The Journal
Field guides for the global household.
Short, opinionated essays on rates, relocation and personal finance. Written for readers who want clarity, not clicks.
Retirement · Aug 16, 2026 · 5 min read
Social Security: When to Claim and Why the "Right" Age Isn't the Same for Everyone
The question of when to claim Social Security gets asked as if there's a universally correct answer.
Read essayRetirement · 5 min read
Catch-Up Contributions and Late-Start Retirement Planning: It's Not Too Late in Your 40s and 50s
A lot of retirement content is written for people in their 20s and 30s, with decades of compounding ahead of them.
Retirement · 5 min read
The Retirement Number Nobody Tells You: Working Backward From Your Life
Most retirement advice leads with a dollar figure
Retirement · 5 min read
401(k) vs. Roth IRA: Which Should Come First?
Almost every retirement planning conversation eventually runs into the same question: should extra money go into a 401(k) or a Roth IRA? The honest answer is "it depends,"