{"id":90420,"date":"2026-02-07T01:00:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T09:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lenpenzo.com\/blog\/?p=90420"},"modified":"2026-02-14T08:14:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T16:14:30","slug":"black-coffee-7-feb-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lenpenzo.com\/blog\/id90420-black-coffee-7-feb-2026.html","title":{"rendered":"Black Coffee: Best Laid Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe …<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance.<\/p>\n

I’ve got another busy weekend ahead of me, so let’s get right to this week’s commentary …<\/p>\n

The future is already here \u2013 it’s just not evenly distributed.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2015 William Gibson<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2015\u00a0Yogi Berra<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Credits and Debits<\/strong><\/p>\n

Credit:<\/strong><\/span> Did you see this? The move to abolish property taxes<\/a> is growing with efforts in states including Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Dakota aiming to reduce homeowner cost burdens. Supporters argue that property taxes undermine true ownership \u2013 particularly when unpaid bills can lead to foreclosure. Even so, critics warn those plans threaten funding for schools and local governments that rely heavily on property taxes. Then again, many of those same critics aren’t in favor of tax cuts of any<\/strong><\/em> type. Or worse…<\/p>\n

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Credit:<\/strong><\/span> In other news, after factoring in projected rates for asset-class returns and inflation, Morningstar analysts say the highest “safe” starting withdrawal rate for people retiring in 2026 is 3.9% of portfolio assets<\/a> \u2013 that’s up 20 basis points from Morningstar’s 2025 recommended rate of 3.7%. The rate was just 3.3% in 2021. By “safe,” Morningstar means the highest rate that gives people a 90% chance of having some money left at the end of a 30-year retirement. However, depending on subsequent withdrawals schemes, it is<\/strong><\/em> possible to succeed with a higher initial withdrawal rate. But caution is always advised as wealth can drain easily drain away quicker than expected:<\/p>\n