by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Enduring Principles, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Motivation
At Thanksgiving, I used my nephew’s bathroom and encountered soap with a tobacco scent and gritty texture. That seemed odd to me, so I asked him about it. He got excited explaining it was exfoliating hand soap. The grittiness wasn’t a flaw; it was the...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Retirement
At 75 years old, Ben and Yolanda don’t need the money that they’re forced to take out of Ben’s IRA to satisfy his Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). And they worry that the constantly increasing distributions will push them into higher brackets and trigger Medicare...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Financial Plan
Thanksgiving weekend is my time for stringing Christmas lights and that requires using a ladder. I’m in pretty good shape for my age, and with my years of experience, I’ve got a pretty good understanding of how to be safe on a ladder. Frankly, I’m a lot more cautious...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Featured – Blog
While grinding up 3,700 feet of California hills clipped into my road bike during this year’s Bike MS 150 Bay to Bay ride, e-bikes effortlessly buzzed past me while I consistently surged past my teammates on rental bikes using flat pedals. Like many of you...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Taxes
Building a family through adoption brings immeasurable joy alongside significant financial considerations. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA) delivered meaningful improvements to the Adoption Tax Credit that can reduce your tax burden and strengthen your...
