Retirement Answer Man

Over the past few episodes we have been counting the costs of your wants and wishes in retirement and on this episode, we get down to basics. What are your needs? You may think that defining your needs is the easy part: food, water, shelter, clothing, and healthcare, right? Well, it’s actually a bit more complicated than that. As a matter of fact, defining your needs can be much more complicated t...

How are we supposed to dream big when we are so unsure of how to provide for ourselves in the future? The future seems so unsure after the terrible month of December. Some may be tempted to give up and just put all their money into a safe money market account or cd. You know for certain that you will get 2.5%-4% returns and life wouldn’t seem so scary. On today’s episode, you’ll learn why you want...

What are your wants and wishes in retirement? This generation is redefining retirement. In the past retirement meant sitting on the park bench of life and taking it easy in the golden years. Today’s retirees are active and involved. They are living longer than ever and usually doing so without the safety net of the pension plans that were common in past generations. Since today’s retirees enjoy a...

As the markets worsen and the talk of recession begins are you wondering if you will have enough money in retirement? Are you wondering what you should start doing now to ensure that you can live the life you want? On this episode of Retirement Answer Man, I encourage you to take intentional action so that you can rock retirement. Today you will learn to count the costs so that you can know how mu...

What age are you using to plan retirement? When we think of age we usually think of the number of years that we have lived and not the physical state of our bodies. But maybe we should rethink the way we use age to plan retirement. I recently attended a fascinating seminar about the science of aging that has me rethinking age and retirement. During the Practical Planning segment, I discuss the mer...

Each year I choose one word to be my guiding light throughout the year. On this episode of Retirement Answer Man, I will help you understand why choosing one word can help you rock your retirement plan in the upcoming year. Many people choose the New Year as a time to make resolutions for the year ahead. But narrowing your resolution to concentrate on one word can help you improve your focus so th...

Welcome to the Retirement Answer Man show. On episode 251 we discuss what you can do to battle Alzheimer’s in the Hot Topic segment and Dan Crosby joins me to discuss behavioral investing in the Practical Planning segment. This is the podcast dedicated to helping not just survive retirement, but rock retirement! One way to really rock retirement is to surround yourself with people that are in the...

On episode 250 of Retirement Answer Man we investigate the investment strategy of global diversification. With the U.S. stock market on a tear, is global diversification really worth it? In 2018 international investing has been a drag on our portfolios. As with everything, there are positives and negatives to investing internationally, but it is important to diversify your portfolio. David Stein,...

The end of days is coming! Well, at least the end of days in 2018. This can be a time of year of frantic holiday spending, but you shouldn’t let holiday shopping blow the budget. On this episode of Retirement Answer Man, you’ll learn how not just to rock retirement, but to rock the holidays as well. In the Hot Topic segment, I’ll give you some strategies on how to control your holiday spending. An...

Is thankfulness the key to a happy life and retirement? It seems like everything I read about happiness contains the common theme of gratitude. Being a thankful person can greatly increase your happiness and the Thanksgiving holiday is a wonderful opportunity to give thankfulness a try. So this Thanksgiving edition of Retirement Answer Man focuses on being thankful to help you create your best lif...

November is that time of year when we gear up for the holiday season. Although the season seems to start earlier and earlier each year. Now that we’re in full consumerism mode, it’s great to have some gift ideas to help ease the stress of the holidays. So this year, we’ve come up with 10 gift ideas for gifts that keep on giving. They are not too expensive and have a personal touch that you can app...

With the holidays coming up shortly it can be a troubling time of year for many as they gather together with family that they may not see often. One way to make family time less stressful is by trying to understand differences in personalities. Everyone approaches life differently and it can be a challenge to understand why some people make the choices they do. Gretchen Rubin is the author of the...

Welcome to the Halloween edition of Retirement Answer Man. On this spooky episode, I regale you with 4 scary retirement stories that will haunt you. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t end up living one of these retirement nightmares. You can begin by listening to the Hot Topic segment to discover what solutions you can begin implementing if you are behind in your retirement savings. Listen to...

As exciting as it is, the thought of retirement can be a scary one. By the time you reach retirement age, it seems like you have life all figured out. Now you’ll have to start all over again in the big, scary unknown. Why should you leave the comfort, income, and respect that you have in your career for a life of instability and the unknown? Listeners share their worries as well as their hopes for...

Have you ever wondered what recent retirees wish they had known before they retired? Recently I asked a group of listeners what kind of resources they would get the most value from to help them prepare for retirement. I am creating an online club that will help you Rock Retirement. On this episode, I share with you conversations that I had with listeners about retirement hopes and fears. These lis...

Debt is not a new invention, it has been around for thousands of years. But the modern idea of debt really came into being during the baby boomer generation. The availability of credit has made it so easy for anyone and everyone to get into debt. It comes as no surprise then, that debt among the 65 and over crowd is on the rise. The age-old question of whether you should pay off your house before...

You Asked is back! On this episode of Retirement Answer Man, a listener asks an excellent question about ageism and whether it is possible to find meaningful work after 50. You may not have experienced ageism directly, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a problem. With the United States experiencing an increasingly aging population, there is a large percentage of the population over the age of 50...

Do you have too much stuff? Are you like me? Have you lived in your home for several years and have a lifetime supply of clutter? If you are planning on moving in retirement then you must purge some of this stuff. On the Hot Topic segment, I provide tips on purging. In the Practical Planning segment, I help you discover how to make the most of your new locale. Listen to this episode for valuable t...

Where you live in retirement does not depend on the school district, your job, or having a bigger house for the kids. For the first time in your life you can live anywhere you want with no restrictions. If you are thinking of relocating in retirement then you’ll definitely want to listen to the Relocation in Retirement series of this show. On this episode, we’ll be discussing what the consideratio...

Although most retirees choose to retire in place, I have seen a significant number of my clients choose to move as they retire. Over the next three episodes, we will be discussing relocation in retirement. Retirement and moving are both on the list of top 5 most stressful life event so I want to arm you with as much information as possible to help you get through the challenge of moving in retirem...

For many retirees, retiring is more about time freedom rather than not working. This is why so many people decide to become entrepreneurs and enjoy a pretirement phase of life. My guest on episode 237 is author Mike Michalowicz who helps entrepreneurs learn how to step away from their business. He is the author of three fantastic entrepreneurial books and he has a new book that just released calle...

Have you ever rented a vacation home for a large family gathering? Or have you invited friends to come to visit you while you’re in a vacation rental? That is what my wife and I have decided to do next summer. On this episode of Retirement Answer Man, I give tips for finding and renting a vacation home. During the practical planning segment, I answer several listener questions since this is the la...

On Episode 235 of Retirement Answer Man, I share helpful tips on adulting. Some of us in our 50s and 60s may not have everything in life figured out quite as much as we thought we would by now. I discuss an article that I read recently that has adulting tips that actually include great advice and I add in some (expert) advice of my own. This episode is the third episode in the You Asked series and...

August is listener question month on Retirement Answer Man. The You Asked series devotes the entire 5 weeks to answering listener questions. During the hot topic segment, I discuss an interesting article that I read recently about the stats of alcohol abuse in retirement. You may be surprised to find out that over 3 million older adults abuse alcohol. You may even know someone that abuses alcohol...

Episode 233 is the second episode in the You Asked series. During the entire month of August, I answer listener questions. In the hot topic segment, I confront the constant precursor that begins every financial conversation - “Given this market.” What does this phrase really mean? Why are people suddenly concerned with the markets now, should they be, and just what markets are they talking about?...