There’s a subreddit page I like to visit called r/eyebleach. It essentially gives your eyes a break from scrolling through cynical and often disturbing Reddit entries by showing photos of kittens, baby otters, and puppies doing funny puppy things. The page has 9.4 million subscribers.

Our eyes and brains all need a respite from bad news, polarized politics and 2 am doomscrolling. But, what about our ears?

There’s a term I love for synonyms that sound more pleasant than similar words: euphonyms. A euphonious word is a word that is pleasing to the ear. C.S. Lewis posited that the most pleasant-sounding term was “cellar door.” Others have their preferences, but I like cellar...

Unless your parents made some weird deal with the hospital, you were probably born kicking and crying, but debt-free.

You would have remained that way in a perfect universe, spending most of your life as solvent as possible. Then you would skip blissfully into retirement without being shackled to a boatload of debt. You’d have a million in your 401(k), maxed-out life insurance policies, and guaranteed Income from annuities.

However, the reality is different for most pre-retirees and retirees. Life has its own plans, and sometimes it goes off the rails. Even the best-planned people can end up underwater, sideways, and paying lots of unexpected bills.

According to financial...

“If you want to retire well, you will need to be even more vigilant about protecting your cash, both now and in the future.”

Aside from the low-interest rates, people who save in traditional vehicles such as bank Certificates of Deposit and savings accounts face volatility and uncertainty.

When the economy shows signs of faltering, the Federal Reserve typically cuts interest rates. When inflation fears come, the Federal Reserve will usually increase interest rates to slow the economy.

While this can be great for some folks, it punishes those with large cash reserves parked in CDs or savings accounts, often causing them to take more risks with their money than they usually...

“Annuities have a lot going for them, including the ability to create guaranteed streams of lifetime income. But what happens to your annuity if you die sooner than expected?”

One common argument against annuities comes from people who say that if you die sooner than anticipated, your family will get none of your annuity money. That could be true in some cases. However, if you correctly structure an annuity, you can leave something to your family if you die too soon while still providing yourself with lifetime income.

Two basic categories of annuities

There are two categories of annuity products.

One type of annuity helps you accumulate money for retirement, and the other type...