Keen On Retirement

As parents, our children are always at the forefront of our concerns, especially during back-to-school season. But as my clients near retirement age, their own parents often become part of the caregiving picture as well. An aging parent who is showing signs of slowing down, or suddenly needs more direct attention after a medical emergency, presents a whole separate set of challenges and responsibilities that can affect your financial planning.

Recently I talked about something that is probably hitting home hard for a lot of you right now: sending kids and grandkids off to college. My son, Devin, has started at the University of Missouri – Science and Technology, and even though Devin is my third child, practice doesn’t make this process any easier. Letting go is tough. All you can do is trust that the examples you’ve set will point your kids in the right direction.

I always look forward to our summer Open House event at Keen Wealth, and this year’s edition was another big success. We had great food, great music, and lots of great company with so many friends and clients in attendance … But boy, did I catch heat from some of you folks!

You’ll have to forgive me if I’m feeling a little nostalgic this week, but like many of you, I’m in the process of packing up my son for college. I’m incredibly proud that Devin is setting out on his own path to study engineering at the University of Missouri – Science and Technology, even if there’s a tiny part of me that’s a little sad he won’t be stepping into the firm here at Keen Wealth.

When I sit down with other financial industry professionals to talk shop, many of them ask me why I devote so much time to the financial education of my clients and online audience via blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Recently, someone quipped to me, “Bill, before I go to the dentist, I don’t read up on cavities and root canals. The dentist tells me what to do, and I do it. Fiduciary advisors and their clients are no different.”

If you’re new to investing, or just trying to educate yourself so that you can play a more active role in managing your money, wading through all the financial terms and acronyms used in our industry might make you feel like you’re drowning in alphabet soup.