Category Archives: lifestyle

The stock market performance has me feeling insecure

I am recently retired , well at the beginning of 2019. I struggled to understand drawdown rates and played with living with less then 4%. I still worry about out living my savings. I read this article with great interest and wanted to share.

www.kiplinger.com/retirement/605272/as-the-market-falls-new-retirees-need-a-plan

Parenthood

I held my adult child in my arms this morning. I watched helpless, as the tears rolled down his cheeks. when he was a child, it was so much easier. I could help mend his small body and feelings with a ban aid or a piece of candy. This morning he cried for all the things he hoped would be and are now no longer, a relationship with the now ex fiancé, and the ability to be with his beloved only child most every day and night.

I saved for my retirement in a traditional tax differed account. Should I have done something different?

In my retirement there were surprises. A huge surprise was that when I started to make withdrawals from my savings, I had to pay taxes on this income.

What I also did not anticipate was that the amount of my income during retirement was going to impact my Medicare charges.

The attached article explains some strategies to address these tax burdens. What is not clear to me is if it is too late ( now that I am retired ) to take advantage of those strategies.

Read the article. If you have any thoughts that might help clarify these issues or help other retirees, please let me know.

www.kiplinger.com/retirement/retirement-planning/605109/is-your-retirement-portfolio-a-tax-bomb

I am a “ Nice” person

I was thinking about a statistic I read, maybe from a post by Dr. Moss Lee, that stated girls are socialized to believe that expressing their opinions can be at the risk of being perceived as not being”nice”. As a woman, often described as nice this information held great significance for me. There is a sign in my office that reads,”Because nice matters”.I think I am going to replace it with one that reminds me that my opinion matters. I recognize the courage it can take to offer your opinion as a woman, especially a black woman. My most recent experience with a power structure characterized by white and male privilege found my insistence on being an advocate for those we served as too persistent. I was cautioned to be nice. I chose to stand in the truth of my opinion and was silenced. Although the transition has being life changing, I do not regret that decision and find strength in my ability to be a role model for all the little girls in my life that I love.