Retirement Secrets

For years you’ve been told to think practically, but here’s the thing: that’s not always the best advice when dreaming up your retirement goals. While you might think that you’re doing yourself a favor by not getting carried away, sometimes those big dreams are helpful. Even if you don’t get everything on your list, figuring out what’s most important to you can be instrumental in helping you focus...

Social security is a key component to any potential retirement plan. That said, it’s not always apparent WHEN you should take it or what the ramifications will mean for the rest of your retirement. Well, wonder no more. Greg Kateff, CPA, gives you the ten questions you need to ask yourself before you decide on a social security plan. You might be surprised at what you find out. If you don’t have a...

Your retirement is like a garden, it needs the right environment to grow. You need good soil, sunlight – but you’ll also need shade and water. Focusing on just one of these elements means that you won’t get the results you want. That’s exactly how your retirement works as well. Just focusing on one area of your retirement plan probably won’t get you the growth (or results) that you’re looking for....

Your retirement can bring feelings of joy, anticipation, and in some cases – stress. That’s what we’re here to talk about. Usually, stress happens when you don’t have a plan. Sometimes, it can feel like you’re lost in the woods. That’s why you need a guide to help you figure out your path. When you know where you’re going, it’s as simple as putting one foot in front of the other. This week, we hav...

Retirement is more than a plan or a set of accounts. Retirement should be a memorable, vibrant part of your life. You and your financial advisor can create a strategy now so you can invest in creating lasting memories for generations to come. Whatever your individual or family values are, a retirement plan can be built around them. And don't settle for a minimal retirement. Dream bigger! Listen to...

Remember back in high school there were different cliques: there were the cool kids and then there was everybody else which was just about the entire school. That’s even a common plotline in movies where there are people on the outside looking in. And investing in alternative investments can sometimes feel like you’re on the outside looking in at the few people that actually get to do it. That can...

Social Security is one of the three major drivers of successful retirements. It is vital to unpack, because it can get complicated. That’s why we are excited to welcome Greg Kateff, CPA, onto the podcast to spell out the basics. Greg is a senior level financial and tax planning professional who is expertly positioned to help you understand how your Social Security is calculated, and how and when t...

Estate planning is a huge piece of your retirement that’s easy to set up and crucial to your family’s well-being, so why haven’t you done it? Most folks put it off, either because they’re scared or they don’t want to think about it. Here’s the thing, having an estate plan will give you the confidence to have a truly enjoyable and vibrant retirement. We were lucky enough to have Lisa Walters, a sha...

Retirement planning is a lot like assembling a championship team. You’ll have a whole bunch of different pieces that you’ll need to figure out how to fit together. When you finally find the right combo, that’s when things really start to happen. One key piece that is often overlooked when investing for your retirement are alternative investments. That’s exactly why our guest, Greg Brousseau is her...

Today we are introducing Season 2 of the Retirement Secrets Podcast! We listened to you and have invited guest experts from around the country to discuss the important aspects of retirement planning. Each week, these professionals will give you their secrets for a thriving and fulfilling retirement. Enjoy!

Today’s episode is a quick thank you from Finish Line Financial for listening to the first season of the Retirement Secrets Podcast and a sneak peek of Season 2. Take a listen.

We live in a great country. Is it perfect? Nope, but one of the best parts about being from the US is our spirit of generosity. It feels good to give to charities that you love. Not only that, it’s often advantageous for you to give as part of your retirement strategy. Most folks think you can only donate through cash or check, but today we will give you the three secrets to how millionaires give...

We all like to think that we know what’s coming next in life. Unfortunately, we’ve all had times when life throws us curveballs. Having a plan in those situations is what separates a small problem from a life-changing one. That’s especially true of your retirement savings. So what’s the biggest threat to your retirement? It’s your health. Today we will walk you through what you need to plan for in...

Paul Moore is the Managing Partner of Wellings Capital, a real estate private equity firm in Virginia. In this episode, Paul gives us a peek under the hood on how commercial real estate makes money differently than investing in the stock market. He’ll also explain why commercial real estate has become a favored investment choice among many of America’s wealthiest individuals. We were thrilled to b...

When you hear the word millionaire what image does it conjure up? Furs? Yachts? Keeping-up-with-the-Kardashians-level opulence? As fun as that exercise is, it’s far from the truth. In actuality, millionaires look just like you and me. That’s because becoming a millionaire typically has very little to do with how much you make, and almost everything to do with how much you save. Today, we will teac...

No one likes to think about estate planning, but it is one of THE biggest keys to setting you and your family up for success. One of those key documents is setting up a trust. Now, maybe the easiest way to think about a trust is to picture a box. Within that box you can put anything, bank accounts, investment accounts, even businesses and real estate. On the outside of the box are written instruct...

There’s no machine in the world that can turn back time. That means right now represents the MOST time you’ll ever have to plan for your retirement. That shouldn’t scare you, it should excite you! Here’s the thing: you’re going to have to take care of business first. That means prioritizing some things and pushing other things aside. Today, we give you ideas on how you can take care of business to...

Henry Ford famously said about their flagship model T car. A customer can have any color. So long as it's black. Most folks have a similar idea about their retirement. They’ll work, retire, then take their social security. The problem? When to take your social security isn’t as straightforward as reaching 65 and cranking it up. Depending on your circumstances, it might be more advantageous to star...

Courage doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid. Sometimes the courageous (and prudent) action is to think about the hard things in life and make some tough choices. Failing to do so will put unneeded stress on you – and on your family. The good news? This doesn’t have to be a difficult or drawn-out process to make sure you’re in the best possible position for all contingencies. In this episode, we explore...

We’ve covered in previous podcasts the idea of alternative investments, so today we thought we’d get a little more specific with one: alternative real estate investments. While many people have heard of the benefits of adding real estate to diversify a portfolio, they often only explore traditional real estate opportunities. The reality? There’s so much more out there. One of the biggest alternati...

People spend their whole life saving money for retirement, but just before it happens there’s a big shift. Instead of money going into your account, money starts coming out of your account. Seems obvious, right? It’s a little more complex than you might imagine. That’s why it’s so important that as you get closer to retirement age that generating retirement income stays at the front of your mind.

People spend their whole life saving money for retirement, but just before it happens there’s a big shift. Instead of money going into your account, money starts coming out of your account. Seems obvious, right? It’s a little more complex than you might imagine. That’s why it’s so important that as you get closer to retirement age that generating retirement income stays at the front of your mind.

It seems like social security is constantly in the news. Does it work? Will it run out? How can you maximize your own SS so that it fits into your retirement plan? It doesn’t help that there are so many options for how to disperse your SS -- with very little difference evident to a casual observer. Today’s podcast takes a deep dive into how to maximize your social security options. We’ll give you...

So much of retirement is spent thinking about how we will take care of ourselves that sometimes our loved ones get lost in the shuffle. That can be a problem when talking about leaving a legacy for a spouse, children, or other loved ones. It’s important to make it easy for your family so you don’t end up with a mess later.

As we get older, healthcare plays a larger and larger role in our lives. That’s why it can be so scary for some folks when the possibility of a gap between early retirement and access to medicare happens at age 65. The good news? If you’re proactive then this likely won’t become a problem. How? That’s what we delve into in today’s podcast. Whether it’s COBRA, private insurance, or another option,...