My Retirement Clarity with Lee Perkins

Everybody wants to make money, but nobody wants to lose it. In today's episode, Lee discusses a specific investment strategy that aims to limit downside risk while offering attractive upside potential. This strategy, known as a Defined Outcome ETF or Buffered ETF strategy, provides a unique approach to investing, especially in uncertain times like the current economic environment. While this strat...

Don’t get us wrong. In many cases, your 401(k) can be your best investment vehicle, offering numerous benefits and tax advantages and many times a 100% return on some of your contributions (also known as an employer match). However, it's important to recognize that it might not always be the optimal choice for everyone. Join us in this thought-provoking episode as we dissect some reasons why someo...

In today’s episode, Lee will talk about one of the most important discussions you should have with your family once you enter the fourth quarter of your life. Although talking about what will happen to your money and possessions once you pass away can be uncomfortable, this conversation is critical. Doing so has the potential to preserve and safeguard the bonds within your family and avoid unneces...

Picture this: You're at your retirement party, finally ready to enjoy your golden years, but worries caused by some bad money habits have robbed you of fully enjoying the sweetness of the day. It happens to more people than you think, which is unfortunate because with just a little bit of modification, you can rid some of the worst money habits from your life and set yourself up for retirement suc...

Recently, the media has been flooded with information about the debt ceiling issues, fueling fears and speculation. However, it's important to recognize this as political theater, with each side playing their role and blaming the other. In this episode, Lee dives into the reality behind the scenes, reminding you that this is not a unique event and that the debt ceiling has been raised numerous tim...

Are you ready to take control of your finances during life's most pivotal moments? In this episode, we dive into the complex world of financial decision-making during key life events. From the excitement of marriage and the joy of welcoming a new child to the challenges of divorce and the loss of a loved one, Lee will provide practical tips and guidance to help you make informed decisions and main...

Is the TSP, also known as the Thrift Savings Plan, truly the greatest investment platform of all time? There are a lot of people that would answer yes to this question, so in today’s episode, we’ll explore any potential shortcomings it may have. Specifically, we will dive into a recent conversation between Lee and a client who had their funds in a TSP.    Here’s what we’ll discuss in this episode:...

From time to time, we like to look at issues faced by people in other professions outside of the financial world and see what kind of retirement planning lessons we can learn from them. In today’s episode, we’re seeing what we can learn from teachers and the issues they face. Let’s look at how homework, standardized testing, and customized learning approaches relate to financial planning.   Here’s...

Artificial intelligence has made massive improvements lately, impacting almost every industry. There has been a lot of chatter about this taking over the financial sector as well. So, is artificial intelligence good or bad for the advisor world? We’ll talk about this and more on today’s show.   Here’s what we’ll discuss in this episode: Technology has advanced tremendously. (1:48) Lee’s recent exp...

How do you measure success in retirement? While having enough money saved for retirement is important, it shouldn’t be the only measuring stick for success. In this episode, we explore three other areas to consider when measuring retirement success: time, self-worth, and ideal days.   Here’s what we’ll discuss in this episode: Lee shares about his weekend in St. Simons, Georgia (1:39) Measuring re...

We’re back with another mailbag episode! We’ve received some excellent listener questions recently, and we’re going to dive into a few of them on today’s show. Stay tuned to gain valuable insights and practical solutions to real-life financial challenges and questions. In today’s episode, we’ll discuss protecting your savings and investments from current economic uncertainties, what to do once you...

As most of us know, navigating Social Security can be a challenge, and unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about there about this important benefit. With so much confusion surrounding this topic, we’re here today to set the record straight. In this episode, we’re debunking the most common myths about Social Security and answering the questions you've been curious about.   Here are the...

Lee has been working in the financial industry for over 16 years, and during that time, has encountered a wide variety of financial planning questions. However, there is one question that seems to come up more frequently than any other: "How much do I need to retire?" Is one million enough for everyone? Although it appears to be a straightforward question, we’re going to dive into the complexities...

As you prepare for retirement, you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to secure your financial future. We’ve talked a lot on this podcast about strategies to help you grow your wealth for retirement, but it’s just as important to consider the risks that could wipe out your savings entirely. On today’s episode, we’re covering the two big ways that you could lose every dime you have,...

Are you tired of one-size-fits-all financial advice that doesn't quite fit your unique needs and goals? There are many types of personalities out there when it comes to financial matters, and we’ve found that most of our clients fall into one of the categories we’ll discuss today. In this episode, we’ll explore how understanding your financial personality can help you make more informed financial...

Do you ever feel like your retirement planning goals are always moving? You're not alone. We’ve found that people often move the goalposts in their own retirement planning, often to their detriment. In this episode, we're diving deep into the psychology of retirement planning and the dangers of moving the goalposts. Here are some of the topics we will cover in this episode: Holding onto excess cas...

In this episode, we’ll highlight the most common financial fears and discuss how to address them in your retirement plan. Whether you are worried about running out of money during retirement or aren’t sure how to find the best financial advisor for your situation, this episode will help you face these fears head on.  Here are some of the topics we will cover in this episode: The fear of running ou...

We work with some tremendous savers who worked hard and sacrificed to build a nest egg, and that mindset isn’t easy to move away from. Many of those same savers are afraid to spend their own money once they’ve reached retirement. So what can you do to embrace that mindset shift? We’ll share a recent conversation we had about this and discuss some ways you can address the problem.   Here’s some of...

After being discussed in Congress for nearly a year and a half, the SECURE Act 2.0 passed in January. This follows the original piece of legislation that took effect at the beginning of 2020. With a list of nearly 100 provisions, there’s too much to sort out in one show. Instead, we want to highlight a few of the planning opportunities that could affect most retirees.   Here’s some of what you’ll...

If you’ve been a good saver for most of your life, you might find yourself in a position at retirement where you want to try to live off the interest the money can make you rather than tapping into your nest egg. It’s a great idea and would go a long way toward protecting your money, but is it a realistic goal? In today’s episode, Lee is going to tell you why living off the interest in retirement...

In this episode, we want to set some well-thought-out goals that we can plan for and work hard to achieve. We’ll do that in the area of business, finance, and personal goals with the help of Lee today to give you some things to strive for in every area of life.   Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: What personal goals has Lee set for the year? (2:33) Relationship goals for 2023. (6:1...

Nobody enjoys taxes, especially while they’re working because they eat into so much of our paycheck. But what about retirement? How should we be planning for taxes when we’re no longer working? That’s the topic for this episode of the podcast and we’ll dive into it by addressing four of the most common questions we get from pre-retirees or those that just recently retired. Here’s some of what you’...

In this episode, we’ll cover some of the top rookie mistakes we see people make, and illustrate how to avoid them or how to fix them if you’ve already made some mistakes in your financial life. Plus, we’ll tell you about a recent trip we made to the golf course that included a hole-in-one. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: How investing without a purpose becomes a problem. (3:26) W...

Most folks enjoy spending money, and it’s pretty easy to do when you’re working because that paycheck gives you a safety net. But how do you spend money in retirement in a way that gives you the best chance of not running out of money? Today we’re going to give you four retirement spending strategies that you might want to consider.   Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: We break reti...

The final two weeks of this 2022 football season have been incredible for Georgia fans, but every college football fan had to enjoy the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. As we were watching all this football during the holidays, we started to realize that there are some really great lessons we can take from the sport so many of us love. So we started compiling them over the past couple o...