Keen on Retirement

I talk a lot in my blogs and podcasts about understanding how to separate the news from the noise. In this Market Update Webinar, Matt Wilson, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at Keen Wealth Advisors, takes a look back at what happened in the second quarter of 2019 in the markets and in the economy. And even more importantly, Matt takes a look ahead at what may be in store for the re...

Picture this: You're not feeling well, so you go to the doctor. There's a great medication for what's ailing you, but the doctor won't give it to you. The reason that medication wasn't prescribed is that the company that makes that medication doesn't pay your doctor. Instead, the doctor gives you another medicine that he says is a "suitable" replacement. After taking the "suitable'' medication for...

"If only I'd gotten in early on Amazon twenty years ago …" It's easy to slip into this kind of thinking when you read about the biggest companies in the world achieving a trillion-dollar valuation. Once upon a time, you could have bought that stock for peanuts, and today you'd be sitting on a fortune! That's why some folks clamor for a seat on the hype train when companies like Uber and Lyft annou...

We've talked many times on this podcast about the most effective ways to use your time and money to create real, lasting happiness. One of the great joys of my life has been working with Angel Flight Central, a volunteer organization that provides free transportation to folks whose medical and financial needs make commercial travel impossible. I was so honored when Angel Flight appointed me to its...

We're always happy to hear from Keen on Retirement listeners! On this week's show, we're answering a question from Chuck in Los Angeles that we've also been fielding from some of our clients at Keen Wealth: Hi Bill, I looked through your podcasts in search of one dealing with reverse mortgages. From what I have seen in the L.A. Times, this can be an important subject for retirees. I was hoping you...

In my experience, the folks who have the most positive financial outcomes are often the ones who are the most engaged in the planning process. Now, that doesn't mean I expect my clients to become expert portfolio managers! But if you're working with a fiduciary advisor who is paying close attention to the issues of the day, you're likely to feel more at ease about your investment strategy and more...

"If something happened to me, what would happen to my family?" I know this question is on the minds of many of the clients at Keen Wealth. It's also the question that inspired my guest on today's podcast, Polly Bartle Blomquist, to transition from family law to elder law and estate planning. "After I had kids, I realized the gravity of parenting," Polly remembers. "Really, families did not know th...

"50% of small businesses close." How many times have you read some variation of this headline, or heard that number thrown around in casual conversation? You might have even used this "conventional wisdom" to talk yourself out of starting your own company. Fifty percent makes it sounds like your odds of success are on par with flipping a coin and guessing heads or tails. But that's the tricky thin...

In March of 2009, the markets bottomed out in the aftermath of the housing crisis and bank collapses. Gigantic financial institutions teetered on bankruptcy and scrambled for government support. Millions of ordinary folks lost their homes or their jobs, and all saw their retirement savings decline in value. In the moment, it was hard to imagine how our economy would get back to normal. And yet, 10...

There's never a dull moment in the world of finance! In just the past six months or so the markets have passed some amazing historical milestones. We've reflected on one of the true revolutions in financial services, had a couple complicated runs of volatility, and the country made it through the contentious midterm elections that were fought against the background of some major economic challenge...

When Dr. Daniel Crosby was in his 20s, he had a fateful conversation with his father about what he should do for a living. Dr. Crosby's father was a financial advisor, but young Daniel didn't think finance was a good fit for his interests and skill set. "I remember saying to him, 'Dad, but I'm a people person. I like to study human behavior and you just think about math,' Dr. Crosby says. "He laug...

I know that retirement is just around the corner for many of my regular listeners and readers, and for many of our clients at Keen Wealth. In fact, some of you may have started 2019 with a resolution to make this your last year of full-time work. Once you've decided to retire and that reality starts to sink in, the scope of this life change can be daunting. Well, we've got you covered with this sp...

Earlier this year, Vanguard announced the passing of founder John Bogle, one of the best investors of our time and also one of the true innovators in the financial services industry. Bogle founded Vanguard back in 1974, and one of the very first products they offered was revolutionary: a mutual fund that tracked the S&P 500. Before Vanguard, it was nearly impossible for an individual investor to m...

If you've started to receive 2018 tax info from your financial institutions and can already feel a sense of dread building, let me try to put a more positive spin on this process. At Keen Wealth, we like to remind clients that, to some extent, taxes are a problem of prosperity. Sticking with disciplined savings and investment strategies, even during volatility, could help generate wealth and secur...

At our 21st Annual Holiday Breakfast in December 2018, we presented "Forecast 2019: Anticipating Change." You can listen to Matt's presentation in this podcast, or you can watch full video of the presentation, including data slides, at KeenonRetirement.com.

At our 21st Annual Holiday Breakfast in December 2018, we presented "Forecast 2019: Anticipating Change." You can listen to Bill's introduction in this podcast, or you can watch full video of the presentation, including data slides, at KeenonRetirement.com.

The stock market has recently been acting like that old saying about the weather, "if you don't like it today, just wait for tomorrow." The past few months have been very bumpy in the stock market. Down big one day, up big the next, rinse and repeat. With this bumpiness, we thought it would be a good idea to kick off the 2019 edition of Keen on Retirement by discussing the current state of the mar...

'Tis the season here at Keen Wealth! While folks are wrapping up their holiday shopping and party plans, we're helping clients put a bow on their 2018 finances. This time of year I'm always moved and inspired by how many of our clients are looking outside of themselves, using the assets they've worked so hard for to improve our community and help those in need. On today's show, we discuss how char...

As we discussed earlier this year, 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the IRA and the 20th anniversary of the Roth IRA. For decades, Americans have been using these investment accounts to take control of their retirement planning and provide their families with favorable wealth building vehicles. The Roth in particular has become extremely popular thanks to its tax-free accumulation. And, as more...

Health care was on the minds of many voters during the mid-term elections, and I suspect this will continue to be a hot-button issue. Thanks to advances in medicine, technology, and standards of living, people are living longer and more active lives. However, with increased life expectancy comes higher health care costs and higher insurance premiums that you'll have to account for longer into your...

"Are we going to be OK?" I know some folks are asking themselves and their fiduciary advisors that question after a turbulent month for the markets. We've discussed both current and historical reasons for October's volatility – which again, I have to stress, was perfectly normal and no cause for panic. But I understand that technical and theoretical analysis are cold comfort right now if you're re...

Last week I tried to provide some calm perspective on the recent fluctuations in the markets. Again, in summary: the corrections we're experiencing right now are perfectly normal, and not nearly as scary as some of the headlines would have you believe. One of the main factors that's contributing to this volatile October is the pace and expected duration of the Federal Reserve's current rising inte...

As much as we caution investors against making knee-jerk reactions to the news, your investments and your long-term planning don't exist in a vacuum either. That's why when I attend conferences like the Barron's Top Independent Advisors Summit or the Schwab Impact Conference, I like to come back with a report that I think will be beneficial to my clients and listeners. It's just another way that w...

I suspect that a month or two from now, your inbox and social media feeds will be full of year-end tax-planning checklists and advice articles. But one of our mantras at Keen Wealth is, "get out ahead of issues as early as we can." So on today's show, we help our listeners get a jump on year-end tax planning. If you put off addressing these important items, you're not just wasting time. You could...

The US economy has experienced some incredible gains over the last 40 years. Our GDP (the size of our economy) has tripled. The S&P 500, when you include reinvested dividends, has risen more than 9,000%. Since the 1980s, average household income in the U.S. has risen by one-third after inflation. Couple all that tremendous economic growth with the huge advancements we've made in health care and te...