Keen On Retirement

We’ve all had a good chuckle seeing #adulting and #failuretolaunch on social media, describing the difficulty some millennials have adjusting to adulthood. But the numbers behind the hashtags aren’t funny. For the first time in 130 years, an 18-34-year-old is more likely to be living at home with his or her parents than to be living with a spouse or partner. Incredibly, 25% of adults aged 25-29 are still living at home.

Recently, I took a friend up in my plane for a short lunch trip. As we were cruising along, he asked me, “Bill, how do you know that this plane is mechanically safe? Is the battery charged up? Do you ever check the engine and other systems? How do you know that, structurally, this plane is sound and airworthy?”

Retirement planning isn’t just about fueling up for the flight to that dream destination. A lot of my clients at Keen Wealth also want to plan the most tax-efficient and responsible ways to set aside resources now that will support their kids and grandkids as they get started on their financial journey. That may mean a college education, buying a first home, or even giving them a head start on their retirement planning.

If you have investments of any kind you know there are costs associated with owning those investments. In addition, if you’ve been thinking about working with a financial advisor, you also know you’ll pay him or her a separate fee for their ongoing counsel. The bottom line question you should be asking is this: Will I be better off, net of fees, by working with an advisor than if I try to navigate my planning and investing on my own?

Imagine getting on an airplane for a dream vacation that you’ve been saving and planning for your entire life. Just as you’re settling into your seat, there’s an announcement from the captain: “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve completed our pre-flight check, but I didn’t worry about the required fuel this time. If we end up being short, hopefully we will catch a tailwind that will get us to our destination. Should be fine.”

If your household is anything like mine, couples often divvy up jobs and responsibilities to make sure everything gets done, and everyone’s needs are met. Maybe one spouse works, and the other takes care of the kids. Maybe one spouse handles the meals, and the other handles transportation to lessons and practices. Maybe one spouse takes care of the yard, and the other takes care of home repairs.