Chargers feeling good about themselves despite 0-2 record

• September 26, 2026

What, the Chargers worry?

The vibe was good, the players and coaches said all week.

The mistakes were fixable, they said.

The quality of the upcoming opponent demanded their very best, they said.

The past was in the past, they said.

The future was all that mattered, they said.

So, the Chargers (0-2) said they put in the necessary hard work and prepared to face the Buffalo Bills (2-0) on Sunday in Orchard Park, New York, their first road test of the season after losses to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 and to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 at SoFi Stadium.

Optimism was in short supply after consecutive dismal showings to start the season. Or so it seemed from a 10,000-foot view of the mistake-prone Chargers’ play in the first two games, but those responsible held far different views of the proceedings as they prepared to face the Bills.

Well, to be fair, the Chargers said they understood they didn’t play up to their potential or their standards against the Cardinals and Raiders, teams that weren’t exactly considered Super Bowl contenders going into the season. The Chargers also acknowledged they had let themselves down with a string of unforced errors in each game.

“Everybody’s ready to get back on track,” Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey said the other day. “Do we wish we were 2-0, not 0-2? Absolutely. But sitting around and sulking, pouting, that’s not going to do anything. So, we’ve tried to keep that positive energy going.”

Of their lackluster play in their losses to the Cardinals (now 1-1) and Raiders (now 2-0), McConkey added, “We beat ourselves. Say what you want, yes, credit to the other teams that beat us, Week 1 and Week 2. But if we just beat ourselves less, I think we’ll be in a good position.”

The Chargers’ gaffes were too numerous to list here.

And, although McConkey didn’t get into the specific details, it was plainly obvious he was referring to the Chargers’ six fumbles, two interceptions and the eight penalties against the Raiders, and also to the seven penalties, two turnovers and a blocked punt against the Cardinals.

Apart from a handful of possessions in each game, new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s offense sputtered out of the gate. Justin Herbert has averaged only 200 yards passing per game, down from his career average of 260. The Chargers have scored only two touchdowns in each game, continuing a trend dating to the end of last season.

What’s more, Herbert seemed laser-focused on McConkey during the first two games, which wasn’t a bad thing as far as McConkey was concerned, but also likely something the Bills and future opponents will zero in on during the games to come, including Sunday.

“As a receiver, that’s what you want, right?” McConkey said. “You want your quarterback to trust you. I feel like we’ve developed that over the years and, obviously, continue to get better working in practice. I feel like the coaches do a good job of letting me go and win routes, and for Justin to hang on me and trust me, it feels good.”

Of equal or great concern Sunday, is finding a way to contain Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills’ explosive offense. The Bills have scored an NFL-leading total of 77 points in victories over the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions to start the season. Allen has completed 66.7% of his passes.

In addition, he’s thrown for five touchdowns and run for four more.

Former Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer has caught one touchdown pass from Allen in each of the Bills’ victories so far. As their third-round draft pick in 2021, Palmer spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Chargers, catching 182 passes for 2,287 yards with 10 touchdowns.

The Bills’ offense is ground-based, too.

Running back James Cook rushed for 135 yards against the Lions on Sept. 17.

“I’d say it’s all the threats that he has,” Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. said of what makes Allen so difficult to defend. “He has a lot of guys that can do a lot of things with the ball in their hands. So, the main thing is getting off the field on third downs and getting our offense on the field. So, we’ve got to be good in a lot of areas.

“He’s one of the best quarterbacks in this league, bro. He can make any throw. He can run like a running back. Even when he’s taking off, we’ve got to be ready to get him on the ground, and keep playing because he can turn those plays into eight- or 10-second plays. He’s one of the best at doing that.”

Buckle up, it could be a bumpy afternoon.

CHARGERS (0-2) at BILLS (2-0)

When: 10 a.m. PT Sunday

Where: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y.

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11); 640 AM/103.9/98.3 FM (Spanish)

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (Sept. 17-24)

• September 26, 2026

Restaurants and other food vendors ordered to close and allowed to reopen by Orange County health inspectors from Sept. 17 to Sept. 24.

Mai Phat Mi Gia, 9191 Bolsa Ave., Westminster

• Closed: Sept. 24
• Reason: Cockroach infestation

Sunny Hills Deli Liquor Jr. Mart, 1510 S. Harbor Blvd., La Habra

• Closed: Sept. 24
• Reason: Rodent infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 25

Maria’s Market, 127 S. Bradford Ave., Placentia

• Closed: Sept. 24
• Reason: Rodent infestation

Juicyladas Cantina, 741 N. Placentia Ave., Fullerton

• Closed: Sept. 24
• Reason: Cockroach infestation

Pho Noodle House, 646 N. Rose Drive, Placentia

• Closed: Sept. 23
• Reason: Rodent infestation

Food sales at College Drive-In, 425 S. State College Blvd., Anaheim

• Closed: Sept. 23
• Reason: Rodent infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 24

Food sales at The Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana

• Closed: Sept. 23
• Reason: Rodent infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 24

C’est La Vie Restaurant & Bakery, 373 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach

• Closed: Sept. 23
• Reason: Vermin infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 23

Maria Nutricion, 2800 W. Warner Ave., Suite E, Santa Ana

• Closed: Sept. 23
• Reason: Cockroach infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 24

Country Family Cafe, 1736 S. Euclid St., Anaheim

• Closed: Sept. 23
• Reason: Cockroach infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 23

The Greeters Corner Restaurant, 329 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach

• Closed: Sept. 23
• Reason: Vermin infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 23

WaBa Grill, 11045 Warner Ave., Fountain Valley

• Closed: Sept. 22
• Reason: Rodent infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 22

Bleu, 14160 Beach Blvd., Westminster

• Closed: Sept. 22
• Reason: Rodent infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 22

Lil’ Buddha’s, 406 32nd St., Newport Beach

• Closed: Sept. 22
• Reason: Rodent infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 23

Thai Del Mar, 2754 E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach

• Closed: Sept. 22
• Reason: Cockroach infestation

5th Ave Bagelry, 6522 Stanton Ave., Suite B, Buena Park

• Closed: Sept. 22
• Reason: Cockroach infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 23

Top BBQ Grill, 8948 Knott Ave., Buena Park

• Closed: Sept. 21
• Reason: None provided
• Reopened: Sept. 22

Star BBQ, 8295 Garden Grove Blvd., Garden Grove

• Closed: Sept. 21
• Reason: Cockroach infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 25

Easy Young, 2406 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim

• Closed: Sept. 21
• Reason: Rodent infestation
• Reopened: Sept. 22

Updates since last week’s list:

Saigon 9 at 12801 Harbor Blvd., Suite H-4, Garden Grove, which was ordered closed Sept. 16 because of a cockroach infestation, was allowed to reopen Sept. 21.

Chomp Hub at 1116 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana, which was ordered closed Sept. 11 because of a cockroach infestation, was allowed to reopen Sept. 23.

This list is published weekly with closures since the previous week’s list. Status updates are published in the following week’s list. Source: OC Health Care Agency database

​ Orange County Register 

Candidates for Santa Ana City Council go on the record ahead of November election

• September 26, 2026

Six candidates across three Santa Ana City Council races faced pointed questions during a recent forum at Heroes Elementary School.

The discussion with the Ward 2, 4, and 6 council candidates was hosted by the non-partisan Communication Linkage Forum, or Com-Link, which represents more than 60 Santa Ana neighborhood associations.

It was preceded Thursday night, Sept. 24, by a mayoral candidate session with incumbent Valerie Amezcua and challengers Dwyane Shipp and Dan Shimell, who fielded questions on the city’s budget shortfall, development, public safety, and a contested county reentry facility proposal.

Among the council seats up for election in November, the Ward 2 race pits incumbent Benjamin Vazquez against Selica Diaz, while Ward 4 features incumbent Phil Bacerra facing a challenge from Sandra De Anda. In Ward 6, Giovanni Chavez and Isuri Ramos are running for the seat currently held by Councilmember David Penaloza, who is vying for a state Assembly seat.

Questions and moderation were handled by members of Com-Link, with questions individualized for each candidate.

Addressing his plan for long-term structural balance, Bacerra said he opposes the Measure X sales tax extension that is also before voters in November and argued Santa Ana has underperformed at economic development.

“We need to actually stop saying ‘economic development,’” he said, “and get to it.”

Asked to name an individual vote in his seven years on the council that he now believes was wrong, Bacerra said, “I don’t have any,” and cited his record of supporting reinvestment into the city, including $2.5 million in park funding, $3 million in fire stations and five new traffic signals.

On rent control, Bacerra — who opposed placing the city’s rent stabilization ordinance into the charter before voters approved it through a 2024 ballot measure — was asked whether voters had made the wrong decision, and what objective evidence would convince him the policy was either working or harming housing production.

“I don’t fault the voters for wanting rent control,” he said. “Rents are extremely high, not just in Santa Ana, but throughout California… of course people want to be here.”

His concern, he said, is the policy’s long-term effect on the city’s rental supply.

“What happens when property owners decide that they’re going to convert those apartments (to) for sale? We’re going to start losing apartments on the market,” said Bacerra. “I’m not worried about corporate landlords. I’m talking about mom-and-pop owners. What’s going to happen when they can’t afford to make certain improvements? And our fellow residents are in units that are not the quality that they deserve — dignified units.”

When asked how she would support the Police Department while addressing community concerns about enforcement, homelessness and quality-of-life issues, De Anda, the director of policy and legal strategy at the Orange County Rapid Response Network, called herself “a big data nerd” and proposed modernizing the department’s records division and public-records response, “so we’re able to actually get a PRA on time.”

Referencing Mi Santa Ana, an Instagram account that is not an official city account that often shares photos taken during enforcement sweeps by the Santa Ana Police Department’s Quality of Life Team, De Anda touched on the city’s current “offer services or face enforcement” approach to homelessness, adding, “my approach to homelessness is going to be humane. It’s not gonna be sweeps, and it’s not going to be IG reels with people who never consented to it.”

She said better data would let the city map who is actually on its streets — including people released from immigration detention and veterans, a group she said the city underserves, noting her brother is a veteran — and connect them more directly with resources.

Diaz said she immigrated from Mexico City to the United States at the age of 13 and became the first in her family to graduate from university. She’s worked as a property manager for 30 years before becoming a Realtor in 2006 after she said she realized many of her tenants “were being taken advantage of.”

“In order for me to speak real estate, I needed to get my license, and I started putting together all my seminars in order to educate the community,” she said.

On homelessness, Diaz proposed expanding the city’s Quality of Life Team, or QOLT, program from two teams to one per city district, partnering with nonprofits and billing the county monthly for the services the city provides.

Santa Ana has faced increased issues around homelessness partly due to its location as the county seat, she argued. “We need to hold the county accountable,” she said, calling for more shelter and rehab capacity and naming children living in cars with their parents as “top priority.”

“A homeless person should not be out on the street, especially during the rainy season and cold weather,” Diaz said.

She also praised Amezcua for her approach to addressing homelessness with the QOLT, saying she’s doing “a great job” with offering resources to address individual needs. Adding, “I feel that we need to continue doing that. We need to also work with nonprofits.”

Asked how to protect core services such as public safety, libraries, parks and youth programs if Measure X fails with voters, Vazquez said the city should lean on economic development to generate new tax revenue by working to fill vacant buildings and lots, encouraging the fixing up of existing hotels and building a conference center or events programming to fill those hotel rooms.

“As long as every building, every lot is being used,” Vasquez said the city should be, “strong enough if we fill in all the empty lots and all the empty buildings to get that tax revenue.”

Vazquez, a high school teacher and son of immigrants, defended his progressive record when asked whether such policies become counterproductive, saying, “I don’t find that statement to be true,” and pointing to continued development alongside the rent control ordinance he championed.

He called for making Santa Ana “a business-friendly city” that gets businesses open within three months, with permit liaisons and listening sessions between the city manager and developers.

Asked to name two decisions where he prioritized residents outside his political base, Vasquez described interactions with elderly homeowners whose children and grandchildren can’t afford to move out. “We have to uplift — if the worst parts of Santa Ana were uplifted, how much better we would be.”

Chavez, a tenants attorney and Rental Housing Board commissioner, pledged to enforce the city’s rent stabilization ordinance “on day one,” describing a board that has been stalled by litigation, member turnover, and has at times struggled to reach quorum.

If elected, Chavez said he would not only ensure the board is fully appointed and enforcing the law, but said he would also work to strengthen it through county and state partners.

“People are hurting right now,” he said. “Rents, groceries, utilities are way too expensive.”

“This is an ordinance we have not been able to enforce,” Chavez said, noting that new members “come and go” without the board addressing the needs of Santa Ana residents. “We have to be able to enforce these laws if we pass them. It’s not just about passing them, beating our chest, saying, hooray, and that’s it. Residents want real results.”

He also backed the city’s more assertive posture on encampments while pledging to try to convert his endorsement network — which includes the lieutenant governor, the state treasurer and local members of Congress — into state and county dollars for housing and mental-health programs.

“Compassion is important, but compassion requires action,” he said, applauding the clearing of tents that once surrounded Santa Ana City Hall.

On housing and rent control, Ramos, the current Planning Commission chair, who noted she has been a city commissioner since age 16, challenged county-based affordability formulas.

“You look at the rents and you wonder, who are these affordable for?” she said.

Ramos referenced her past organizing work to push Ward 6 projects, such as Legacy Square, to be 100% affordable to people who are making 30% of the area median income, pointing to Crossroads at Washington and the Depot at Santiago as similar efforts.

She also provided clarification on a technical zoning question put to her about the pending industrial overlay zone update recommended by the Planning Commission.

The overlay zone covers pockets of Santa Ana where factories and industrial businesses, many of which have operated legally for decades under industrial zoning, sit alongside neighborhoods. The city is in the process of rewriting its zoning code, and some of those businesses could be reclassified as “nonconforming,” which can restrict their ability to expand, reinvest or rebuild.

“No industrial businesses are in danger of being closed,” she said. Lawful businesses “may become nonconforming, but they do not have to close,” she added.

On transparency, Ramos said she would revisit the city’s sunshine ordinance and consider widening the radius required for notifying residents of new development. She also proposed working with the school district to send city notices home in students’ backpacks.

Ballots for the Nov. 3 election are set to be mailed out to registered voters starting Oct. 5. The first vote centers are scheduled to open Oct. 24, though using one of the OC Registrar of Voters drop boxes or returning ballots by mail will be options as soon as ballots are received.

​ Orange County Register 

Rams at Denver Broncos: Who has the edge?

• September 26, 2026

RAMS (1-1) at DENVER BRONCOS (1-1)

When: 5:20 p.m. PT Sunday

Where: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver

TV/Radio: NBC (Ch. 4)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 193, 192

Line: Rams by 2.5

Notable injury designations

Rams: DOUBTFUL: WR Puka Nacua (groin), S Kam Kinchens (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: TE Colby Parkinson (knee).

Broncos: OUT: RB Jonah Coleman (ankle); QUESTIONABLE: WR Marvin Mims (foot).

What’s at stake? This is a measuring stick game for both teams this early in the season. Both teams came up a win short of reaching the Super Bowl in 2025. So who is ready to compete with the best of the best in the NFL? Who can make a statement, both to the league as a whole but to their own locker room, about what their team is ready to accomplish?

Who’s better? Both teams are led by the preeminent offensive minds of their generation. Both teams have defenses with fierce pass rushes and All-Pro corners. Both teams have balanced offenses headlined by explosive receivers. Give the edge to the Rams by virtue of having the MVP at quarterback in Matthew Stafford over third-year QB Bo Nix.

Matchup to watch: Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson vs. Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto. The Broncos’ All-Pro edge rusher tends to line up on the right side of Denver’s formation, meaning he will be Jackson’s primary responsibility Sunday. Bonitto is known for his explosive first step, so Jackson will need to be quick and alert as he drops back into protection.

Rams win if: They prevent WR Jaylen Waddle from having any explosive plays of 20 or more yards. … The offensive line can limit the Broncos to one sack. … TE Terrance Ferguson can again gain more than 50 yards to take some pressure off WR Davante Adams in Nacua’s likely absence.

Fantasy sleeper: TE Colby Parkinson. The big tight end is one of Stafford’s favorite red-zone targets but hasn’t been fully activated yet this season. Look for the Rams to get him involved with Nacua likely out.

Prediction: Rams 28, Broncos 21.

​ Orange County Register 

Chargers at Buffalo Bills: Who has the edge?

• September 26, 2026

CHARGERS (0-2) at BILLS (2-0)

When: 10 a.m. PT Sunday

Where: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y.

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11); 640 AM/103.9/98.3 FM (Spanish)

Line: Bills by 7.5

Notable injury designations

Chargers: OUT: LG Kayode Awosika (fibula), TE Charlie Kolar (forearm), S Elijah Molden (hamstring), OL Trey Pipkins III (knee), WR Brenan Thompson (quadricep), DL Dalvin Tomlinson (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: QB Trey Lance (groin), CB Rodney Shelley (hamstring).

Bills: OUT: DB Jordan Hancock (hamstring), DL T.J. Sanders (illness); QUESTIONABLE: WR Keon Coleman (ankle), WR DJ Moore (shoulder), DL Ed Oliver (hip), G Ar’Maj Reed-Adams (elbow).

What’s at stake: They’re all must-win in a 17-game season, right? But this one Sunday is really a must-win for the Chargers. After losses in Week 1 to the Arizona Cardinals and in Week 2 to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chargers can’t afford another defeat if they hope to hit double-digit victories and advance to the playoffs for the third time in Jim Harbaugh’s three years as coach. Only two teams out of 123 that started 0-3 made the playoffs in the 21st century, according to research by the crack staff at Fox Sports 1.

Who’s better: The Bills are the better team on paper and on the grass field at their new home, Highmark Stadium. Quarterback Josh Allen has sparked the Bills’ offense with five touchdown passes and four TD runs through the season’s first two games. Buffalo has scored an NFL-leading 77 points after victories over the Houston Texans in Week 1 and the Detroit Lions in Week 2. The Bills have been resting and preparing to host to the Chargers since defeating the Lions 41-31 on Sept. 17, a Thursday night showcase for their debut in their new stadium.

Matchup to watch: Justin Herbert versus Everybody. That’s the matchup to watch, as in, can Herbert find the rhythm and confidence that was so glaringly absent during the Chargers’ losses to the Cardinals and Raiders? He was the second-best quarterback on the field in each game, overshadowed by the Cardinals’ Jacoby Brissett in the season-opening game and by the well-traveled veteran Kirk Cousins of the Raiders in the second. Through two games, Herbert is averaging only 200 yards passing, well off his career average of 260 yards per game.

Chargers win if: The Chargers’ margin for error is miniscule at this point, and facing the high-energy Bills makes it even smaller, assuming that’s even possible. Herbert and the Chargers’ offense must click, they must avoid turnovers and the line must protect the quarterback. Defensively, the Chargers must limit Allen’s creativity and prevent the plays for big gains that he’s renowned for making. Sounds like a tall order, right? Well, only because it is.

Fantasy sleeper: Herbert is bound to have a breakout game at some point, and this looks like the right place, the right time and the right opponent. Herbert might not fashion a victory despite having a big game because the Bills’ offense is really humming right now, but the odds are he’ll put something into motion that looks more like what Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has had in mind. The Bills have given up an average of 31 points per game in their first two games, not exactly championship-caliber defense so far.

Prediction: Too much has to go right for the Chargers to win on the road against a superior opponent, a team that’s lived up to preseason expectations. The Chargers simply haven’t come close to what the hype machine predicted for them. The oddsmakers list the Chargers as underdogs for the first time this season, and it’s by a wide margin. Bills 34, Chargers 20.

​ Orange County Register 

Laguna Bluebelt, San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Center honored at OC Coastkeeper’s ‘Toast of the Coast’

• September 26, 2026

Orange County Coastkeeper honored a Laguna Beach nonprofit and a San Juan Capistrano business at its recent Toast of the Coast for their work helping to keep the local shoreline a special place.

At Thursday’s fundraising gala, Michael Beanan and Jinger Wallace of the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition received Coastkeeper’s Outstanding Activist Award — for nearly 20 years, the two have built support and traveled the coast to advocate for Marine Protected Areas, which, within their first decade in California, had already helped large swaths of the underwater world rebound. They co-founded the coalition in 2008.

Tim Marshall and Denise Haunert-Marshall of the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Center received the Coastkeeper’s Business Leadership in Water Award.

Sarah Spinuzzi, Coastkeeper’s legal director, nominated the equestrian center for its commitment to sustainable stormwater management practices.

OC Coastkeeper, based in Costa Mesa, is a nonprofit clean water organization with a mission to protect and restore marine habitats, watersheds, and fresh- and saltwater ecosystems.

California created Marine Protected Areas up and down the state in 2012, with Laguna Beach’s MPA covering 70% of the city’s coast. To help highlight the benefits of the MPAs, Laguna Bluebelt hosts an annual photo contest that showcases pictures taken in the local MPA.

Its organizers say the images are more than something nice to look at, they are documenting the success of now 14 years of coastal protections.

Ray Hiemstra, Coastkeeper’s associate director of policy and projects, who nominated Beanan and Wallace, credits them for the attention on sealife the photo contest, which draws in photographers from across Southern California, creates.

He also noted the coalition’s involvement in funding the Aliso Beach Berm Buddies Program. Together with Coastkeeper researchers, the berm program monitors wildlife, human activity, and the natural sand barrier at Aliso Beach and Treasure Island in Laguna Beach.

“Coastkeeper is proud to present them with our Toast the Coast award,” Hiemstra said. “We expect that this recognition will help with their continuing efforts to protect the marine environment for all Orange County residents.”

Beanan said, “OC Coastkeeper has been a great partner for decades, helping to elevate Laguna’s Marine Protected Areas as a statewide model of stewardship and community collaboration.”

Because Coastkeeper’s mission focuses on restoring fresh- and saltwater ecosystems, he said winning an award from the organization will help highlight the coalition’s various efforts, such as reducing and eliminating the discharge of urban runoff and secondary sewage to the ocean at Aliso Beach and creating awareness of the impacts of berm breaching at the mouth of the Aliso Creek.

Hiemstra said the Bluebelt’s recognition is not Coastkeeper’s first. He also selected Laguna Bluebelt for Coastkeeper’s “My Hero Project” award in 2017 and again this year. The award recognizes education efforts in watershed protection.

Toast of the Coast was held at the Balboa Pavilion in Newport Beach. In its 27-year history, Coastkeeper has awarded numerous organizations, individuals, and businesses for their efforts to promote clean water.

​ Orange County Register 

Why I object to ‘hitting a number’ for retirement

• September 26, 2026

By CHRISTINE BENZ of Morningstar

When someone says they’re retiring because they “hit their number,” my alarm bells go off because it’s often a signal that the retirement plan isn’t as holistic or risk-conscious as it should be.

Here are my major objections.

Back-of-the-envelope planning

Too often, people use a simple heuristic like the 4% guideline to determine their portfolios’ viability. Or worse, they’re using their gut reaction to the number. A $1 million portfolio seems like it should be plenty, but it might not be if your tax-adjusted, inflation-adjusted spending is too high.

Dividing your number by your planned withdrawal amount is a good starting point to evaluate whether your plan is on track — for example, if you’re 10 or so years from retirement. But if you’re getting closer, it’s worthwhile to create a more encompassing plan. Consider your:

1. Retirement spending versus spending while working

2. Nonportfolio income, like Social Security, a pension, or working income

3. Planned spending rate and portfolio positioning

4. Taxes, inflation, and investment costs

If your assertion that you have enough to retire rests on a single variable—your portfolio’s value—that’s your cue to develop a comprehensive plan.

Market highs invite risk

Risk also factors into my reflexive aversion to “hitting a number,” especially if someone hits their number in the stock market. Stocks go up more than they go down, and it simply feels better to switch from savings to spending mode when your portfolio is looking robust. Counterintuitively, if you plan to retire with a heavy complement of stocks, it’s actually better to retire after the market has been pummeled than to go out on a high note.

Valuations are the main reason. Even as your portfolio has gotten plumper, it’s also more susceptible to  sequence risk, the possibility of big portfolio losses at the beginning of retirement. In our research on safe spending rates, we found that nearly two-thirds of all-equity portfolios that experienced losses within the first five years of retirement ran out of money before year 30.

Our research on historical safe withdrawal rates also points to the value of retiring when conditions look crummy rather than retiring when your portfolio is riding high. In the mid-1980s, most investors probably weren’t excited about the prospects for the major asset classes. Not only had stocks endured a punishing rout in 1973-74, but they also posted losses in 1977 and 1981. Bonds performed abysmally, too, thanks to the Federal Reserve’s successful campaign to tamp down inflation. But the mid-1980s were actually one of the best periods in modern history to have retired into. An all-equity portfolio would have supported a starting withdrawal rate of nearly 13%! That’s right, a $1 million portfolio would have supported a $130,000 withdrawal in year one of retirement, with annual inflation adjustments thereafter, for 30 years. Those rich withdrawal rates were owed to low equity valuations coming into the period, supporting strong stock market gains over the ensuing 30 years. Bond yields were high and trended lower, boosting bond prices, and inflation was generally quite mild.

That’s not to suggest that new retirees and would-be retirees should assume that their prospects are dire today simply because equity valuations are high. As Amy Arnott noted in this article, “lost decades” for stocks, like the one that prevailed in the 2000s, have been quite rare. Moreover, investors can make their plans more resilient by building in a complement of safe assets (cash and bonds) and spending less if their portfolios experience losses. In fact, the best thing that prospective retirees can do if they think they’ve hit their number is to lock down a portion of their gains in safer assets, like Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities.

Lifestyle considerations

My most significant objection to “hitting a number” is that it suggests that deciding when to retire revolves around money and numbers. Of course, financial wherewithal is inextricably linked to whether you can reasonably retire. And if your job is a miserable slog or you’re just plain exhausted, by all means concentrate on making the numbers work as soon as possible.

But it’s not all about the numbers. As Maria Bruno, head of US wealth planning research for Vanguard, shares in my book “How to Retire,” you need to be able to answer “the three haves.” Do you have enough? (That’s the money piece.) Have you had enough? (Are you done with work, either because you’re exasperated or, better yet, because you’ve achieved everything you hoped to?)

The final “have” is the most important: Will you have enough? Do you know what you are retiring “to” and will it fulfill you? The most successful retirees put more weight on those questions than they do on money matters.

This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more retirement content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/retirement.

Christine Benz is director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Improving Your Finances.

Related Links:

Retirement Planning for Real Life

https://www.morningstar.com/retirement/retirement-planning-real-life-with-christine-benz

Our Best Investment Portfolio Examples for Savers and Retirees

https://www.morningstar.com/portfolios/best-investment-portfolio-examples-savers-retirees

TIPS Look Tempting. Should You Buy?

https://www.morningstar.com/funds/tips-look-tempting-should-you-buy

​ Orange County Register 

Adding mini clover to grass seed creates a green, hardy, drought-tolerant lawn

• September 26, 2026

By JESSICA DAMIANO | The Associated Press

Would you like a lawn that grows well in full sun or part shade, requires little or no watering, chokes out weeds, never needs fertilizer and stays green all summer, even when exposed to dog urine?

Have I got a lawn for you! Simply mixing clover seeds with your chosen grass seeds will do all of that while keeping pests in check and attracting beneficial insects to pollinate your other plants — things ordinary turfgrasses never do.

If children or allergies have you concerned about attracting bees, mow your hybrid lawn when the clover is in flower to lessen the threat.

Caring for Kentucky bluegrass, tall and fine fescues, St. Augustine, Bermudagrass, zoysia and their grassy cousins risks damaging the ecosystem while providing little benefit — aside, perhaps, from the satisfaction of those who find beauty in a flawless emerald-green carpet outside their door.

The good news is that green is green, and when mowed, your clover will fit right in.

Here are more good reasons for a grass-clover hybrid

Planting straight clover would require removing all the existing grass to allow its seeds to fully contact the soil. And on its own, clover doesn’t stand up well to foot traffic. The plant is also short-lived, so it would require reseeding every few years. In addition, straight clover wouldn’t fill in as densely as a grass-clover combination lawn would.

When mixed with grass seed, however, clover becomes a rock star, reseeding well enough that you never have to replenish it. And, as it grows, it outcompetes most common weeds.

What kind of clover should you buy?

When shopping for seeds, look for “micro” or “mini” clover, which grows to about 4 inches (10 centimeters) tall after some initial repeated low-mowing to “train” it to remain short and more lawn-like. When mixed with grass, mini clover crowds out weeds more effectively than Dutch white clover does.

Packaged clover seeds are often precoated with inoculant; if they aren’t, buy a packet of inoculant separately and apply it to the seeds by following the label directions. Clover, like other legumes, is “nitrogen-fixing,” which means it relies on certain bacterial strains to colonize its roots and supply nitrogen; the inoculant feeds the seeds without nourishing weed seeds that may be lurking in the soil.

Inoculant loses its effectiveness over time, so wait until you are ready to sow coated seeds before you buy them, and check dates to ensure they were packaged within the past six months.

How do you switch to a clover-hybrid lawn?

Remove thatch, if present, from your existing lawn before incorporating clover seeds.

Mix seeds with sand or loose soil before spreading to facilitate an even application, then gently rake it in.

Water very lightly every day (unless it rains) to keep the soil slightly moist until the clover fills in.

If planting in part-shade conditions, sow twice as many seeds as indicated for the area.

In temperate areas, sow the seeds in fall. In areas with colder winters, sow them around the beginning of April. Clover isn’t recommended for the Deep South because it doesn’t withstand extreme heat well.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for The Associated Press. She publishes the Weekly Dirt Newsletter.

​ Orange County Register