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Bogle and me
I published a reflection on my work with the legendary John C. Bogle on the great Jonathan Clements’ essential personal finance site, HumbleDollar. My post: The apprentice. A. Clarke
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Life after labor: More than money
On Tuesday nights, I drive to northwest Philly. I park near the John B. Kelly School. I walk down an alley, code into the Philadelphia Furniture Workshop. I’m here to build a coffee table, my second project. A year ago, I built a bench. My classmates are retirees, young people happier at a workbench than
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Weekly reading, February 12 – February 16, 2024
The past week’s reads: I’m the WSJ’s Tax Columnist. Here’s How I Tackle My Own Taxes. Laura Saunders describes her approach to tax preparation and what it teaches her about her family’s finances. IBM Reopens Its Frozen Pension Plan, Saving the Company Millions. Another take on IBM’s recent changes to its workplace retirement plan.
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Weekly reading, January 29 – February 2, 2024
The past week’s reads: Could Company 401(k)s Go the Way of IBM? Watch the video or read the transcript. IBM, an early adopter of the 401(k), recently restructured its retirement plan, offering workers a defined benefit plan (cash balance) and a defined contribution plan (401(k)). IBM will no longer match employee contributions to the 401(k)
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Weekly reading, January 22 – January 26, 2024
The past week’s reads: The Money-Market Bonanza is Over. So is Now the Time for Stocks? This headline from The Wall Street Journal (paywall) struck me as odd. First, the bonanza continues to . . . “bonanze.” A year ago, the Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund yielded 4.21%. On January 26, 2024, it yielded 5.28%. Some
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AARP: A reckoning
I’ve never eaten a Denny’s “Grand Slam” breakfast. I don’t subscribe to the Book of the Month club. And I don’t think I’ve ever flown on British Airways. But if these patterns change, an AARP membership could be the best investment of my life. The AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons,