Retirement Success Blueprint With Michael Stewart

Just a quick note to let you know we're changing the name of the show. We are now the "Retirement Success Blueprint Podcast". You can still expect the same great information and financial guidance as before, just with a fresh coat of paint in the form of a new name. A new episode is in the works and coming to you later this week!

This week, we'll discuss 7 items to think about during these economic times no matter if you are still working or if you've already retired. Since you've got some down time at home while we wait things out, consider re-evaluating these crucial pieces of your financial plan. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

It's time for an update on where we stand with the markets, the economy, and retirement planning as it relates to the Coronavirus pandemic. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

Have you ever gotten lost? Not that much fun is it? Well, getting lost in the car or in the woods is a lot like getting lost in retirement planning. Let’s look at the reasons that people get lost, and then how to get back on track... Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

How far out from retirement are you? 15 years? 10? 5? Is it on the doorstep? No matter which stage you’re in, there are some really important things you should be thinking about as you inch closer to that day you call it quits at work. On this episode, we’ll walk through these different stages to see exactly the kinds of things you should be doing from a planning perspective and how your focus cha...

Most people like to think that they always make decisions based on logic and facts, but the truth is that emotions usually play a role for all of us in the decision-making process. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

The idea of a Roth conversion is intriguing to a lot of people, and for some people it can be a great strategy to enact. Let’s explore the concept. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

Let’s pretend like building a retirement plan is like running a farm. There are actually some very cool similarities between farming and building a good retirement plan. Let’s explore them on today’s show. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

A lot of financial professionals say things that just aren’t true. And it’s not that they’re intentionally trying to mislead, it’s just that they’ve been trained to use certain talking points, which they might even believe to be true themselves. Let’s talk about the statements you should be cautious of if you hear them from a financial advisor... Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number:...

Do you believe you need to be completely debt free to retire successfully? Or are you okay carrying some balances beyond your working years? There are many opinions about the best way to handle debt and retirement planning, so we’ll tackle them all on today’s show. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

Sometimes people say they don’t want to retire...and sometimes they really mean it. Other times it’s just a defense mechanism to compensate for the fact that they feel like they can’t retire. So let’s explore some of the possible meanings behind the statement, “I don’t want to retire.” Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

Not everything goes smoothly in your financial life. We’ll look at some negative circumstances that many retirees and pre-retirees face and help you find the silver lining in the midst of tough situations. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

With all of the things in the financial world that you can’t control, why would you sabotage your own retirement by messing up the things you can control? Let’s discuss some ways that people sabotage their own financial health... Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

Sometimes being a good financial advisor means having uncomfortable conversations. We’ll take a look at how advisors should help clients navigate various tricky situations. If you’re going to be working with a financial advisor, make sure they’re pushing you to address these kinds of topics. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

If the variables were the same for everybody, retirement planning would be much simpler. But the fact that everybody is different is what makes it fun. On today’s show, we’ll explain why answers to some of retirement’s critical questions vary from person to person. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

Some people think we’re on the cusp of the next stock market crash. Others predict that we’re just due for a minor correction. And another camp thinks we’ll continue an upward trend. We don’t know who is right or when any of those options will occur. But let’s talk about what the next market crash might look like, even if we don’t know when it will come. Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone...

The last decade of your working life is a very important one from a retirement planning perspective. Let’s talk about some of the things you want to be sure you address during that 10-year period... Website:  https://crystallaketax.com/ Phone Number: 815-526-3092

Today’s episode is simple. We’ll look at some of the most widely believed financial myths and try to bust them wide open. The scary thing is that a lot of people base their financial plans on some of these myths. Don’t be like that.

It's been a volatile start to the month of August 2019, so let's take a few moments to consider how to best adapt your investment strategies to handle the ups and downs of the market. When approaching retirement or in retirement, there's no room for heavy losses. Michael will let us know how we can conserve our hard-earned money so we're protected from - and we can make the most of - market mayhem...

Between wildfires, hurricanes, tornados and floods, there’s always a natural disaster making news headlines. And while life and limb aren’t at stake when it comes to your portfolio, experiencing a financial disaster can still have a catastrophic effect on your life in retirement. Let’s discuss some portfolio disasters that we’ve seen and how to avoid them...

Your 401k can be your most powerful retirement savings tool. But it’s not perfect. Let’s talk about some of the weaknesses that you should be aware of in your 401k (or 403b, or TSP, or 457 plan).

The term “fake news” has become synonymous with the political climate of the past few years. But the phenomenon has spread to other parts of our culture as well. What about fake news in the financial space? We’ll look at some recent news headlines to see if they qualify to be labeled as “fake news”.

There are plenty of proverbs and axioms that aren’t meant to be about money, but we can easily learn a financial lesson from them anyway. We’ll show you the hidden money meanings behind some of these popular sayings...

Some of retirement planning’s most important questions seem so simple at first. They can be asked in just a few words and give the impression the answers are a simple “yes” or “no”. But it’s tricky because many of these questions can become overwhelming to answer. Let’s cover some of the important retirement questions that are harder to answer than you might think.'

If you’re heading out on a road trip this summer, there’s a long checklist of items that you want to be sure you haven’t forgotten. And in retirement planning, some of those exact same items need to be addressed. Let’s look at some of the items that should appear on both your road trip checklist and your retirement planning checklist.