears, but here are some approaches that help. Then two posts on the fact that wealth is a broader term than just money: #170 sets out many forms of abundance, and #171 comes to the same conclusion from a different angle. Finally, #172 recommends a book called “Reimagining Retirement”.

Investment: Three posts on related themes. #152 explains why, contrary to popular belief, equity risk actually increases as the investment horizon lengthens. #159 considers using stock dividends for retirement income, identifying a specific category of companies as having particularly desirable characteristics. #165 reproduces a piece I wrote at the request of the (UK) Financial Times, on what pension savers can do in bleak markets: there are ways to manage inflation and recession, but safety comes at a price.

Longevity: Five posts on related themes. #153 explains that, in an interview, I reflected on the fact that longevity is a topic few professionals think about, which is a pity, because it can lead to highly inappropriate decisions regarding decumulation. #156 deals with longevity insurance: why it’s valuable, how it works, and some specific features to consider. #163 (also listed in the Happiness category) suggests that, if we knew we’d live to 100, we’d pace ourselves differently. #166 (also listed in the Happiness category) deals with health in later life, because it’s not just longevity, it’s the years of good health that are important. And #168 explains the concept of healthy life expectancy: the fact that, in most countries, the average person can expect to spend something up to 80% of our expected future lifespan after age 60 in reasonably good health.

Retirement Finance: Eleven posts on related themes. #151 sets out, in some detail, my personal approach to decumulation, finally all in one place, including some aspects itemized for the first time. After the markets we’ve experienced in 2022, I’m glad I’m using this approach. #156 (also listed in the Longevity category) deals with longevity insurance: why it’s valuable, how it works, and some specific features to consider. #157 (also listed in the Happiness category) talks about how to plan your future psychological life and your future financial life if you’re in uncertain health. #158 considers inflation-protected retirement income streams, which are both feasible and desirable, but unavailable in most countries. #159 (also listed in the Investment category) considers using stock dividends for retirement income, identifying a specific category of companies as having particularly desirable characteristics. #164 presents an excellent lifetime income simulator that was brought to my attention – I think it’s much better than the Calculator on my website. #165 (also listed in the Investment category) reproduces a piece I wrote at the request of the (UK) Financial Times, on what pension savers can do in bleak markets: there are ways to manage inflation and recession, but safety comes at a price. #169 suggests that we typically can’t relate to large sums of money, but it helps mentally to convert them into sustainable purchasing power. #172 (also listed in the Happiness category) recommends a book called “Reimagining Retirement”. #173 is about my interview at the DC West conference, where I explained an easy way to create a lifetime income stream that includes drawing on accumulated capital without fear of outliving it, and then #174 analyzes that approach, using the analogy of climbing Mt Everest.

Frankly, I’m pleasantly surprised at the breadth and variety of topics considered. That’s a perspective that’s wholly missing from my day-to-day mind as I focus, in the short term, on finding and exploring a subject that might interest many of you. I know that not all subjects will appeal to all of you, of course, which is why I try to explore a variety of them. If there are specific topics or angles that intrigue you, do let me know (I’ll be happy to keep the correspondence private) and I’ll see if there’s a way I can help.

Back next time with a new topic!

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I have written about retirement planning before and some of that material also relates to topics or issues that are being discussed here. Where relevant I draw on material from three sources: The Retirement Plan Solution (co-authored with Bob Collie and Matt Smith, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2009), my foreword to Someday Rich (by Timothy Noonan and Matt Smith, also published by Wiley, 2012), and my occasional column The Art of Investment in the FT Money supplement of The Financial Times, published in the UK. I am grateful to the other authors and to The Financial Times for permission to use the material here.


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