Retirement Answer Man

Latest Episodes:

#162 - The Problem with Retirement Planning and How to Fix It Mar 22, 2017

Show notes

Welcome back to the Retirement Answer Man Show. I’m Roger Whitney and I’m sad to say it, but Retirement Planning is broken! The mainstream retirement planning method that has worked for years is falling short in our modern world. It is frustrating, disappointing, and fails to give you the leverage you need to create a great retirement. In this episode, we will dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly of modern retirement planning and you will see why it no longer offers an empowering course of action. Fear not. There is a better way and I will tell you what it is in this episode. Make sure you listen to this one. Modern Retirement Planning is broken.

Mainstream retirement planning is based on numbers, not people. You, your lifestyle goals, and your assets are plugged into a formula. The outcome is a rigid plan based solely on the numbers. It rarely offers you an encouraging plan and you are left with next to no levers to pull to create your ideal retirement. Change is inevitable. We must adapt to it. But the modern retirement plan is not flexible and you might end up without options. An effective retirement plan is one that looks at each person as what they are, a person. You are not a number in a formula, you are a human being and you have unique goals, desires, and beliefs that need to be considered while planning for your future. Modern planning is rigid and impersonal but there is a better way. Listen to this episode to learn more. Hiring a retirement planner is not always a recipe for success.

We can all agree that using an online retirement planning service will result in an impersonal plan, but is working with a retirement planner a better option? Sometimes it can be, but often times it won’t result in a flexible and encouraging plan. Planners will listen to you and hear your goals and dreams but in the end, you are still plugged into a formula and have to deal with the rigid outcome; an outcome that does not inspire action, is not flexible enough to adapt to change and does not encourage you to chase your dreams. Working with a retirement planner might give you an educated prediction of the future, but it’s only a guess. Listen to this episode to discover a better way! What worked for your parents might not work for you.

Mainstream retirement planning was once effective. It worked for our parents, but it’s not working for our generation. Why? There are many reasons, one of which is pensions. Our parents had pensions and they provided for most of their retirement years. Some of you have pensions and that’s great. But we are faced with an average of 30 years of life after we retire that we have to plan for. A pension won’t fully cover it so we need to get creative with our assets and goals. Our parents also lived more simply that we do. Retirement often consisted of sitting on the porch watching the neighborhood children play. Today we are presented with the opportunity to live our lives in ways that we have not been able to previously, and that costs money. Creativity and flexibility are the keys to a good retirement plan and on this episode, I’m going to give you an idea what that could look like for you. Don’t miss it! Agile Retirement Planning may be the key

Agile Retirement planning is a method I have developed to work with the challenges of our modern world and provide you with options to create an ideal retirement. It’s adaptive and focuses on managing change rather than predicting the future. This will give you flexibility and hope when challenges present themselves. It allows you to be in control of your retirement rather than putting your trust entirely in chance or in your retirement planner. I’m going to dive deep into the 4 main impacts that I have seen in my client's lives as we have worked through the agile retirement method. Make sure you listen to the whole show to get it all. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:30] Today’s retirement planning method is broken.
[1:00] Stan and Barbara’s retirement plan
[10:49] Why mainstream retirement planning falls short.

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[12:36] Will a retirement planner help you create a reasonable solution?
[16:30] Working with a retirement planner usually yields the same results as doing it yourself would.
[19:50] Mainstream retirement planning is “rigid” and has a negative impact on you.
[21:10] What worked for your parents probably won’t work for you.
[25:45] Agile retirement planning and why it works.
[29:07] Real life impacts of Agile Retirement planning.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Contact Roger: http://www.rogerwhitney.com/retirementanswers/
Roger’s retirement learning center: www.RogerWhitney.com/learn
The Retirement Answer Man Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RetirementAnswerMan

#161 - Simple Living In Retirement Mar 15, 2017

Show notes

We all have heard the term living simply and possibly associate it with a minimalistic lifestyle. Is there a way we can take the concepts of simple living and apply that to our retirement plan without compromising what is important to us? On this episode of the Retirement Answer Man, we will look at the costs of a large lifestyle and the benefits of simplifying. We all know that a larger house costs more, not only up front but also in the day to day maintenance. Not only that but it is human nature to acquire “stuff” to fill the space in which we live. The larger our house, the more “stuff” we collect. Listen to this episode to hear my advice on how approaching retirement planning with a simplicity mindset can give you amazing confidence and stability. Home Ownership is great, but it doesn’t define us.

Home ownership and the American Dream go hand in hand, don’t they? We are taught that one of the first steps, after embarking out on your own or getting married, is to buy a house. In my case, it was a 1600 square foot home. From there I soon felt the need to upgrade to a larger house with a larger back yard that I could outfit for the kids and give us space to grow. This might sound like a common situation and it is. Many Americans go through this same journey and it’s not always a bad journey. However in my case, by following the path of our culture we ended up building a cage that trapped us financially. In this week’s show, we’ll address whether or not Home Ownership as our culture sees it is best for retirement and if there is a better way to go. Stay tuned! I’m not rich, is there a normal person’s retirement plan?

Some of you might be saying, “Roger, I’m not rich. The retirement plans you have been outlining don’t fit me.” You are totally correct, what we have outlined so far on this show is not the average American retirement. That is why I will be creating a “normal” person's retirement plan with someone who might not have as many assets or an adequate nest egg. If you feel something like this would help you in your journey towards retirement, make sure you listen to this episode as well as future episodes to find out what I’m planning. Buying my home limited my ability to build wealth.

Building wealth and acquiring assets is arguably one of the biggest parts of planning for retirement. Without adequate savings or a means of sustainable income, we can’t expect to retire and keep our desired lifestyle. When my family and I upgraded to a larger home we essentially built a cage around us, a cage of financial obligations. The yard needed to be maintained, the house needed to be cleaned, and the mortgage and taxes had to be paid. These obligations limited my ability to build future wealth for my family and lessened the effect with which I could create assets. If our mindset had been different, we could have enjoyed close to the same lifestyle without the possibility of compromising our future. Listen to this episode to hear a better solution. Living simply gives us the ability to say “yes.”

Every decision we make in life comes with its own set of obligations. When we choose to live largely we often find ourselves obligated to maintain our lifestyle, or at least pay for it. This can limit our ability to be spontaneous and enjoy the experiences of life. Living simply can reduce the number of obligations in our life, freeing us up to say “yes” to those opportunities that we might otherwise have had to forgo. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:31] Home ownership and the American Dream
[2:34] My average housing expense.
[3:30] Bobby’s housing change.

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[5:21] SJ and her simplified retirement plan.
[7:22] Getting an accurate idea of your living expenses.
[9:31] Is living in a trailer bad?
[12:46] My housing choices hurt my ability to build wealth.
[14:43] Simplifying our lives can enable a successful retirement.

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT
[20:21] Living simply gives you flexibility to say “Yes”
[21:00] My trip to Mongolia
TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

[21:15] Look for ways to say “Yes”

#160 - Certainty Is Absurd: How To Deal With Uncertainty. Mar 08, 2017

Show notes

Welcome back to the Retirement Answer Man show. I am Roger Whitney and I’m so excited to have you with me. Today we will be talking about certainty in retirement and how it is, in fact, absurd! The only thing that is certain in life is uncertainty. No matter how hard we try to plan for the future we can never be 100% certain things will turn out the way we’ve hoped. Things will go wrong and we have to find a way to deal with uncertainty. If you follow the guidelines I lay out in this episode, you can feel confident in your future retirement and your ability to cope with the changes ahead. Be sure to tune in to hear this great advice. You’ve planned well for retirement. GREAT! You may still have to live in a trailer.

Regardless of how well we plan for our future retirement, the unexpected can always happen. Interest rates may fall, taxes may skyrocket, your health may decline, and the government might go bankrupt. If these things happen, your well thought out plan is worthless. You may be forced to live in a trailer. Uncertainty is the only thing we can accurately plan for. But don’t doubt the importance of a retirement plan. Having a plan and being ready for the possibility of unexpected changes will help you cope with them when they come. If you remain willing to make small changes the big disasters will not affect you as drastically as they may affect others. Dealing with uncertainty comes down to being willing to compromise in little areas all through life. Doing so will allow you to be flexible and keep your priorities where they need to be even if things go horribly wrong. Our world is changing rapidly, how can we ever hope to plan for the future?

In the last several decades we have seen the decline of the physical retail market and the rise of the online market. We have seen the birth of mobile technology that makes it possible to work from home and stay connected on the go. There is no denying that change in our modern world is real and is drastically reshaping our economy and life. On this episode of the Retirement Answer Man, a listener wants to know how we can effectively plan for retirement in light of the massive change we see around us. Many of you may doubt that a reliable plan can be created, but I encourage you to not give up hope. In this episode, I talk about how to keep your mind set on your priorities and be flexible so that you can adapt to the change. The verdict is in, will Kim and Joe be able to retire?

We just held the Retirement Plan Live Webinar with Kim and Joe and we found out if their ideal retirement plan will work or not. Make sure you listen to this show to find out the details. Many of you wrote in with questions and observations about the live webinar and its outcome. Today I will share a few of those questions and hopefully give you some answers. Listen to this episode to learn how the concepts we applied to Kim and Joe can help you in your retirement planning. Go deeper to avoid a catastrophe.

This week I received some heartbreaking news regarding an acquaintance. It’s possible the situation could have been prevented if little problems were taken care of early on. Often times we never know how big of a problem something is until it has blown up and forever changes our lives. Our culture often tends to steer us away from digging deep into our life and relationships to find the hidden problems. If it appears fine on the surface we don’t see a need to look any further. Listen to this episode of the Retirement Answer Man to hear my advice on how to find those small problems and stay vigilant in the face of uncertainty. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:30 ] Living in a Trailer
[2:31] The power of managing change.

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

[4:43] Kim and Joe’s retirement plan did not work.
[7:23] Info on how you can get access to the replay of the webinar.
[12:05] Why is managing change so important?
[15:05] Is our inflation projection accurate?
[19:50] Is a rollover from a 401K to an IRA a good strategy?
[25:28] Change is occurring so rapidly, how can we plan our future in light of the change?

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[8:17] Do most aspects of retirement turn out as expected?

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

[37:08] Are we intentional on a deep level, with our relationships and with ourselves?

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

[39:15] Go have and earnest conversation with someone you love.

#159 - Make your net worth work for your retirement not against it! Mar 01, 2017

Show notes

Hey, there, and welcome back to the Retirement Answer Man show. I’m Roger Whitney and I am THE Retirement Answer Man. This week’s show is all about Net Worth. Today I answer several listener questions regarding net worth statements. I also offer a caution about the dangers of comparisons in your retirement planning and how they can ruin your well-made plans. I’ll help you set your focus where it should be so that even though you can’t fully avoid comparisons, you can assure they will have minimal effect on you and your retirement. Make sure you take the time to catch this episode, your retirement will thank you! Playing the comparison game could cost you your retirement.

We all do it. We compare ourselves to others. We compare our car, our job, even our net worth. While this is a natural part of human nature, it can be a very dangerous game to play. Comparing ourselves to others takes our focus off of our goals and what we need to do to accomplish them and puts the focus on our perceived value in relation to others. Comparing ourselves to someone with a higher net worth can make us feel discouraged, hopeless and possibly cause us to give up. On the other hand, if we compare ourselves to someone who’s net worth is lower than our own, we may feel so proud of our achievements that we stop working hard towards our goals. Even though comparisons are inevitable, there is a way you can focus on what is important. Listen to this episode to find out how. I have a negative net worth, is there any hope for me?

Many people find themselves in this situation. It has become normal in our culture to live our lives without thinking of retirement only to find ourselves getting older with little savings and next to no assets. This is a scary situation to be in, and one that a listener finds himself in. He asks a question about planning for retirement and working with an advisor even though he has a negative net worth. He wants to know if there is a way to succeed. While the road to retirement is much more difficult when you are in this type of a situation, fear not, it is not hopeless. Listen to this episode to hear the advice I give this listener. Will Kim and Joe be able to afford their ideal retirement? Find out tonight!

Tonight is the Retirement Plan Live webinar where I walk Kim and Joe through the conclusions of our planning and we find out together if they can afford their ideal retirement. You don’t want to miss the exciting end to this year’s Retirement Plan Live. But not everyone can join the webinar, you have to be invited. Listen to this episode to find out how you can get one of these special invitations. I hope to catch you tonight! Taxes. Who likes Taxes? Is there anything I can do to lessen the impact of taxes on my investments?

Taxes aren’t fun, but we can’t escape them and we are forced to deal with them. A listener on today’s show is feeling the tax burden. He has done a good job of building assets but knows that he’ll be forced to draw taxable income during retirement which he fears might push him into a higher tax bracket. He wants to know if there is anything he can do to protect his IRA from heavy taxes. My answer, YES! There are some completely legal steps you can take to lessen the weight of taxes on your investments. You’ll hear my suggestions of how he can convert or draw from his IRA in order to make taxes easier to deal with during retirement. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Contact Roger: http://www.rogerwhitney.com/retirementanswers/

Roger’s retirement learning center: www.RogerWhitney.com/learn

The Retirement Answer Man Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RetirementAnswerMan

#158 - How Binary Thinking Can Ruin Your Retirement Goals Feb 22, 2017

Show notes

Hey, hey - it’s great to have you along for another episode of The Retirement Answer Man. I’m Roger Whitney and I am THE Retirement Answer Man. This episode of the show is all about how the habit of binary thinking can derail your retirement planning goals. What is binary thinking? I’m glad you asked! On this episode, I’m going to walk you through a couple of examples of binary thinking, including one I experienced with a friend of mine in years past, to show you exactly what it is and how it can be detrimental to your life - and your retirement planning. And… I’m going to answer some listener questions about this year’s Retirement Plan LIVE. I hope you’ll make the time to listen. You’ll want to hear this one! What is binary thinking and how can it negatively impact your retirement planning?

On. Off. On. Off. That’s essentially what binary thinking is. It’s thinking in terms of one thing, or another - and nothing else. When you get into the habit of thinking in a binary sort of way, you can miss a whole world full of options that might otherwise be open to you. I hope you can see how bad that can be when it comes to the way you approach retirement planning. This episode, I’m going to give you some example of how you can avoid binary thinking. Is retirement preparation only about saving and investing? Nope. That’s too binary.

On this episode of The Retirement Answer Man, I highlight some good news that comes from the latest stats about retirement savings. Fidelity says that the average household savings rate has gone up to 8%. Wooohoooo! That’s always a good thing. BUT, it’s not the only thing that matters. You can’t ONLY save and invest and expect that you’re going to be all set for retirement. You need to think more broadly, less binary. That way you can make the most of every option you have. On this episode, I’m going to highlight some of the ways you can do that, so be sure you hear these great tips. What are the old stories you need to stop telling yourself?

All of us have, what a colleague of mine calls, “old stories.” They are the things about ourselves that perhaps USED to be true but are no longer true - but we continue to talk (and think) as if they are still true. For example, you’ve heard me talk on the show about how I almost ruined my marriage because of the self-centered way I was living. If I continue to think of myself in those terms even though I’ve changed, I could sabotage my own ability to move my life forward. When it comes to our ability to build a great retirement, those old stories can be especially damaging. On this episode, we’re going to dive into what you can do to avoid living according to your version of those old stories. You’ll want to hear this one. Don’t miss this year’s Retirement Plan LIVE webinar. Here’s how you can get in on it!

We’ve wrapped up the podcast episodes of this year’s Retirement Plan LIVE, and like we do every year, we’ll be summarizing and revealing the actual retirement plan for this year’s participants (Joe and Kim) in a LIVE webinar. It’s a fun way to wrap up and for you to see how retirement planning is actually done. You can get in on it via personal invitation. How do you get one of those golden tickets? Listen to this episode to find out! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:29] The story of Ralph - and the trap of binary thinking.
[2:47] The solution to the retirement crisis is somewhere in between the extremes.

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

[4:51] Retirement savings are at an all time high (according to Fidelity)!
[6:15] Savings and investing are only part of the retirement equation.

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[8:52] Q & A about Kim and Joe’s case study from Retirement Plan LIVE.
[11:01] One listener’s concerns about Kim and Joe’s retirement situation.
[13:35] Will Social Security really increase like Kim expected it to?
[17:10] Would it be best for Joe and Kim to knock out their mortgage before retirement?
[20:08] Is it possible to live off $24K a year as one financial guru suggests?
[24:00] How you can get access to the LIVE webinar of this years Retirement Plan LIVE.

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

[24:54] Continue to organize your online passwords - and are the password managers really that safe?

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

[27:21] A group call experience I had… and woman who says she’s too gruff with others.
[28:47] The old stories we tell about ourselves and why we need to STOP.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
www.RogerWhitney.com/blog - find my core values as shared on this episode.
1 Password
LastPass
Contact Roger: http://www.rogerwhitney.com/retirementanswers/
Roger’s retirement learning center: www.RogerWhitney.com/learn
The Retirement Answer Man Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RetirementAnswerMan

#157 - Mitigating Retirement Risks as You Plan For Your Future (Retirement Plan Live Session 3) Feb 15, 2017

Show notes

Well, here we are - at session number three of Kim and Joe’s 2017 Retirement Plan LIVE experience. Today we reach the topic nobody enjoys talking about but that we HAVE to talk about anyway: Retirement Risks. There are many things we need to consider on this episode of the Retirement Answer Man in order to think about retirement realistically and Kim does an amazing job of thinking soberly about the risks that she and Joe will face when they reach retirement. Our goal is to assess them and then address them in their retirement plan. Want to hear how we do it? You can, on this episode. It’s wise to address retirement risks - but they don’t stay addressed.

One of the problems with trying to predict what could happen in the future is that the picture keeps changing. You can address things the way it makes sense today but if the markets change (and they will) or if your financial or health situation changes (and they could), you’re going to have to reassess and re-address the risks you’ve identified. Heck, there could even be new risks by the time you get there. So what do you do? You keep working at it. There’s really no other option. On this episode, I chat with Kim about the risks she sees ahead when it comes to her retirement and we make some tentative plans for the ways those risks might be addressed. I’ll reveal my full suggestions in the upcoming RPL webinar, which you can get in on. Find out how, on this episode. Duct tape solutions to the retirement risks you see are not the best answer.

Do you know what a duct tape solution is? It’s a solution that seems effective at the time but by nature of what it is, it won’t last very long. It’s like putting duct tape on a hose in your car that has sprung a leak. It may get you to the next town but it’s not going to last for a cross country trip. On this episode, Kim and I talk about the possible solutions to some of her retirement risks and discover that some of the things typically used to address those risks may not be the best options. You’re going to enjoy thinking through these issues, so be sure to listen. One of the biggest retirement fears is that you’ll outlive your money.

Almost everyone I talk with about retirement planning has one risk in mind far above all the others when it comes to their retirement: They are afraid that they might outlive the money they have to live on. It’s a very real concern since the longevity rate in our day continues to rise. Are there ways to address this concern other than saying, “Set aside more money?” Kim and I discuss that on this episode as we walk through her Retirement Plan LIVE session today, so be sure you take the time to listen. What if you need expensive medical care, die, and leave your spouse broke?

There is a very real and tragic scenario that happens over and over in modern day America. A married couple plans for their retirement, retires, and is enjoying the fruits of their many years of employment or work, and then one of them is struck with a very expensive disease or medical condition. They use up all their hard-earned money on medical care, and then the ailing spouse dies, leaving the surviving spouse almost penniless. What can be done to mitigate THAT kind of risk? Kim and I talk about the possibility on this episode of the show. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:23] My introduction to this “Step 3” of this year’s Retirement Plan Live.

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

[4:14] Why retirement is riskier than ever before.
[6:00] How income helps us mitigate risks for now. And how it changes in retirement.
[7:26] Watch out for duct tape solutions.

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[12:04] This conversation about the scary stuff: retirement risks.
[13:43] The issue of market risks and how Kim and Joe have typically handled them.
[16:20] Kim’s current mix of stocks VS bonds - and looking toward retirement.
[18:33] Should retirees live on the income of their investments?
[21:17] Fears about inflation and market instability.
[23:25] Is Social Security going to be there for Kim and Joe?
[25:39] What if one spouse dies earlier than expected?
[30:20] The fears of long term care and a surviving spouse’s needs.

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

[32:09] Your assignment: Clarify how to access your digital life.

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

[35:44] Unaddressed risks can make you unhappy, but a repeatable process to address them regularly can give you peace of mind.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
LastPass
1Password
Roger(at)wwkwealth.com
Contact Roger: http://www.rogerwhitney.com/retirementanswers/
Roger’s retirement learning center: www.RogerWhitney.com/learn
The Retirement Answer Man Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RetirementAnswerMan

#156 - How Your Personal Net Worth Statement Can Inform Your Retirement Decisions - Retirement Plan LIVE Ep. 2 Feb 08, 2017

Show notes

Planning for retirement will be next to impossible if you don’t have some sort of barometer of your financial situation - and that’s why I always create a personal net worth statement with my clients to have a starting point for retirement planning. On this episode - the 2nd in the 2017 Retirement Plan LIVE sessions - I’m talking with Kim about her and her husband’s financial status, and you’ll hear us go item by item through their financial situation to build their net worth statement. It’s the first step, and one you can take easily enough on your own. Find out how on this episode of The Retirement Answer Man. What the HECK is a personal net worth statement?

Your net worth statement is a document that will provide you a quick look at your financial situation at any point in time. By calculating your net worth you’re able to see what all the work you’ve done in your life has provided for you - as well as what you’ve spent so far. But tracking your net worth over time gives you even more insight into your financial picture. On this episode, I’m talking with Kim about the current assets and expenses she and her husband have right now, a few years before retirement. This will enable them to know where they are starting from as they begin to set retirement goals. You’ll see how applicable the net worth statement is to retirement planning, on this episode. Here’s the simple way to create your own net worth statement.

You can calculate your own net worth statement pretty simply with very little effort. The hardest part is assembling all the facts and figures that go into a simple subtraction problem. Here’s how you do it: Total up all your assets (things you actually own that have value, including cash accounts at the bank), total up all your liabilities (the things you owe money on) and then subtract your liabilities FROM your assets. That will give you a net worth figure. Now that you have it, how do you use it to plan for retirement? I’m glad you asked because that’s what I’m covering with Kim, on this episode. How can you use a net worth statement to plan for retirement?

When you’re planning for retirement you have to do more than just dream up fancy things in regard to your future without knowing how those fancy things are going to be funded. Your personal net worth statement will enable you to know what resources you have available to build upon in order to fund your retirement plans. Think of it as a starting place, the dot on the map where you are now. Once you understand that figure you’ll be able to see how far you are from the ideal retirement you’ve imagined. If you’d like to build your net worth statement with a little help from a retirement planner, here’s your chance.

One of the things I love about what I do is that I’m able to help people accomplish financial goals through the creation and use of simple tools that are truly helpful. One of those is my “Build Your Net Worth Statement” worksheet - which is yours for free if you want it. If you’d like to get your own copy and find out how to get started with your own net worth calculations you can find it on my learning center page. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:30] My introduction to this “part 2” episode of the Retirement Plan LIVE.

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

[2:43] What IS your net worth and how is it calculated?

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[12:30] Looking at Kim and Joe’s personal net worth statement to plan for retirement.

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

[42:39] Identify the location of all your important documents and write down those locations for your loved ones.

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

[44:20] Mishandling stress is a bad way to build happiness in relationships.

#155 - Retirement Wishes Start With Good Planning (Retirement Plan LIVE 2017) Feb 01, 2017

Show notes

What are your retirement wishes? Do you have any? This episode of The Retirement Answer Man is all about retirement wishes - dreaming up the kind of retirement you really want to live (forget about what seems practical for now). I’m walking through an initial retirement planning conversation with Kim and Joe - this year’s participants in my Retirement Plan LIVE event. In this conversation, you’ll hear how I help clients think through retirement needs and wishes and in coming episodes we’ll begin planning for how to accomplish them. It’s a hands-on conversation, so jump in to hear how we do it. Can you think a little bigger about your retirement? What are your wishes?

For many people, the word “wishes” equates with the word “unrealistic.” But that’s not what we’re shooting for on this episode. In this conversation with Kim and Joe I’m trying to dig deep - to find out what they really want to be able to do during their retirement years so that we can create a plan that makes it possible once they get there. It’s a practical and exciting process and I hope you learn from this example so that you can start creating YOUR version of an ideal retirement in the future. Learning to dream bigger is not all that easy, but we need to do it.

Most of us have a hard time envisioning what it’s going to be like during our retirement years. We hope for the best but often don’t know how to plan for it. Part of that struggle is that we have a difficult time knowing how to dream bigger, how to think of the things we really WANT to do during retirement instead of being limited by what we think will be realistic. On this episode of The Retirement Answer Man, I’m helping Kim expand her thinking when it comes to her retirement plan so that we can figure out now how to make her retirement wishes come true. Are you interested? It’s a great conversation. It’s impossible to forecast every retirement need, but you still need to do it.

None of us know the future so it’s reasonable to think that retirement planning is a hopeless cause. Afterall, you can’t predict every expense you’re going to have, right? Well, sort of. On this episode of the show, you’re going to hear how I help Kim think through the needs she and her husband might have during retirement and establish a baseline budget that they will be able to live on but will also afford them some of the finer things in life. And we take into account many of the “unforeseen” issues as well. You’ll need to hear it in order to totally grasp it, and you can do that by listening to this episode. Your retirement dreams need some “placeholders” in your retirement plan.

None of us truly knows what retirement is going to hold. Are we going to be healthy or are we going to face a health crisis? Are we going to be able to travel or will we feel like we want to be a homebody? But you can’t let the lack of certainty keep you from planning for the retirement wishes you have. That’s why you need to plan on some of the fun things you think you may want to be in your retirement by adding “placeholders” for those expenses. On this episode, I help Kim create some placeholders - and it will serve as a great example of how you can do the same.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:28] My welcome to this first conversation of the 2017 Retirement Plan LIVE!
[1:10] Learning to dream bigger is not all that easy - but we need to do it!
[2:50] How you can get your summary of the Retirement Plan LIVE sessions.

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[4:07] Getting the lay of the land in Kim and Joe’s situation - when will they retire?
[7:18] What will be Kim’s purpose after they retire?
[11:00] Dealing with a long retirement timeline from a financial perspective.
[16:50] The conversations Kim and Joe have around finances.
[19:30] Adding the spice of life to retirement (and planning for it).
[24:57] The importance of adding “placeholders” to your future retirement expenses.
[27:08] The possibility of caring for aging parents - and major purchase possibilities.
[35:42] The struggle to get the big dreams down on paper.

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

[40:31] The 2nd part of your I.C.E. Plan: Record the passwords and codes for all devices.

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

[43:05] Getting back into my exercise program and how it’s impacting my happiness.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
LastPass
OnePassword
Contact Roger: http://www.rogerwhitney.com/retirementanswers/
Roger’s retirement learning center: www.RogerWhitney.com/learn
The Retirement Answer Man Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RetirementAnswerMan

#154 - Introducing Kim and Joe, the Couple Planning For Retirement via Retirement Plan LIVE. Jan 26, 2017

Show notes

Every year I conduct a grand experiment in internet broadcasting that features everyday people like you. It’s called Retirement Plan LIVE and it’s my attempt at helping you know the ins and outs of effective retirement planning - and I do it by inviting listeners to take part in a to-be-aired set of conversations that walk through their actual financial situation. If you would like to take part, all you have to do is listen to this episode. It’s going to be a fun ride! Fast moves by our new President. What does it mean for you as you plan for retirement?

Donald Trump is now President of the United States and his first weeks in office have brought a flurry of activity that directly impacts the financial markets. If you are looking toward or planning your retirement in such tenuous times, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out exactly what you should do. So what SHOULD you do? On this episode’s “Hot Topic” segment I’m addressing my view on such things and I hope you’ll see that you don’t need to worry or fret if you adhere to some simple principles. Meet Kim and Joe: this year’s Retirement Plan LIVE participants.

Today we get to meet Kim and Joe, the kind and generous souls who have agreed to come on the show and bare all (except their identities) to help you see how I go about walking a family or individual through the monumental task of wisely planning for their retirement. These two are a great example of everyday folks who are beginning to consider the important things that need to go into making their retirement the best it can be. You’ll enjoy getting to know them, hearing about their hopes and dreams for retirement, and learning how you can take the first steps toward planning for YOUR retirement just like them. Do you have an I.C.E. plan for your personal finances? Why not?

Do you know what a financial I.C.E. plan is? It’s the way I refer to an “In Case of Emergency” plan - something that your loved ones need to have in the unfortunate case of you being seriously injured or killed. Creating an I.C.E. plan is one of the most compassionate, caring things you can do for your loved ones and sadly, most people wait until it’s too late and never create it. On this episode, I’m going to give you a homework assignment: your first step in creating your own personal I.C.E. plan. If you are serious about caring for your loved ones even after you may be done, this plan is for you! Are you signed up for “Six Shot Saturday?” Join the few, the proud, the financially astute!

Every week I send out an email to those brave and daring souls who are eager to receive that little bit extra in terms of financial information, tips, and strategies to help them maximize their efforts at planning for retirement. I only send it out to people who really want it - those action-takers who are willing to go the extra mile. Is that you? I’d love to send it to you so be sure you listen to this episode to find out how you can get on the list! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:30] Meet Kim and Joe - this year’s participants in Retirement Plan LIVE!

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

[2:22] Fast moves by our new Commander in Chief. Wow!
[4:29] What do you if you are planning for retirement in such an uncertain time?

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[8:25] Meet Kim and Joe - this year’s RPL participants.
[9:52] Why Kim wanted to do RPL with me this year.
[12:46] General ideas that Kim has of what she’d like to see her retirement look like.
[15:00] Meet Joe: his perspective on their financial situation.
[17:24] Joe’s reaction to being on the podcast in such an open way.
[19:03] Joe’s conception of retirement - and planning toward it.
[24:00] What Joe wants his retirement to look like.

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

[25:31] What is the I.C.E. plan and why should you have one?
[27:25] The first step to developing your I.C.E. plan: make a big contact list.

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

[30:09] A new relationship that made me happy - and he’s a great example of finding happiness through making the world a better place.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
www.Give-r.com (use the code “AnswerMan20” to get 20% off)
Contact Roger: http://www.rogerwhitney.com/retirementanswers/
Roger’s retirement learning center: www.RogerWhitney.com/learn
The Retirement Answer Man Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RetirementAnswerMan

#153 - Real Life Personal Growth And Finance Stories with P.T. Money Jan 18, 2017

Show notes

Every one of us has a Facebook face - right? It’s that face we put on for the Facebook watching world (at least we HOPE they are watching). Here's what it looks like: We have a great life, great relationships, new car, enviable vacation pictures - you know the drill. It’s the adult way of impressing our friends and family. But the problem is that it’s not entirely true. On this episode of The Retirement Answer Man, I’m talking with a friend of mine, P.T. Money about the real life personal growth stories we all have related to our finances. It’s seldom pretty. We all have fits and starts in the journey. P.T. has a new podcast featuring those stories and I want you to hear about it, on this episode. None of us get our finances right in the beginning. It’s OK. It’s personal growth.

I remember when I started out as a young adult - at least I thought I was an adult. I was doing the things I wanted to do, thinking I knew everything I needed to know, doing what came naturally and easily. I made a LOT of mistakes, with money and with my relationships. But it was those mistakes that woke me up to the needs in my own life, to the areas of growth that I needed to take seriously in my own life. On this episode, I’m trying to point us toward the real life struggles we all face so we can understand that none of us is alone on the journey. We all make the bone-headed mistakes that grow us up over time. Did you know what you wanted to do right out of high school? Me neither.

Very few of us do. But we have this crazy-headed notion that if we don’t know what we’re going to do for the rest of our lives by the time we are 18, something is wrong with us. And even worse, we think that once we are in that career or in a serious vocation, that’s it. We’re stuck there for life. My guest today is P.T. Money - he’s a guy who almost literally fell into being an accountant because it was the family trade, so to speak. But by the time he was 30 years old he discovered that it actually WASN’T what he was wired to do. You can hear his story, how he discovered the bad fit, and what he did to pivot away from accounting and build a happier and more profitable career, on this episode. The growth curve exists all throughout life. Get used to it.

Early on in life, I believed that one day I’d arrive, I’d get to the place that my personal growth would taper off. But that’s not at ALL what’s happened. I turn 50 this next week and one of the many things I’ve learned in my time on the planet is that the growth curve never stops, no matter how old and experienced you become. So if that’s true, how can we maximize the learning curve to amplify personal growth and make the most of the years we have? That’s the topic of discussion on this episode, with my guest P.T. Money. Building toward your retirement through a side-hustle is an incredible idea.

We’re all hoping for the best retirement possible. That includes plenty of money to know that we’ll be comfortable and secure for the years we have left after leaving our full-time employment or career. But I want to challenge you to think a bit bigger than that. What can you do to put together a side hustle based on an area of interest or passion, and use it to make a bigger difference in the world - both now and during your retirement? What would that look like? I bet you could make it happen. My guest P.T. Money and I talk about that possibility on this episode of The Retirement Answer Man. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:29] My introduction to this episode about life evolutions and personal growth.
[5:02] What happens with something (someone) who evolves.

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

[6:18] Burnout is evolution gone wrong.
[9:00] How to pivot your work to serve you rather than the other way around.

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[9:40] My guest, P.T. Money - and why I’ve invited him on the podcast.
[12:15] Why P.T. left the accounting practice.
[13:34] How P.T. defaulted into accounting and realized it wasn’t for him.
[14:59] Changing emphasis and career - and the financial growth ensued.
[20:03] What P.T. sees for himself in the next few years, and regarding retirement.
[23:10] How to find and work toward “your thing” to build a side hustle.
[27:00] P.T.’s goals for his podcast and the types of conversations he wants it to provide.
[30:02] How you can get in touch with P.T.

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

[30:28] Your baby step for this week: Start your own “In Case of Emergency” plan.

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

[33:25] Play this episode of the podcast at ¾ speed and let me know what you think! It’s a riot!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
www.PTMoney.com
Podcast: The Masters of Money
FinCon conference
Get in on “6 shot Saturday” - sign up on the website.
Contact Roger: http://www.rogerwhitney.com/retirementanswers/
Roger’s retirement learning center: www.RogerWhitney.com/learn
The Retirement Answer Man Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RetirementAnswerMan
TWEETS YOU CAN USE TO SPREAD THE WORD
#153 - Real Life #PersonalGrowth And #Finance Stories with @PTMoney
None of us get our #finances right in the beginning. It’s OK. It’s #PersonalGrowth @PTMoney
Did you know what you wanted to do right out of #HighSchool? Me neither @PTMoney
The#GrowthCurve exists all throughout life. Get used to it @PTMoney
Building toward your #retirement through a #SideHustle is an incredible idea @PTMoney

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