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As tax season gets close to wrapping up, I thought this piece from Business Insider was timely

It gives a flowchart, decision-tree on whether you should do your taxes yourself or have someone else do them for you.

The times they suggest you should hire someone include:

• Household income over $200k
• Self-employed or own a business
• Extensive investments
• Make large charitable donations
• Had a major life change like baby or marriage
• Don't have the time and patience to DIY

Other than the major life changes, all of these pertained to my family for most of the past 20 years. That's why we've used a CPA to do our taxes for most of that time.

Do you think it's possible to retire on $1 million?

CNBC doesn't think so:

A cool $1 million has long been considered the gold standard of retirement savings. These days, it's only a fraction of what you will really need.

For instance, a 67-year-old baby boomer retiring now with $1 million in the bank will generate $40,000 a year to live on adjusted for inflation and assuming a sustainable withdrawal rate of 4 percent, said Mark Avallone, president of Potomac Wealth Advisors and author of "Countdown to Financial Freedom."

It's worse for a 42-year-old Gen Xer, whose $1 million at retirement will only generate an inflation-adjusted $19,000 a year when all is said and done. And a 32-year-old millennial planning to retire at 67 with $1 million would live below the poverty line.

Wow.

I don't know why it surprises me when I see articles on how people can't manage to survive on $100k income or more.

I've been writing on this issue for years so you would think I'd be numb to it by now.

But every time they come around, I shake my head like it was the first time I've ever heard stories like these.

And they always seem to come in bunches -- so I have a few to share today.

We'll begin with this couple who makes $100k and says they don't ever expect to retire:

Theresa Sahhar and her husband make a combined $100,000, which is nearly double the median annual income in the United States.

Here's a very interesting post and infographic on what people think it takes to "make it" in America. 

2,000 people were asked what “making it” means to them. Their answers provide some interesting results.

Here are a few of the money-related ones and my thoughts on them:

Average annual income: Now: $57,426; Made it: $147,104

So while the average person in the survey makes $57k, they feel they would have "made it" is they earned $147k.

Wow, that's a big gap.

And one that is not achievable by most people.

According to WalletHacks, the top 5% of earners earn $130k or more.

So in other words, the vast majority will never "make it" to their desired income.