The Means AND the Ends

The Means AND The Ends is the recognition that "getting there" is at least as important as where you're going. These posts are a curated collection of articles I've written as well as interesting finds that can be serious, humorous, and sometimes skeptical about investing and saving for retirement while being mindful that we must enjoy the ride all along the way.

How Long Does It Take A Make Friend In Retirement?

Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, Retirement

Most investors understand that wealth compounds over time. What fewer people appreciate is that friendship does, too, and the return on that investment may be just as consequential for a fulfilling retirement.

As a wealth manager and retirement researcher, I spend a great deal of time analyzing what separates the happiest retirees from those who struggle. The answer isn’t always a bigger portfolio. It often comes down to community. The data are clear,

Source: How Long Does It Take A Make Friend In Retirement?

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5 Cars Gaining Value in an Ever-Widening Market – Hagerty Media

Lifestyle

It’s summer, and we’re halfway through the year. That means we’ve also just updated all the prices on Hagerty Valuation Tools, and things are as wild as the last time we checked in. The supercar boom continues to expand even as the rest of the collector car market cools and as our Hagerty Market Rating continues to edge its way down. Halo cars like the Ferrari F40 and 288 GTO continue to post up big increases, but that’s much of the same news we covered last quarter.

Some of our notable gainers of the collector car market this quarter made broad jumps, while others indicate a maturing and more nuanced

Source: 5 Cars Gaining Value in an Ever-Widening Market – Hagerty Media

5 Cars Gaining Value in an Ever-Widening Market – Hagerty Media Read Post »

brown and white concrete house near green trees under blue sky during daytime

These 15 Resorts Are the Best in Europe for 2026

Lifestyle, Travel

Every year in its “World’s Best Awards“ survey, Travel + Leisure asks its readers to weigh in on the hotels, cities, islands, and experiences that moved them most on their getaways. And in 2026, readers made one thing clear among the 15 best resorts in Europe: Now is Italy’s time to shine.

While the full 2026 list spans five countries, including destinations along awe-inspiring coastlines and high in the alpine peaks, resorts across Italy absolutely dominated, claiming 10 of the top 15 spots.

Source: These 15 Resorts Are the Best in Europe for 2026

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A man sitting at a desk using a cell phone

5 Money Moves to Make Now If You Want to Retire in 10 Years | Morningstar

Behavioral Finance, Lifestyle, Retirement

Valentina Djeljosevic: Hi, I’m Valentina Djeljosevic. Welcome to the second episode in a new miniseries for Morningstar called Your Retirement Countdown. In this four-part series, we’re sitting down with Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning.

We’re talking about the key things you need to do to retire comfortably based on how far away your retirement start date is, whether it’s 25 years away, five years away, or just one year away. In today’s episode,

Source: 5 Money Moves to Make Now If You Want to Retire in 10 Years | Morningstar

5 Money Moves to Make Now If You Want to Retire in 10 Years | Morningstar Read Post »

There’s a ‘Trump account’ hack that can unlock decades of wealth-building for your kid

Financial Planning

Parents who have signed their children up for the new “Trump accounts” may wonder what the best way is to use and manage the accounts after they launch on July 4.

Amid the steady drip of information about these new accounts in recent months, what is critical to understand is that they are essentially “a form of traditional IRA available for children under the age of 18,” as noted in a Congressional Research Service report.

Source: There’s a ‘Trump account’ hack that can unlock decades of wealth-building for your kid

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The ‘Shadow’ in Evolution That Explains Why Long Life Comes at a Cost : ScienceAlert

Health & Fitness, Retirement

The world’s population is shifting. We’re living longer than ever before, with elderly people taking up a greater proportion of the people on the planet.

And yet those extra years aren’t necessarily being enjoyed in good health.

So how do these shifts interact with what we know about genetics and evolution? How might old age – a relatively recent concept, in the history of Homo sapienschange our species?

And is the association between getting older and being less healthy inevitable?

Source: The ‘Shadow’ in Evolution That Explains Why Long Life Comes at a Cost : ScienceAlert

The ‘Shadow’ in Evolution That Explains Why Long Life Comes at a Cost : ScienceAlert Read Post »

8 Great V-8 Droptops for Under $30K – Hagerty Media

Lifestyle

With all due respect to Porgy and Bess, it’s “summertime and the cruisin’ is easy.” Said cruisin’ is certainly easier when the top goes down. And it’s practically effortless when you’ve got a V-8 to pull you along. 

Convertibles have always been the ultimate way to enjoy a warm-weather outing, and when they’ve got power to match their panache, at a price that won’t break the bank, few things are better. So this week we’ve rounded up 64 cylinders

Source: 8 Great V-8 Droptops for Under $30K – Hagerty Media

8 Great V-8 Droptops for Under $30K – Hagerty Media Read Post »

A vintage green ford pickup truck parked outside.

Fifth Generation (1967-1972) Ford F-Series: Ford Trucks Go Mainstream

Lifestyle

The launch of 5th generation F-series for the 1967 model year was going to be big for Ford Motor Co. Ford has seen tremendous growth in sales in the 4th generation and Ford wanted to see that growth continue. 

This growth came from buyers that were saw the pickup truck not only a work vehicle but a vehicle that could be used every day as transportation as well a work vehicle. In the 50s and early 60s pickup trucks were work only vehicles for a majority of owners. 

Source: Fifth Generation (1967-1972) Ford F-Series: Ford Trucks Go Mainstream

Fifth Generation (1967-1972) Ford F-Series: Ford Trucks Go Mainstream Read Post »

white concrete building

This State Was Just Named Best in the U.S. for Retirement—and No, It’s Not Florida or Arizona

Retirement

Retirees (and those approaching retirement age) face plenty of decisions—how to spend all that increased free time, where to plan the next unforgettable trip, and the best place to call home for the next several years. One of those questions is a bit trickier than the others to answer, and has a greater impact on all the other choices you make for your retirement years.

Among the many factors to consider when contemplating a retirement relocation: the local quality of life, access to excellent health care, and overall affordability based on your personal financial situation.

Source: This State Was Just Named Best in the U.S. for Retirement—and No, It’s Not Florida or Arizona

This State Was Just Named Best in the U.S. for Retirement—and No, It’s Not Florida or Arizona Read Post »

How 2026 W-2, W-4 forms will change to account for Trump tax law

Financial Planning, Taxes

Wondering how the new mega tax law will affect your paycheck and taxes? Some of the answers lie in the new W-2 form employees will start getting for tax year 2026.

The IRS recently released drafts of the new W-2 form workers will receive and W-4 form they use to calculate tax withholding for each pay period.

Source: How 2026 W-2, W-4 forms will change to account for Trump tax law

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an older man is tending to a garden

6 Hobbies That May Help Slow Brain Aging as You Get Older

Health & Fitness, Lifestyle

Studies show that regularly engaging in hobbies, like gardening, dancing, or playing music, may help slow the brain-aging process.1 Here are six that are backed by science.

1. Gardening

The raking, digging, watering, and other gardening-related activities provide light to moderate exercise,

Source: 6 Hobbies That May Help Slow Brain Aging as You Get Older

6 Hobbies That May Help Slow Brain Aging as You Get Older Read Post »

pile of leafed plants

Visit 5 of the World’s Highest Altitude Wineries

Travel

If you’ve ever sipped a glass of wine and felt transported to its place of origin, congratulations, you tasted terroir. From breezy coastal vineyards to grapes grown in parched deserts, climate, soils, and topography often imprint wines with an intriguing sense of place. And wines made from grapes from high-elevation vineyards possess distinctive characteristics: Their closer proximity to the sun and cool nights imbue them with richness, freshness, and complexity.

Perhaps the only thing that rivals the experience of drinking mountain wines is visiting the wineries that produce elegant sips at breathtaking heights. For a truly elevated wine adventure,

Source: Visit 5 of the World’s Highest Altitude Wineries

Visit 5 of the World’s Highest Altitude Wineries Read Post »

Map Reveals Top States Retirees Are Choosing Over Florida in Growing Trend – Newsweek

Lifestyle, Retirement

A growing number of retirees who once flocked to Florida for sun and savings are now heading back north—but not all the way. This demographic shift, frequently termed a “halfback” move, is redirecting older populations toward more temperate and affordable destinations including the Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee, according to data from Realtor.com.

The shift marks a notable change in a decades-old

Source: Map Reveals Top States Retirees Are Choosing Over Florida in Growing Trend – Newsweek

Map Reveals Top States Retirees Are Choosing Over Florida in Growing Trend – Newsweek Read Post »

How Full Is My Flight? 4 Simple Ways to Check Before Boarding | Condé Nast Traveler

Lifestyle, Travel

In the era of shrinking airline seats and oversold flights, eking out even an extra inch of space in an ultra-crammed economy cabin can feel like a major win. One trick that can help you calculate the odds of snagging an upgrade, an empty exit row, or extra overhead bin space? Checking how full your flight is before you board the plane.

The emptier a plane is, the more room passengers have to stretch out. It means there’s no tense battle for

Source: How Full Is My Flight? 4 Simple Ways to Check Before Boarding | Condé Nast Traveler

How Full Is My Flight? 4 Simple Ways to Check Before Boarding | Condé Nast Traveler Read Post »

two wrecked van and car

Celebrating the most prestigious, and the junkers, of the automobile world – CBS News

Lifestyle, Travel

On the central coast of California, car enthusiasts can marvel at the most prestigious and the junkers of the automobile world, all in one weekend. 

No place celebrates the elegance of the automobile quite like the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Like bubbles in champagne, these vehicles have risen to the top as some of the most exclusive and valuable collector cars in the world.

Source: Celebrating the most prestigious, and the junkers, of the automobile world – CBS News

Celebrating the most prestigious, and the junkers, of the automobile world – CBS News Read Post »

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