Keen On Retirement

If you receive most of your financial advice from cable news and social media, you might feel like we're perpetually on the brink of a recession. The prospect of a major downturn can feel especially unsettling for those whose short-term financial goals include retirement. Even aspiring retirees who do understand the inevitable ups and downs of investing might worry that now isn't "the right time" to retire. One of the benefits of the Keen Wealth Advantage is that we don't just react to external economic events, we proactively plan for a wide variety of contingencies -- including recessions. And while retiring during a downturn might sound like bad timing, with proper planning it's possible to retire on your terms, and on your timeline, no matter what's happening on Wall Street. In some cases, following your retirement plan right through market volatility can even be advantageous.

Happy 2025! At Keen Wealth, we're often of two minds at the beginning of the New Year. On the one hand, Tax Day is just around the corner, so we're helping folks put a bow on last year's financials and making sure they not missing out on any potentially advantageous moves. But this New Year also means a new president, a new congress, new laws, new facts and figures, and lots of new legislative proposals. On today's show, we discuss some important changes coming to Social Security and retirement accounts in 2025, as well as the items that could be at the top of President-elect Trump's economic agenda.

Why do so many people focus on "hitting their number" as they approach retirement? In part, I think it's because major life transitions can feel scary, and numbers can help us feel more secure. Boiling retirement down to a figure might, in some way, shrink your worries down to size and put your goals in black and white. Unfortunately, no "magic number" is big enough or flexible enough to encompass all the variables that life will throw at you in retirement if you don’t have an effective mindset around money. That's why, to improve your retirement readiness, I'd recommend focusing less on hitting a number and more on building up these three mindsets that can help folks take a more holistic approach to preparing for the second half of their lives.

If you're spending a lot of your day scrolling on social media or glued to cable news, you might feel like your emotions are running a little high right now. Major life transitions can also cause our feelings to spike, whether we're getting ready to send a kid to college or thinking about retiring. But while letting your feelings in is just part of being human, letting too much emotion seep into your financial decision-making can be catastrophic for your long-term security. On today's show, we discuss financial biases that we all should be on the lookout for as we try to manage both our emotions and our money.

In this new retirement era, where government rule changes and longevity trends are nudging many seniors to work well into their 70s, a "traditional" retirement at 65 might seem way ahead of schedule. But if you’re planning to retire at 65 or later, will you still be healthy enough to enjoy it? According to recent data from the World Health Organization, healthy 60-year-old Americans can expect an average of 15 more years of good health. Is that really what you've been working, saving, investing, and waiting for? A decade, maybe two, of being well enough to play more tennis, travel all over the world with your spouse, and give back to your community? Or should you be talking to your advisor about how to accelerate your retirement timeline so you can maximize your Golden Years while still ensuring your long-term financial security?

If there's one thing we know that the financial markets like, it's certainty. And since the 2024 presidential election was settled overnight -- rather than the weeks it took to count votes in 2020 -- the markets have reacted to the certainty of our new political reality with very strong returns. But as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, there are still many lingering questions about how the economic vision he laid out on the campaign trail will or won't materialize. On today's show, we explore some of President-elect Trump’s policy proposals and how they could affect your retirement planning.

The joy that we all feel checking off our holiday shopping lists, wrapping gifts, and exchanging presents with loved ones is often accompanied by another feeling: anxiety. Not just from the stress of getting everything done before the parties start, but from worries around money that can pile up this time of year. Some folks just can't look at a pile of presents without seeing price tags -- especially if money is a little tight this year or they're still adjusting to living off a fixed income in retirement. Worse, that anxiety might make you feel like you're doing the holidays "wrong," letting things that don't really matter keep you from enjoying the things that do. But, as we discussed on a recent podcast, finding the right balance between generosity, personal fulfillment, and long-term financial security is an ongoing part of just about every financial plan. Holiday gift-giving just makes us experience that tug-of-war in a more heightened, time-bound way. And if you can use these three strategies to control your holiday giving this year, you can establish a strong foundation for sustained giving going forward.

The idea that retirees can live off Social Security alone is a bit of a holdover from the old "automatic retirement at 65" days. For the most part, your parents and grandparents weren't thinking about 30 or 40-year retirements, active living into their 70s or 80s, or cycling in and out of the workforce to pursue new challenges and passions. Most -- but not all -- of today's retirees would have a hard time relying solely on their Social Security benefits to cover monthly expenses, especially in the later stages of retirement when health care costs tend to spike. However, just because Social Security has a different place in the retirement equation than it once did, that doesn't mean your benefits aren't still incredibly valuable! If you work hard and plan ahead with your financial advisor, you can utilize these five strategies to boost your benefits, pad your nest egg, and hopefully feel a little more secure about your retirement spending plan.

Social Security can be one of the most flexible tools in your retirement toolkit. Some seniors will depend on it. Some will use it to achieve or even upgrade bucket list goals. Some might treat it as an additional investable asset. And others might make their survivor's benefits a central part of their estate planning. But I think all seniors will agree that no one wants their Social Security benefits to trigger unwelcome surprises at tax time. As you're weighing when to take Social Security and how to use your benefits, discuss these four topics with your financial advisor. You may have several options to lower your tax liability and maximize the value of your benefits to your comprehensive financial plan.

You should delay taking Social Security until you reach age 70. Unless, of course, you shouldn't. Or can't. Yes, my team at Keen Wealth generally advises folks to delay their benefits as long as possible so that those checks will, eventually, be bigger. But, like just about every detail of your comprehensive financial plan, timing your Social Security benefits is a complicated decision that depends on your unique situation and your specific goals for retirement. On today's show, we discuss some questions we typically ask folks who are considering taking their Social Security benefits as soon as they are eligible at age 62.

Early retirement is a goal that's become a very common plot point in the comprehensive financial plans we put together at Keen Wealth. Young Boomers and older Gen Xers who have the means to stop working or downshift into part-time employment want to enjoy the wealth they've worked so hard for while they're still young enough and able-bodied enough to play their favorite sports, see the world, and spend more quality time with family and friends. But there's much more to early retirement than just hitting a number. Several aspects of your financial plan should be fine-tuned and coordinated to ensure that your nest egg supports today's goals while also ensuring your long-term security in the latter years of retirement. Let's take a look at Keen Wealth's five-point checklist for retiring at 55.

I couldn't be prouder to have my name above the door at Keen Wealth Advisors. If you've read my book, you know that I have a very personal connection to financial planning, and it's been my lifelong mission to help folks avoid the kinds of hardships that my father and I went through. Every day, Keen Wealth carries out that mission in so many different ways: educational events, informative blog posts and podcasts, and a comprehensive planning process that has secured retirement for hundreds of hardworking families over the years. But Keen Wealth is so much bigger than Bill Keen! The folks we have the privilege of serving can count on the support of a whole team of professionals who are passionate about every aspect of every financial plan we manage. On today's show, I talk with my co-host, Matt Wilson, the President and Chief Investment Officer at Keen Wealth, about the value of having a financial team with a disciplined process that understands your unique goals and works together to help you achieve them.

Today's seniors may not have grown up with the internet the way their kids and grandkids have. But you've definitely "grown with" the tech and information revolution. Many boomers were still early in their careers when their employers came online. And as the world has evolved from email to smartphones to social media, they kept pace. Maintaining that curiosity and willingness to experiment with technology can open some exciting doors in retirement. Take time to learn about the latest breakthrough in these four areas. You might find a new hobby or a quality-of-life upgrade that makes life easier, more interesting, or more fulfilling.

There's an old joke among financial advisors that part of our job is to help new retirees get comfortable taking more "SKI" Trips -- meaning, "Spend the Kids' Inheritance!" Many seniors who have worked hard and committed to a comprehensive financial plan retire with more money than they've ever had in their lives. We want those folks to feel safe and secure about their finances as they head into their Golden Years. But we also want them to have fun, pursue their passions, and explore opportunities for growth. To accomplish both goals -- security and enjoyment -- retirees should be aware that it can be difficult to shift from a savings mentality to an “it’s ok to spend even though I’m not receiving earned income anymore” mindset. My team at Keen Wealth focuses our spending conversations with retirees on these four important points.

If you go back and skim the 200-plus episodes we've recorded of Keen on Retirement, you'll notice that every year or so, we devote an episode to the latest financial frauds and scams that are making the rounds. Especially as we head into tax season, it's important that folks remember the IRS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Social Security Administration are never, ever going to call you and ask for your banking info. We also regularly caution folks against clicking on suspicious emails or text message links, or making investments that seem too good to be true with the Bernie Madoffs of the world. On today's show, we talk about another type of financial "fraud" that's perfectly legal but potentially just as dangerous to your financial security: taking bad advice from unaccredited financial commentators and celebrities trying to further their own best interests, not yours.

According to a recent Charles Schwab survey, U.S. workers believe they'll need around $2 million to retire. Using the old 4% Rule for some back-of-the-napkin math, those retirees are expecting to withdraw about $80,000 their first year in retirement, with future withdrawals going up or down from there based on how much annual savings and investment returns replenish their assets. We also know in most cases there will be other income sources like social security or pension income. So, is $80,000 per year from your investment portfolio, give or take, enough to live on in retirement? That's a much more complicated question to answer than some folks realize. So many factors that affect retirement planning are in a state of constant flux – most of all, your life. A financial plan that's built around static numbers might not be able to adjust how and when you need it to. Let's talk about some of the variables that factor into Keen Wealth's comprehensive planning process and try to arrive at a more thorough analysis of a $2 million nest egg goal.

When we fall behind on our holiday shopping lists, there are usually some last-minute deals and expedited shipping options that can help us catch up. But if you fall too far behind on your annual financial planning checklist, you might miss out on some important rule changes or time-sensitive strategies that could impact your retirement next year. Based on the questions we've been fielding lately from Keen on Retirement listeners and readers, I'm glad that so many folks are making time during the holiday hustle and bustle to think about some important issues and get a jump on their 2024 financial planning. On today's show, we discuss popular questions about next year's tax brackets, a controversial video about retirement withdrawals that's been making the rounds on social media, and how seniors should be planning for long-term care.

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.

It's worth celebrating just about any time our leaders on both sides of the political aisle can meet in the middle. But seniors in Kansas City, MO should all be smiling now that, starting in 2024, they’ll get to enjoy a little bit more of their Social Security benefits. Thanks to a broadly bipartisan vote, Missouri is set to become the 39th state to make Social Security payments exempt from state taxes. Of course, that also means many folks in our audience will have to factor in a new variable when they're deciding when to take Social Security. Luckily, Matt Wilson, Keen Wealth's Chief Investment Officer and President, recently hosted a comprehensive webinar on Maximizing Social Security Benefits that you can rewatch on our website. Today, we're going to discuss some follow-up questions Matt received from attendees.

Today marks the third time I've had the honor to welcome retired FBI Special Agent Jeff Lanza to our podcast. In his 20-plus-year career, Jeff investigated cybercrime, fraud, organized crime, human trafficking, and terrorism. Jeff is now a regular on TV news, including CNBC, the Fox News Channel, "The Today Show," and "Good Morning America." He's the author of two books and has spoken around the globe and in 49 states, including lecturing at Princeton and Harvard University. On this episode, Jeff offers several actionable steps that folks can take to secure their online info and steer clear of the latest scams.

On today's show, we answer a request from a Keen on Retirement listener who's been reading Garrett B. Gunderson's popular book "Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths That Are Destroying Your Prosperity." You might have seen some of Gunderson's thoughts about alternative financial strategies passed around online, especially among folks who are skeptical about the markets and the government's role in economic policy. But while there's certainly no one way to create a financial plan, most investors who steer clear of "sacred cows" like investing in a diversified portfolio and funding their retirement accounts could be killing their chances of a secure retirement. Below are several of the points we discuss.

Folks who attended our 2023 Q3 Market Outlook Webinar heard a much more positive message about the economy than the one you might be hearing on social media and cable news. Matt Wilson, Chief Investment Officer and President at Keen Wealth, always follows the latest data towards a no-nonsense picture of where we are and where we could be heading. On today’s show, we discuss why we’re cautiously optimistic about the rest of the year and answer some follow-up questions from webinar attendees.

As we head into the summer vacation season, one item that's high on many travelers’ wish lists is value. With the pandemic finally in the rearview mirror, high demand for travel is driving up costs. Additionally, the markets are still recovering, and consumer prices and inflation are still above average. That's enough to make even affluent retirees nervous about spending money on entertainment and leisure while nervous about their long-term security.

Matt Wilson's latest Market Update webinar touched on some important topics that you've probably seen in the headlines lately: interest rates, inflation, bank closures, the debt ceiling debate, and economic growth forecasts for the rest of the year. But if you're just getting your info on these things from social media or cable news, Matt's approach was likely a breath of fresh air. At Keen Wealth, we try to provide clear-eyed analysis without the hype so that folks can understand the practical effects that hot-button issues could have on their financial plans and their retirement. On today's show, we recap some of the bullet points from Matt's Q2 Market Update and answer a few follow-up questions from folks who attended the webinar.

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.

We're only a few days into 2023, but the stats tell us that plenty of folks are already struggling with their New Year's resolutions. In 2019, Strava, a social network for athletes, determined that 80% of people who made New Year's resolutions abandoned them by the second week of January. A 2021 CBS News poll found that 4% of individuals who make resolutions actually accomplish everything; 8% meet most of their goals; 16% meet some.

We received very enthusiastic responses from folks who attended our recent webinar, Maximizing Social Security Benefits. As always, Matt Wilson, Keen Wealth's President and Chief Investment Officer, did an outstanding job of presenting up-to-the-minute information explaining some strategies for integrating Social Security into a comprehensive financial plan.

As the calendar flips over to Fall, our checklist-driven process at Keen Wealth brings my team to some important action items to help folks prep for the year ahead. In particular, we want to make sure retirees are getting ready to review their Medicare coverage during the upcoming Open Enrollment period in November. And we're also waiting for the Social Security Administration to announce its benefit changes for 2023.

The numbers are finally out! And that means, if you haven't already started, it's time to get serious about working with your advisor to update your financial plan for 2023. On today's show, we discuss the changes coming to your Social Security and Medicare benefits next year, as well as an important clarification on the rules for inheriting IRAs that could impact how you and your family members think about legacy and tax planning.

Thanks to the tremendous support of the Keen Wealth community, our podcast audience, and readers of our blog, I'm thrilled to announce that that the 2nd Edition of Keen on Retirement: Engineering The Second Half Of Your Life has hit Amazon's best-seller list! I think one of the reasons that folks have connected with the book is that I try to present up-to-date information on things like the SECURE Act and Medicare with an eye towards the big picture. And I think maintaining that wider perspective in your financial planning has only become more important since I published the 1st Edition of the book in 2019. The pandemic accelerated so many things in our society, from how we connect and communicate to how our government thinks about retirement. If you aren't working with an advisor and following a comprehensive financial plan, it's very easy to let the news of the day or the hot get-rich-quick pitch lead you off the path towards a safe, secure, and fulfilling retirement. On today's show, we talk about some of the additions I made to the 2nd Edition of my book. I sincerely hope that this new material and our discussion broadens your own perspective and helps you maintain focus on sound financial planning principles.

On our last episode, we ran through the changes to Medicare and Social Security that will affect seniors' benefits next year. Today, we're going to complete our 2023 planning picture by discussing tax brackets and contribution limits for retirement accounts. We also examine whether or not gold and real estate should factor into your financial planning given the current levels of inflation.

"Ben" and "Shirley" are 62 years old and married. Shirley retired at the beginning of 2022. Ben is still working, earning $130,000 per year and taking home about $7,000 every month. If Ben retired right now, he'd be eligible for $24,000 per year in Social Security; Shirley could collect $20,000. Ben has a 401(k) worth $1.1 million; Shirley's 401(k) is worth $300,000. They have $45,000 in Roth IRA accounts and $50,000 spread across their checking and savings. Their home is worth $400,000. In 2021, they refinanced the $100,000 balance on their mortgage for 30 years at 2.75%. They have $500,000 in life insurance coverage on Ben, and they're paying $13,000 a year in annual premiums. In part, they're paying those premiums because they have a special needs son, and Ben recently had a stent put in. At Keen Wealth, we call these financial details a person or couple's "case facts." And on today's show, we use these facts to help this couple answer the number one question on their minds, and on the minds of many of our listeners: If "Ben" retires this year, will they be able to replace the $7,000 post-tax income they have been living on and ultimately – will they be OK?

On today's show, we (briefly) debate the pros and cons of leaving our clocks alone before digging into the details of SECURE Act 2.0 that could affect retirement if this new bill is passed.

As we discuss on today's episode, this year's report, released on June 2nd, is a bit more optimistic. But the ongoing social, political, and economic challenges that will affect your benefits in retirement mean it's critical that folks understand how these funds work, maintain realistic expectations, and work with an advisor to plan ahead.

Seniors may have noticed that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has redesigned the periodic statements it sends about your benefits. Perhaps one of the most helpful changes is that these statements now explain how much your monthly benefits will be depending on when you decide to take Social Security. In my experience, some seniors head into retirement with slightly unrealistic expectations about these benefits. These new statements will help folks get a better idea of where their benefits will fit in to their overall retirement plan.

Recently, while answering some listener questions about early retirement, I pointed out that every piece of your financial plan is connected to every other piece. Adjust one lever, and you might trigger some unexpected consequences if you're not working with a professional who can help you anticipate and prepare for further changes.

According to a recent study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s Retirement Security Research Center, affluent retirees are, on average, more satisfied than retirees with modest assets and folks who are just managing to get by. Now that probably doesn't sound like a very eye-opening conclusion. But what the EBRI found was that it wasn't really money that made affluent retirees feel better about retirement. It was three factors that I believe should be a cornerstone of any retirement plan, no matter how big your nest egg is.

The pandemic closed a lot of doors in 2020. But for cybercriminals, business is always open. The more time folks spend socializing, working, shopping, and managing money online, the more sensitive data could be vulnerable to hacks and scams. Click on the wrong link or answer the wrong phone call and you could be at risk for significant financial loss or identity theft issues that can take weeks, months, or years to sort out.

Folks on opposite sides of the political aisle don't agree on very much these days. But one area where Republicans and Democrats have found some common ground is the need for Americans to take more responsibility for their retirement planning. Corporate pensions are disappearing. Social Security won’t cover the bills. And many young folks face uncertain long-term prospects in our new decentralized post-pandemic workforce.

The pandemic given us all a new perspective on our lives and our work. I think that’s a big reason why we’ve had a number of our clients at Keen Wealth ask us about early retirement scenarios this year. After a year of locking down, missing friends and family, working from home, and in far too many cases, losing loved ones, folks want more than just financial security. They want to use their assets to live their best lives for as long as they can.

Should retirees “work” in retirement doing something they love? How does that affect your Social Security income? Is paying off your mortgage before you retire a good idea or are you better off with the extra cash cushion? What should you do when you inherit an IRA from your spouse?

The American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) doesn’t sound quite as catchy as the SECURE Act or the CARES Act. But the government’s new trillion-dollar plan to accelerate our country’s recovery from COVID-19 is no less consequential.

If you follow me on social media or listen to my podcast regularly, you’re probably aware that I’ve gone through a personal transformation. Thanks to some expert personal training and a ton of hard work, I’ve lost 60 pounds and am in some of the best shape of my life

Should you delay taking social security payments? When you’re retired, should you still try to “save” money each month and put it in a bank account just like you did before you retired? Those are just a couple of the questions we address in today’s show that were prompted from what our clients are asking us.

At Keen Wealth Advisors, we spend a lot of time helping you build financial security. Yet all that financial security could become secondary when you feel a lump in the breast, the car behind you on the freeway doesn’t stop in time, or you slip on the ice in the winter and your whole world becomes directed to your immediate health care needs. If that happens, your focus turns to trying to get the best medical care possible.

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.

The number one question we get from clients and friends at Keen Wealth is, “How much money do I need to retire?” But that’s not the question we help our clients answer when we’re working on their financial plans. Contrary to all the late-night TV and internet ads, there’s not some magic number to hit, no secret formula for combined savings, assets and investments that’s going to guarantee a secure retirement.

I suspect that a month or two from now, your inbox and social media feeds will be full of year-end tax-planning checklists and advice articles. But one of our mantras at Keen Wealth is, “get out ahead of issues as early as we can.” So on today’s show, we help our listeners get a jump on year-end tax planning. If you put off addressing these important items, you’re not just wasting time. You could be losing money.

Figuring out Social Security is not easy. For the typical couple, there are more than 8,000 different Social Security claiming possibilities. How can you make sure you don’t make a mistake that could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars?

If you’ve started to receive 2018 tax info from your financial institutions and can already feel a sense of dread building, let me try to put a more positive spin on this process. At Keen Wealth, we like to remind clients that, to some extent, taxes are a problem of prosperity. Sticking with disciplined savings and investment strategies, even during volatility, could help generate wealth and security for your family in the long run. Taxes are just part of the price tag that comes with achieving that dream retirement scenario.

Social Security was originally developed to be just a retirement safety net, but over time benefits grew and the system now covers an estimated 96% of Americans and makes up an average of 40% of a typical retiree’s income.

In today’s episode we discuss ramping up your income by owning dividend-paying stocks. And shockingly, many stocks pay higher dividends than 10-year U.S. Government securities.

Today I’d like to delve into these underpaid benefits issues at the Social Security Administration and raise a couple points that just about anyone who is retired or about to retire should be aware of when it comes to your entitled benefits.

Deciding when to start taking Social Security payments is one of the most important decisions you and your fiduciary advisor will make about your retirement plan. It’s also one of the trickiest to get right.

Many new retirees are surprised to find that Medicare is not a simple, free, one-size-fits-all health care solution. There are crucial decisions that both you and your spouse will have to make to secure the coverage that makes the most sense during your golden years.

In order to avoid this downside of retirement, my Keen Wealth team works to determine not only our clients’ financial needs, but we also work to understand their psychological and emotional needs. We like to really get to know our clients so that we can plan together for a meaningful retirement in which financial security and an active, engaged, fulfilling lifestyle go hand-in-hand.

I’ve written before that my team at Keen Wealth places a high priority on educating ourselves about trends, innovations, and ideas that could have an impact on the financial and lifestyle planning we do for our clients. Personally, I set aside a few hours out of my workweek for learning time, and recently I came across a fascinating Ted2017 talk from Susan Pinker. She’s a developmental psychologist whose book, The Village Effect, talks about how important face-to-face social bonds are to our longevity and quality of life. I recommend watching Pinker’s entire Ted2017 talk, but I’d also like to focus on a few insights that I think can really help seniors strengthen their social bonds and enjoy a long and prosperous life in retirement.

It’s certainly been an eventful couple of weeks since our last episode! There’s a very good chance that the first round of COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to our frontline medical heroes before the end of the year. We also saw the Dow Jones pass the historic 30,000 mark for the first time in history.

This time last year, many seniors had never heard of Zoom or made a video call. You knew about Netflix and Apple TV, but maybe you were waiting for your grandkids to set them up for you the next time they visited. You had social media accounts, but those were just for sharing family photos. After learning how to connect, stay informed, and keep yourself entertained during the pandemic, I’ll bet your cell phone and other household technology are much less intimidating than they used to be. So, if your TV and movie queue is starting to thin out, this might be the perfect time to explore podcasts.

Clients and friends of Keen Wealth have questions surrounding the Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act that was passed at the end of 2019. And with good reason! In many ways, the SECURE Act represents a significant rethink of retirement and estate planning. The government has recognized that as folks begin working longer at a wider variety of jobs, individuals need to start taking more personal responsibility for their retirement planning.

Generally, on Keen on Retirement, we don’t like to discuss proposals that are floating around in Washington. There’s so much politicized chatter in our newsfeeds every day that we prefer to wait until the facts get separated from the fiction, all the dust settles, and a new law is actually put into effect. But we’re making an exception on today’s episode for the SECURE Act of 2019, which passed the House back in May and is currently kicking around in the Senate. The discussion surrounding the House version of the bill gives us some important insights on what the government is thinking about your nest egg and the future of retirement planning.

As regular readers and listeners know, I recently turned 50 and I do worry about the world that my generation is leaving behind for our children and grandchildren. If you get too caught up in chatter on cable news and social media, it can leave you feeling pretty scared and frustrated. And if you believe the stereotypes about the upcoming millennial generation, we’re leaving some pretty serious problems in the hands of kids who are entitled, self-absorbed, and incapable of handling basic adult responsibilities - or so they say.

It wasn’t long ago that retirement was an almost automatic decision. Once you turned 65, it was time to retire, start collecting your pension and Social Security, jump over to Medicare, and move down to Florida.

Whenever the market experiences significant volatility you're likely to see "gold bugs" swarming your social media and cable news feeds. Investing in a commodity like gold that we perceive as "stable" sounds appealing when other investments, like stocks, seem unstable.

Now that the presidential election is nearly over, I hope that folks will start to focus a little bit more attention on their financial planning to-do lists as we close out 2020. I know it’s tempting to get caught up in speculating what Congress and the Federal Reserve will or won’t do with regards to the economy, the markets, and health care. But those are unknown variables right now that none of us can control.

Social media is an invaluable tool for getting information, keeping in touch with our loved ones, and breaking up our days with a quick hit of entertainment. But the flipside to clicking through all those Facebook posts and vacation photos is, inevitably, we start comparing what we have and how we’re living to the people we follow.

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the storms that hit the Midwest recently. In particular, the mile-wide tornado that tore through Linwood, KS was a sobering reminder that we’re going to be dealing with peak tornado season for at least a few more weeks, as well as ongoing concerns about flooding as our rivers continue to swell. You know our mantra at Keen Wealth when it comes to your finances and your life: plan ahead. And in our part of the country, tornado and flood prep has to be a part of that larger picture. Take a moment to go through these important tips that will help protect you, your family, your home, and your money.

For most of our clients at Keen Wealth, the end result of hard work and diligent financial planning is a happy retirement. A big reason for that is how our process helps clients to plan for not just financial security, but for their daily lives in retirement: the things they want to do, the hobbies and interests they want to pursue, the people they want to share this new stage of their lives with.

Black Friday used to be a one-day event for all those power shoppers sleeping off their turkey dinners in tents outside the mall. Today, that quick sprint for a bargain TV or Tickle Me Elmo has turned into a two-month shopping marathon that many of us run from the comfort of our homes. I’ve been seeing Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers in my email and social media feeds since early November!

You have a steady job that pays the bills and puts your abilities to good use. You have loving relationships with your spouse, your children, extended family, and close friends. Your house provides enough space and security. Your golf league gives you a chance to unwind. Your volunteer work improves your community.

As our country starts reopening, it’s become clear that the COVID-19 pandemic is going to be one of those generational “before and after” moments. Just like travel and public security were never the same after 9/11, COVID-19 is going to change how we gather in public, how we assess and prepare for new viruses, how our children and grandchildren learn, and how companies of all sizes do business.

A few weeks ago, I don’t think many folks had heard the phrase “social distancing.” But now, maintaining safe, hygienic spaces that help limit the spread of the coronavirus is just a part of our lives.

“How are you?” I bet I’m not the only one who’s stumbled over that question recently when I’m talking on the phone, video chatting, or answering emails. It’s rarely been so tough to answer such a simple question! I’m OK in the sense that my family and my Keen Wealth team are all healthy and continue social distancing. I’m OK in the sense that we have enough food, enough toilet paper, and enough on demand entertainment.

Now that the SECURE Act has become law, it’s time for the follow-up we promised. Here are the key themes and specific provisions in the SECURE Act that my Keen Wealth team is studying right now: