Step One Finance

Personal finance commentary is highlighting a common retirement planning scenario: a 62-year-old with $1.3 million in a 401(k) who leaves it untouched could see the balance grow to $2.4 million by 73, when required minimum distributions (RMDs) kick in. The piece argues that a single proactive move beforehand — widely interpreted as a Roth conversion or other tax-planning step — could spare the owner a significant tax burden later.

A personal finance guide for freelancers outlines seven simple habits to manage irregular income, arguing that a busy client roster does not guarantee financial stability. It warns that strong quarterly invoices can still end with an empty bank account once taxes are due, and offers practical steps to avoid that gap between earnings and savings.

The Solana Foundation is offering banks open-source code that allows tokenized trades to be settled in a single step, removing traditional multi-stage clearing processes. The move targets financial institutions exploring blockchain-based settlement, and coverage from outlets including Yahoo Finance suggests growing interest among traditional finance players in using public blockchain infrastructure for institutional tokenization workflows.

Fast Company reports that retirement planning works differently for couples relying on a single income, and lays out expert tips for getting it right. Couples with one earner face unique challenges around savings rate, spousal benefits and tax strategy, and financial advisers are sharing practical steps to help them build retirement security despite having only one paycheck.