Keen On Retirement

Most retirees know that, once they turn 73 (if born after 1950), they are required by law to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their retirement accounts. But in financial planning, nothing is ever quite that simple. In the past several years, the rules around RMDs have changed in very significant ways. Those changes, other rules around how and when RMDs occur, and changes to the very nature of retirement create complex planning scenarios that affect all retirees in very different ways. To maximize your nest egg, make sure you discuss these lesser-known facts about RMDs with your financial advisor:

My team at Keen on Retirement has been hard at work analyzing the question that's top-of-mind for many of our listeners. And after crunching the numbers ... Yes, it looks like Taylor Swift will be able to attend the Super Bowl! She's scheduled to perform in Tokyo the night before our Chiefs take on the 49ers, but thanks to a 17-hour time difference -- and, presumably, a private jet -- we do expect to see Taylor in Las Vegas. All kidding aside, I'm especially excited for this round of listener questions. A couple of folks who have been with Keen Wealth for many

One of the reasons my team at Keen Wealth puts so much care into personalizing our comprehensive planning process is that there's no one path to a successful retirement. Yes, we often incorporate some tried-and-true strategies and tools, like diversification, downside volatility protection, and Monte Carlo simulations. But as we discuss on today's show, even professional financial advisors have to sort through a wide array of options to help folks find their optimal plan. When you're managing your finances on your own, those options can be overwhelming and, in some cases, a little dangerous for your money. After discussing four listener questions, I'd also like to share some exciting personal news and thank my alma mater, the University of Central Missouri.

Even happy, successful retirees can experience some turbulence as they transition into the second half of their lives. I hope that folks who are preparing for or just starting retirement can learn from some of the most common regrets that retirees have talked to me about so that your journey into retirement can be a little bit smoother.

When our leaders in Washington passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act in 2019, it marked a major change in retirement planning. In a sense, the government was codifying advice that many financial advisors -- including my team at Keen Wealth -- had been giving for years. The next generation of retirees is going to live longer, with more active lives than any before it. Very few younger workers are going to stay at the same company for decades and earn generous pensions. Very few older workers will automatically retire at 65. And for most folks, Social Security alone will not fund a safe, secure, and rewarding retirement.

It's clear from our latest batch of listener questions that the Keen on Retirement audience has been paying attention to how recent legislation is affecting retirement planning. But today's episode should also clarify just how challenging it can be for folks to find the answers they need when so many details keep changing. My team at Keen Wealth doesn't just dig into the fine print: we understand how to apply these rules to individual financial scenarios and create appropriate outcomes for folks in retirement.