Keen On Retirement

U.S. life expectancy is trending in the wrong direction for the first time in decades. According to data from the Center for Disease Control, in 2014 the average American was expected to live 78.9 years. In 2021, after several years of plateauing life expectancy, that figure dipped to 76.4 years, the sharpest 2-year decline in over 100 years. From a financial planning perspective, Keen Wealth still believes that folks need to prepare for a retirement that's going to last, potentially, decades. But this latest life expectancy data does raise some important issues about what we can do both individually and in our communities to turn these trends around so that we can all enjoy our golden years to the fullest.

Earlier this month, I attended The Barron’s Advisor Independent Summit in Dallas with Keen Wealth's Chief Investment Officer and President, Matt Wilson. It's a real privilege to be invited to this annual conference where we can talk to and learn from some of the top minds in finance. While the program had been scheduled well in advance, the recent bank collapses in California and New York became one of the dominant topics. Matt and I recorded today's show live at the Summit so that we could share some of the key insights we heard from colleagues and other financial pros about the state of our banking system and the broader economic outlook for the year ahead. We also scale these issues down so that you can have a better understanding of how the big picture could affect your personal financial plan.

The pandemic closed a lot of doors in 2020. But for cybercriminals, business is always open. The more time folks spend socializing, working, shopping, and managing money online, the more sensitive data could be vulnerable to hacks and scams. Click on the wrong link or answer the wrong phone call and you could be at risk for significant financial loss or identity theft issues that can take weeks, months, or years to sort out.

Last week’s job numbers have had a big impact on this week’s main topic of discussion: reopening.

I’m really happy that clients and other friends of Keen Wealth have continued to ask us questions about their financial planning over the past month or so. Those questions tell me that even as we’re dealing with all of the uncontrollable stresses surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, folks are keeping at least one eye on the things they can control

We’re getting our first small glimpses of light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel this week. Spread of the disease could be peaking. The markets are starting to look a bit more stable. And our political and health care leaders are in the very early stages of discussing how and when to reopen businesses.