Keen On Retirement

The comprehensive financial plans we design at Keen Wealth factor in every piece of available information to help folks plan for what we know is coming and prepare for the unexpected. While recent events at home and abroad are raising some new questions, we did learn some important answers last week that will help folks get ready for 2024. On today's show, we discuss listener questions about Social Security, Medicare, Ukraine and Israel, and year-end financial planning.

If you think about your comprehensive financial plan as a long flight from here to retirement, then risk and uncertainty are like the turbulence, bad weather, delays, and cancellations that all travelers have to deal with. Sometimes, these disruptions flash on our radar well in advance. Sometimes, they pop up at a moment's notice. But understanding how your retirement flight plan is built to avoid, absorb, cope with, and even steer clear of certain challenges can reduce stress and help you enjoy the journey a bit more. Let's talk about how my team at Keen Wealth approaches risk and uncertainty in our planning process and some strategies that can help folks stay on course for their dream retirement.

This year's annual Medicare Open Enrollment period runs from October 15th to December 7th. Whether you're already on Medicare or about to claim your benefits for the first time, seniors need to make sure they get the care they need at a price that fits with the rest of their comprehensive financial plan. On today's show, we answer listener questions about Medicare Open Enrollment to help you get ready for this important part of your annual planning process.

Is 2024 going to be "The Year?" Are you aiming for retirement and starting to get serious about comprehensive planning? Or perhaps you're already retired and wondering if your financial plan needs to prepare for what could be a tumultuous year both politically and economically. In either case, Keen Wealth's philosophy is consistent: plan for what you can anticipate so that you can adjust to the unexpected. Your 2024 retirement planning checklist should start with these seven items.

In a recent survey, non-retired adults told investment firm Schroders that they will need approximately $5,000 per month "to enjoy a comfortable retirement." But is that really enough? Maybe! Studies and surveys like these make for eye-catching headlines, but they skimp on the details. For example, where are these retirees planning on living? $5,000 per month is going to go a lot further in, say, Kansas City than it will on the coasts.

How to Thrive in the New Age of Aging This summer, we've seen some very high-profile examples of just how much the norms on aging are changing. Once again, 61-year-old Tom Cruise scaled box office heights all over the world. 81-year-old Martha Stewart graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Music legends Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, Dolly Parton, Peter Frampton, and Mick Fleetwood collaborated on a cover of "Let It Be" that hit the Billboard charts. The Rolling Stones released their first new song in 18 years. And at the end of August, arguably the most famous and influential investor in the world, Warren Buffet, turned 93. These are just a few of the "age influencers" who embody major trends in an important new study by Age Wave, "the nation’s foremost thought leader on issues relating to an aging population." Let's look at four key insights from The New Age of Aging that are changing how folks should think about and plan for their golden years.