Keen on Retirement’s Top 5 Blogs and Top 5 Podcasts of 2021
Providing solid, fact-based content that’s educational and – hopefully! – entertaining is a core component of the Keen Wealth mission. 2021 certainly gave us all plenty to talk about, and as my team shifts its focus to the New Year, we’re already preparing to tackle a slate of topics that are important to folks at every stage of their financial planning.
Here are the most popular blogs and podcasts we published in 2021, based on our audience’s clicks and listens:
Top 5 Blogs
1. 3 Reasons Why Investing in Mutual Funds Could Be More Trouble Than It’s Worth
At Keen Wealth, we typically believe it’s important to have a globally diversified portfolio rather than just investing in the U.S. market. And in most cases, we discourage folks from using mutual funds for three important reasons.
2. Should You Be Worried About Stagflation in Retirement?
Inflation was one of the biggest economic stories of 2021, and most likely will be in 2022 as well. But as much as rising prices are hurting people – including retired seniors – there are some important differences between our current economic situation and the “stagflation” you may remember from the 1970s and 1980s.
3. How Does Your Net Worth Compare to Others in Your Age Bracket?
“Do I have enough money to retire?” That’s the top question many folks have as they head into the second half of their lives. It’s usually better to focus on a financial plan that’s designed to meet your personal goals than to fixate on hitting a “magic number.” But looking at the latest data on retirement assets tells me that more seniors need to start planning for an even longer retirement than their parents and grandparents enjoyed.
4. Use the New My Social Security Website to Get the Most from Your Benefits
One reason that we’ve devoted so many podcasts and blogs to Social Security is that many seniors near retirement with unrealistic expectations about these benefits and uncertainty about when to take them. I’m hopeful that the SSA’s new website and statements will help to clarify some of these issues for seniors as they start considering where Social Security fits into their retirement plan.
5. Don’t Wait: Enjoy Your Retirement Before You Retire
If you’re just looking forward to retiring FROM your job, you might be looking at retirement all wrong. Retiring isn't going to turn you into a more active and fulfilled person all by itself. If you aren't enjoying your favorite pastimes and exploring new things before you retire, you're going to have trouble creating a new retirement routine that makes you excited to get out of bed every morning.
Top 5 Podcasts
1. Lessons Learned From 2021 and a Primer on 2022
I’m still bummed that we couldn’t host our annual holiday breakfast this year, but I’m thrilled that so many folks have taken the time to watch or listen to our 2022 Market Outlook. My good friend Matt Wilson, President and Chief Investment Officer at Keen Wealth Advisors, always does an outstanding job putting these presentations together. I think Matt provides some welcome perspective on both the challenges and opportunities that our economy is facing as we head into the New Year.
2. Former FBI Special Agent Jeff Lanza on the Latest in Cybersecurity
Whenever there’s lots of information moving from A to B, you can bet cybercrooks are looking for vulnerabilities. And as our lives became more digital during the pandemic, we’ve all had to take some extra precautions to keep our most important info safe. Please review these tips from retired FBI Special Agent Jeff Lanza so that you know what to look for before you open a strange email or click on the wrong link.
3. Analyzing October’s Bumpy Market History and Other Listener Questions
October has a bad reputation among many investors, in part because of Black Tuesday 1929 and Black Monday 1987. And while there can be seasonable ebbs and flows to market returns, stepping back and taking in a broader historical perspective can provide some important lessons about staying the course, even during bouts of volatility.
4. Retired Burns & McDonnell CEO Greg Graves on Improving Business and Empowering Workers
I’m very proud of the relationship that Keen Wealth has established with Kansas City’s thriving engineering community. One growing trend among these firms is the establishment of employee stock ownership programs (ESOPs), which help workers build wealth while also taking more personal responsibility for their retirement planning. Greg Graves, the former president, CEO, and chairman of Burns & McDonnell, joined our program to talk about how he’s seen ESOPs transform productivity at all kinds of businesses and how he’s adjusting to life in retirement.
5. Here’s How Inflation Will Affect Your Social Security Benefits Next Year
At the end of the summer, we discussed how rising prices could affect the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security beneficiaries, while also providing some context around broader economic trends that continue to point in a positive direction. We followed up on this episode in December once we knew for certain what COLA, tax brackets, and Medicare premiums were going to be for 2022.
In closing, I’d just like to say a special thank you to the Keen on Retirement audience for their continued interest and support. If you’re new to our site, you can click here to join our mailing list so you’ll be the first to know when we publish new content or schedule a new event.
About Bill
Bill Keen is a CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANNING COUNSELOR℠ and independent financial advisor with more than 25 years of industry experience. As the founder and CEO of Keen Wealth Advisors, a registered investment advisory firm, he specializes in providing personalized retirement planning designed to help people thrive before and during their retirement years. With a passion for educating others, Bill regularly blogs about retirement planning, hosts the podcast Keen on Retirement, and has contributed to U.S. News and World Report, Reuters, Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch, Yahoo Finance, and other publications. Based in Overland Park, Kansas, Bill and his team work with clients throughout the greater Kansas City area and across the nation. To learn more, connect with him on LinkedIn or visit www.keenwealthadvisors.com.
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