Retirement Starts Today

Do you ever wish you could sneak a peek into someone else's retirement financial plan? Our retirement headline this week does just that. The article,  Some Now More Later , takes a look into Richard Connor's decision-making process as he examines how best to allocate his retirement funds and how he and his wife decided how to claim their Social Security benefits. After the retirement headlines seg...

Welcome back to a new year or Retirement Starts Today Radio! Just as you have been envisioning your retirement, I've been envisioning exciting new things for this podcast.  This year we are kicking off a couple of new additions to the show that I'm particularly excited about. After the retirement headlines, we'll have our new Lead Financial Advisor, Bret, join us as an occasional co-host for the l...

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2050 seems like a long way away, however, it is closer than we think. In this week's retirement headline, I share an article from Richard Archer at  FinanceInsights.net  which explores the future of retirement and the impact that technology has had on the past, present, and future of retirement. In the listener questions segment, I help Bruce with a question about using individual bonds vs bond fu...

Are you fed up with paying state income taxes? Before you pack your bags and move to a no income tax state you'll want to listen to this episode. Moving to a different state to save money on taxes could cost more than you think.  After listening to the retirement headline, make sure to stick around to hear Doug's question about where to save extra money for retirement–my response may surprise you....

Jim is only 3 weeks away from retiring and wants to know my top tips for someone approaching retirement. If you are on the countdown to retirement, make sure to listen to the listener's questions to hear what they are.  In the retirement headlines segment, we'll explore the benefits of using a bucket withdrawal strategy for investments. You may be surprised to hear what the actual benefit of using...

What does a good night's sleep have to do with retirement planning? Listen to this episode to find out.  Today we'll explore an article from Andrea Peterson over at the  Wall Street Journal titled, To Get a Better Night's Sleep, First Fix Your Day . After discussing how to apply her advice to retirement, we'll tackle Bill's questions. Since he has a few questions I'm trying something new and answe...

Deciding whether to delay filing for Social Security is a hefty decision. Waiting to collect Social Security until age 70 will increase your monthly benefit by 32%, but that doesn't mean much if you don't live long enough to reap the rewards of being patient.  In today's retirement headlines segment, I'll share an article written by Jeffrey Levine from Kitces.com that discusses a workaround to the...

Do you wish that there was a list of what to do and what not to do in your retirement? I recently discovered an article from MorningStar.com written by Sheryl Rowling titled  8 Financial Do's and Don'ts for the 7-Figure Retirement , and I thought it would be perfect to share with my listeners. You'll learn several tips that you should consider when planning your retirement. After we analyze the ar...

Have you been wondering how to best prepare for the end of the tax cuts coming up in 2026? One of our listeners is and they would like to know how Roth conversions should factor into planning for the end of those tax cuts. You might be surprised by my response to her question, so don't miss out on the listener questions segment today to hear my answer. If you are Medicare aged you'll want to pay a...

What a difference 18 months makes in the housing market! Many who bought their homes at the peak of the real estate boom are beginning to regret their decision. A recent article from  BuzzFeed  tells stories of remorse experienced by several homeowners who are now in over their heads.  In this episode, we'll explore the homeowners' stories, and compare expert opinions. Finally, I'll close the segm...

There's big news in the world of retirement. The news is so big that we have 2 articles from mainstream media sources to check out in this week's retirement headlines segment. If you've been wondering how inflation will affect Social Security benefits you won't want to miss out on this episode.  Stick around for the listener questions segment to hear how to transition from biweekly paychecks to mo...

Have you been wondering if the 4% rule still applies with a bear market and high inflation? Many financial pundits may have you questioning the validity of this so-called retirement rule of thumb.  In the retirement headlines segment, I share  a recent article  from  Financial Advisor Magazine  that highlights quotes from the creator of the 4% rule, William P. Bengen. After sharing the retirement...

Have you ever thought about purchasing stocks for purpose of generating dividend income? If that is part of your retirement plan, then you won't want to miss this episode. Today we're taking a look at a retirement headline from  MarketWatch  that highlights three considerations to be aware of before jumping into this strategy.  Stick around for the listener questions segment to hear the answer to...

Why don't more people maximize their Social Security benefits? As a financial advisor, I often wonder at the surprisingly low percentage of people who choose not to optimize their Social Security benefit.  Today's retirement headline dives into that question in further detail by analyzing a study with plenty of data. Listen in to learn when many people choose to take Social Security and their reas...

Envisioning what your retirement will look like can often be a challenge, so it may be helpful to hear some examples of people in similar situations. In this week's retirement headlines segment, we'll explore a WSJ article  from Veronica Dagher and Anne Tergesen that interviews 4 retirees who saved enough for a comfortable retirement. Listen in to hear how they spend their time and money.  Make su...

When we envision retirement, we think more about the things we'll do to enjoy our time than about the person that we'll become. My guest today encourages us to change that to spend more time thinking about who we want to be in the future.  Dr. Benjamin Hardy is an organizational psychologist, speaker, and author, in addition to being my coach. I have been involved in Dr. Hardy's coaching mastermin...

Have you been considering a change of scenery in retirement? Before you pack up the house, make sure to listen to today's episode.  In the Retirement Headlines segment, we'll check out an article from Harriet Edelson at  MarketWatch.com  which discusses 6 considerations before moving in retirement. This informative article lists statistics and anecdotal examples that can help you make the relocati...

I'm sure you have heard the news about the recent Inflation Reduction Act, but what will this Act mean to you as a retiree? We'll explore this question by examining an article written by Kelly Anne Smith over at  Forbes .  If politics isn't your thing, don't worry, it's not mine either. I scour the internet looking for the most neutral, least political articles that I can get my hands on. So, if y...

The decision of when to take Social Security is one of the biggest that you will face in retirement. Many people turn to Social Security break-even calculators to help them make the decision, but my guest today insists that this shouldn't be your only deciding factor. Social Security expert,  Devin Carroll from  SocialSecurityIntelligence.com   joins me today to discuss all things Social Security....

You may have seen the news about tennis superstar, Serena Williams' upcoming retirement. In a recent interview, Serena expresses her heartache about her decision. In our retirement headlines segment, we'll explore an article from MarketWatch that compares Serena Williams' feelings with those of many retirees upon their decision to retire.  Afterward, we'll check out a question from our recent list...

Have you ever considered taking a sabbatical from work? If you did take one, would it ruin your career and financial goals? Most companies in the United States don't offer paid sabbaticals like  some in Europe , so doing so would require extensive planning. Jake Northrup at  Kitces.com  recently wrote an article that could help financial planners and DIYers plan how to take a sabbatical without de...

Have you considered moving to a new city in retirement? If you work in the tech industry you may find a city willing to pay you to move there.  In today's retirement headline segment, we'll dive into  an article  written by Christopher Mims at The Wall Street Journal which explores towns that provide incentives to lure highly paid tech workers away from Silicon Valley. Don't miss out on the listen...

Nobody likes to think about their own death but to save your loved ones from the headache of trying to navigate your digital accounts without your passwords, you'll need to set them up for success now. If you don't take steps to share your accounts after your death, gaining access to your data could be a lengthy and challenging process. I recently found an excellent article from Dalvin Brown at Th...

 Many of us have financial goals that extend beyond ourselves to include friends and family. Doing so can be an enormous help to those you love, but it is important to consider your own financial well-being in conjunction with that of the ones you want to help. Today, we'll look at an article that explores how to intentionally offer financial support to your loved ones without deviating from your...