September The Retire to Abundance Newsletter When It Rains, It Pours: Normally, that phrase is about bad things piling up, but as the son of a farmer it’s hard to ever be upset at the thought of rain. I recently saw a stat showing that Kingman had its third wettest summer in recorded history. The rain has been a blessing—my sprinkler system has barely run, and more importantly, it’s helped break our local farmers out of the recent cycle of drought. In many ways, finances work the same way....
4 days ago • 2 min read
July The Retire to Abundance Newsletter Alphabet Soup: Summertime always seems to fly by in a blur of ballgames, travel, and triple-digit heat. At QED, we intentionally slow things down a bit this time of year—fewer meetings, more behind-the-scenes work to improve the resources we offer. One of the big projects we've been working on is now live: KPERSretirement.com, a free educational site designed specifically for KPERS enrollees. If that’s you—or someone you care about—you’ll find a link to...
2 months ago • 2 min read
June The Retire to Abundance Newsletter Harvest Time: The combines are just starting to roll here in south central Kansas, and every year it marks one of my favorite seasons. Every year, we try to get our kids out to ride along — partly for the fun, but mostly so they can see the work that goes into it...and as a bonus to learn where their food comes from. Watching harvest through my dad’s eyes, a fifth-generation Kansas farmer, reminds me that this season is about more than crops. It’s the...
3 months ago • 2 min read
May The Retire to Abundance Newsletter The Numbers of Life: School’s almost out, and like many families, we’re getting ready to shift into summer mode. Around our house, that means a full calendar of ball games, road trips, and time with extended family. It’s a busy season—but also one filled with the things that matter most. In a lot of ways, it’s not all that different from retirement. When the structure of the workweek fades, it opens the door to more travel, more time with family, and...
4 months ago • 2 min read
April The Retire to Abundance Newsletter Tariff-ic Opportunities in the Market: Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard about the recent turbulence in the stock market. I often remind clients that it’s not a matter of if the market will decline—it’s a matter of when. We’re currently in one of those inevitable downturns, and it’s no surprise that investors of all stripes are feeling a bit skittish. While it’s never fun to watch account values dip, this pullback doesn’t...
5 months ago • 2 min read
March The Retire to Abundance Newsletter Is the other shoe about to drop? A quick look through my writings over the years makes one thing clear—at some point every year, I’m talking about volatility. When markets are up: “Uh oh, they must be heading down.” When markets are down: “Maybe we’re headed for a recession.” Each market cycle has its own twists, but ultimately, there’s nothing new about any of this. Inevitably, something will come along that scares investors, markets will drop, and...
6 months ago • 2 min read
February The Retire to Abundance Newsletter Love and Money: Love and money may seem like an unusual pairing, but for many of us, they’re deeply connected—not in a cringy “I love money” kind of way, but in how we use it to care for those who matter most. I define love as desiring what is best for the beloved. With that in mind, getting your financial house in order and creating a solid financial plan can be one of the most loving things you ever do. While Hallmark probably won’t be making a...
7 months ago • 2 min read
January The Retire to Abundance Newsletter Fry the Egg: Imagine this: You’ve decided to master frying an egg. You read books, watch videos, and learn all the theories about the perfect technique. But when you finally crack that egg, the yolk breaks, the edges stick, and you realize no amount of preparation could replace the experience of actually doing it. Planning for retirement works the same way. You can research strategies, calculate numbers, and envision your perfect future, but until...
8 months ago • 2 min read
December The Retire to Abundance Newsletter How Risky is Your Retirement? Lately we have been talking a lot about risk in retirement, with a particular focus on how equities investing in retirement isn't particularly risky. This holds especially true when properly diversified. While it’s not as simple as “just put everything in a diversified equities portfolio”, many retirees underestimate the length of their retirement and the need for growth to support those later years. With lifespans...
9 months ago • 2 min read