Retirement accounts are a vital component of a family’s retirement plan. You have your employer provided accounts like the 401k, 403b, a 457 plan or the federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).

Inflation is the word that you hear on the news every day for the past several months. First, it was coming and prices would rise. Then, it was here and prices rose more.

Times have changed. No longer is it common for a person to work for one company for 20+ years and have the company take care of your financial future with a guaranteed income through a pension when you decide work is optional.

As Christmas and New Year’s Day quickly approach us, I have been thinking about this year, the stress that many people have been under and the incidents that make us wonder what caused someone to overreact in such a way.