RETIREMENT MADE EASY

Did you know that some months are better than others when it comes to retiring? What month YOU should retire depends on numerous factors, like what you do for a living, health insurance, your retirement portfolio, and even  the weather.  We'll cover it all in this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast.  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [0:26] The top 5 episodes...

What can you do to help you achieve your goal of retiring at age 70? When you write goals down, you increase your odds of completing them by 10x. So the first thing you can do to increase your odds of retiring at 70 is to write down: "My goal is to retire at age 70." Now, you need to write down other things you can do to maximize your chances of reaching your goal.  You might write down, "I will d...

Yes, you read the title right—there  are  some questions that I can't answer. In this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, I dissect questions submitted by Jerry, Dean, and Jean. All three asked great questions that I just can't answer. So in this episode, I'll explain why I can't answer them, the information I would need to give an informed answer, and things each listener needs to questi...

Roth conversions are a useful tool that you should consider taking advantage of as you approach retirement. If you have a Roth IRA, it would grow tax-free for life. When you take withdrawals in retirement, they will be tax-free. With a traditional IRA, you pay taxes whenever you take withdrawals. So if you take a $5,000 withdrawal, you have to pay Federal and State income taxes. But  when  should...

This episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast is a mix of the old and the new. I revisit some listener questions that are currently relevant as well as answer a NEW question that's debunking a once-popular social security disbursement method. What is it? You'll have to give this episode a listen to learn more.  < < < < < < < < < < < < < < >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You will want to hear this episode if yo...

Mcdonald's has over 38,000 restaurants across the world. They've closed all of their locations in Russia, which equates to about 2% of McDonald's restaurants. Other companies—such as Apple—are following suit. How will those companies' actions impact your portfolio? Before sanctions, Russia's stock market represented about 2% of the Emerging Market Index (MSCI). With the sanctions, the MSCI is kick...

Years ago, a gal I'm going to call "Robin" came to us and asked about our pre-retirement assessment. She wanted to retire at the end of the year and wanted to make sure she was on track. She brought us 401k, IRA, social security, and pension statements. She was curious how much she had to live on in retirement. We could NEVER have predicted what happened next. Listen to this episode of Retirement...

What is long-term care insurance? Do you  need  long-term care insurance? How much does it cost? When should you buy it? Is it a good deal— or is it a ripoff ? Long-term care insurance is a necessity for some and completely unnecessary for others. You want to make informed decisions about your future. That's why I'm going to share how it works and what it covers in this episode of The Retirement M...

A listener recently messaged me and said that investing in the stock market—when it's this volatile—feels like gambling at a casino. Intrigued by her observation, I dove into some research. In this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I share the results of my research and answer the question:  Is investing in a volatile market the same as gambling?  Don't miss it! You will want to hear this episode i...

Does the volatile stock market make you uneasy? It's easy to lose sight of the purpose of your investments when you're reading the latest headlines or watching the news—especially with what's happening with Russia and Ukraine. The market seems to be plunging in response. I  understand  why this makes you uneasy. That's why in this episode of Retirement Made Easy I help you decide what to do with y...

The average non-smoking 62-year-old couple has a life expectancy of 30 years (living until age 92). That means the average couple needs to plan for a 30-year retirement. So how do you calculate the Rate of Return (RoR) that you need to make on your investments to fully fund your retirement?  Calculating the RoR you need is one of the most crucial elements of retirement planning. You don't want to...

How do you factor social security into a retirement plan? What is my process? What do people do wrong with social security because they don't understand how it works? In this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, my goal is to simplify social security benefits to help you make an informed decision. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [3:15] How to get a FREE retir...

How can you increase your productivity and effectiveness to reach your goals? There are two things I implement in my personal and professional life that have transformed my productivity. Even better, one of the strategies is backed by solid  Harvard research. Tune in to this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast to learn more!  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [...

Should you consider a part-time job when you retire? What about utilizing passive income streams? How does a passive or part-time income in retirement impact your social security benefits? I share some facts about social security benefits in retirement—and how they might be impacted by an income—in this episode of Retirement Made Easy. Don't miss this one! You will want to hear this episode if you...

One of my listeners completely disagreed with what I said in episode #41, " Thinking of Investing in Gold? Think Again ." He was risk-averse and viewed gold to be a good hedge against inflation. He brought up the declining value of the dollar and how gold would react to that. In this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I'll share the research I provided to this gentleman and why I STILL don't believe...

Your retirement nest egg  has  to last the rest of your life. There's a lot at stake. So what happens when you face an emergency like a market crash? Because crashes are inevitable and a natural part of the cycle, you must plan for them. That's why you need to get a retirement parachute in place. Learn more about why a retirement plan is so important in this episode of the Retirement Made Easy pod...

  There are many ways you can do your retirement investing, from do-it-yourself platforms like Vanguard to the exclusive advice of Financial Advisors. If you want to go the route of working with a Financial Advisor, you need to understand how they are paid and how that impacts the service you will receive. Most importantly, it's important to know how you can quantify the value a financial advisor...

One of the most common questions asked of financial advisors who specialize in helping people plan for retirement is the main question that makes our services necessary: How much money is needed for an adequate retirement fund? There are a handful of ways to answer the question and I try to walk through them in short order on this replay episode of the podcast. You will want to hear this episode i...

I love making podcast episodes as practical as possible and nothing is more practical than the real-life questions and scenarios that listeners pass my way. I decided to end up the year with a handful of episodes that focus exclusively on the questions my listeners have submitted. In this episode, you're going to hear practical advice, in language you can understand. You can submit your questions...

It's always fun to hear from listeners and to field questions about retirement and retirement-related financial issues. I publish my podcast to help people deal with those issues with wisdom and insight, so they can live a better life in retirement. This episode is not just another listener question episode — it's the BEST questions I've received over the past week. There are so many decisions to...

I love answering questions from you, my listeners. Each of you has unique situations and goals for your retirement and I understand that sometimes you need to hear someone speak directly to the specifics you're facing. That's why I've decided to answer listener questions. If you'd like to ask a question of your own, you can submit a question at the website (listed below). This episode I'll cover a...

As we head into a new year, the typical changes the government makes regarding retirement accounts and government healthcare are being announced. It looks like we're going to see changes to 401K accounts and changes to Medicare premiums. Some of these changes are pretty significant, especially in light of the high rate of inflation and increased cost of living we're experiencing at the moment. Thi...

Is it possible that you could be FORCED to buy Long-Term Care Insurance? Well, it's happened in the State of Washington. Could your State be next? I can't predict which States will follow suit or in what time frame, but I do believe this is only the beginning of this kind of legislation… and I think it's a BAD idea, at least the way Washington has implemented it. This episode will address what's w...

This episode is based on a book by Dr. Frank Luntz, " What Americans Really Want...Really: The Truth About Our Hopes, Dreams, and Fears ." Dr. Luntz has led focus groups and conducted numerous surveys on Americans to gather research about what Americans want. So in this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I cover the 7 most common worries of retirees as well as answer some listener questions! You wil...

This is one of THE most popular episodes I've aired—and for good reason. The bucket strategy is an easily understandable approach to retirement savings that actually works. This simple strategy can help you reach your retirement goals. In this throwback of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, we'll cover the purpose of a rainy-day bucket, how to create a bucket that will sustain your retirement, and...