Retirement Starts Today

Many factors should come into play when deciding when to take your Social Security benefit but doomsday headlines shouldn't be one of them. On this episode, you'll hear how Social Security's biggest myth is costing retirees a lot of money.  Don't get caught unaware! Make sure to stick around until the end to hear about a jury duty scam that even I had never heard of.  Outline of This Episode [1:42...

The 4% rule is the "golden rule" of retirement planning. Everyone is familiar with it and it's easy to work out for some quick, back-of-the-napkin math.  Since it is so easy to calculate and implement, many use it as their retirement withdrawal rule. However, this approach may be overly conservative. While using a significantly higher withdrawal rate may go too far, the 4% rule may be too cautious...

Did you know that you can buy gold at your local Costco? However, just because it's easy to buy doesn't mean it's easy to sell.  In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we're exploring gold and its role in your retirement portfolio. To do that, we'll take a look at a retirement headline from WSJ and i'll share my thoughts on the latest gold rush. Make sure to stick around until the end for Kev...

Risk is what is left over after you think you've thought of everything. – Carl Richards Getting to financial independence is job #1, but staying financially independent comes a close second.  To do so you'll need to be aware of the risks that could empty your accounts. Being vigilant of these risks and having a plan to work through or avoid them could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Lis...

There are two ways you can ruin your retirement: running out of money and dying with regret.  If you are listening to this podcast, chances are, you've been a diligent saver and probably aren't in danger of the first one.  That's why, today, we're exploring an article from the White Coat Investor on ways to spend more money.  Don't risk ending your days with regret. Listen in to find out how you c...

It can be easy to forget your age as the birthdays roll around. However, when you're about to turn 65 you'll know. Medicare and all of their relevant service providers won't let you forget.  You may feel inundated with the amount of mail, emails, and even phone calls and text messages, but rather than ignoring all the excess information, it's important to dig in and learn so tha you can make the b...

You've been accumulating your savings your entire life, but when the time comes to draw down your investments, there are new risks. In this episode, we'll discuss four risks that come with the decumulation phase of retirement.  Press play to learn how to avoid these risks in retirement.  Are you looking for a new advisor? One of our listeners is looking for a checklist to help him hire a retiremen...

A lot of us are looking to get in shape in retirement. This is a good thing since part of living an even better retirement is looking after your health and muscle mass. Staying healthier and more active longer will ensure that you are making the most out of your retirement. In addition, maintaining a healthy muscle mass is a huge part of keeping your health as you age. In this episode, we'll explo...

Do you have index funds in your portfolio? Chances are you do!  Our retirement headline today describes the rise of index funds over active funds and why that's important. Discover how index funds connect with my investment philosophy by pressing play now.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] Index funds have grown exponentially over the years [2:23] What are index funds [5:58] How index funds fit into...

Recent legislation has made everyone's favorite college savings plan a little more flexible. Funds in a 529 plan aren't as locked up as they used to be now that your children's unused college funds can be rolled into a retirement account. In this episode, we'll discuss an article from the White Coat Investor which explores how the 529 can be rolled into a retirement account. We'll discover the ben...

It may be easy to define success in your working career, but defining success in retirement can be more difficult. What does success look like in retirement? What will you do daily or weekly to get the most out of your retirement? In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we'll explore a TEDx talk about the 4 phases of retirement that many (but not all) experience. Click play to hear how you can...

Due to last year's poor market returns, you've probably seen the headlines that the 60/40 portfolio is dead. But is that really the case?  This week's retirement headline explores the history of this classic retirement investment strategy. After we tackle the headlines, Bret and I team up to consider the best places to move in retirement. Listen in to hear where not to move.  Outline of This Episo...

There are many ways that could threaten your financial security in retirement. Knowing the common issues can ensure that you don't fall into the traps.  Today's financial headline comes from Yahoo Finance and is called 8 Ways Baby Boomers Become Poor in Retirement . Listen in to learn what they are so that you don't drive yourself into the poorhouse.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] 8 ways to becom...

We all want to retire, but have you considered how you would like to transition to retirement? This week's retirement headline article shares some interesting statistics on phased retirements: who is thinking about them, who is utilizing them, and what people think about them. Listen in to learn the findings. Then stick around for our listener question surrounding stock positions, diversification,...

Once upon a time, there was a prediction that the baby boomer generation would face a retirement crisis. So how did this gloom and doom projection turn into the wealthiest generation in history? Listen in to find out. Make sure to stay tuned for the listener question: What is the best way to fund a large expense without a large tax bill? Outline of This Episode [1:37] The accuracy of predictions [...

You've heard of the 4% rule, and if you've listened to this podcast before, you've heard of Guyton's guardrails strategy. But have you ever heard of using them together? Today's retirement headline explores this idea.  Overall, the article highlights the importance of considering sequence-of-returns risk in retirement planning and adopting flexible strategies, such as guardrails, to ensure financi...

Is it possible to suddenly step away from a high-powered job and into a life of leisure? This may not be the best idea for your retirement if you work at the executive level.  In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we'll explore an article from Harvard Business Review that outlines several pitfalls that could come with retiring from a high-powered job and insights on how to navigate them.  St...

There are two ways to mess up retirement: run out of money or die with regret. Oftentimes, people in the retirement space only focus on the running out of money part.  In an effort to help you live an even better retirement, today's retirement headline discusses the regret part. Join me to learn five expenses that retirees wish they had spent more money on so that you can learn from their mistakes...

If you want to spend more money in retirement you'll want to understand how to maximize your Social Security benefits. Many people think that there is no going back once you've decided to collect your Social Security benefits. However, today's retirement headline discusses two options in case you'd like a do-over.  In our listener question segment, one listener asks the best way to pass on their a...

Tax season is here so when I found  this article from Morning Star to share some tax tips for you. Your tax bill will be the largest bill you pay in retirement. If you want to reduce it, make sure to press play.  Helping clients save money on taxes and avoid common investment mistakes is an important task for financial planners. If you don't have a financial planner, that means you are your own fi...

Some tax breaks aren't worth the hassle of pursuing them, however, today's example is definitely worth the hassle! If you are charitably minded you'll want to listen to learn about the advantages of making qualified charitable distributions. Discover how to increase your standard deduction while enjoying charitable tax benefits.  Stick around for the listener question to hear a great way to start...

Planning retirement spending is tough to do since there are so many unknowns. Many people tend to take a fear-based approach and rely on the 4% rule. Some even take a step further and spend less of their nest egg. Today's Retirement Headline urges you to take a different approach. Listen in to hear what the article advises and my thoughts on the matter. Then stick around for the listener question...

I don't know about you, but I want to stay active and healthy for as long as possible. That's why when I saw this  Forbes article I knew I wanted to share it with you.  If you want to learn how to age gracefully and maintain your vitality, you won't miss this episode. Then, stick around to hear my answer to the question: why do some people have a hard time with retirement? Outline of This Episode...

As you probably know by now, Bret and I are here to help you spend more money and spend less in taxes so that you can live an even better life in retirement.  This week we're helping you do that by sharing some lessons that we learned from our clients' fall tax meetings. If you enjoyed our Lessons in Estate Planning episodes last spring, you'll love hearing what we learned from our clients this fa...

Would a 0% tax rate help you live an even better retirement? In this week's Retirement Headline, we'll explore a WSJ article titled  How You Can Grab a 0% Tax Rate . If that doesn't pique your interest, I don't know what will! Listen in to hear how you can learn to plan so that you can take advantage of a 0% tax rate on capital gains income. This episode originally aired in August 2023.