Keen On Retirement™

In my previous post, I explained why a 30-year retirement plan cannot be treated as a "one and done" checklist. From unexpected health events to shifting personal priorities, your life should determine how and when your financial plan needs to adjust, not the other way around. But not every change requires a new financial strategy. And that's where the true tension in retirement planning lies. On the one hand, underestimating the effects of a meaningful change could put your long-term security at risk. On the other hand, overreacting to every market dip, unsettling headline, or argument with your spouse about money can cause lasting damage to your wealth. The goal for retirees should be thoughtful adaptation, not constant reaction. Before you overhaul your portfolio, ask yourself these six questions to determine if your plan truly needs an adjustment.

Housing is one of the biggest line items on just about any retirement budget. Whether you're still paying a mortgage, looking to escalate your payment schedule so you can retire debt-free, or thinking about relocating or buying a vacation home, where you live plays a significant role in how you spend your time, who you spend it with, and what your financial plan looks like. On today's show, we group together some common questions about managing mortgages that we've received from seniors in our Keen on Retirement audience.

Your life and career haven't progressed in a straight line. Retirement won't either. But that's a misconception, or maybe a hope, that so many folks build into their retirement plans: that, after decades of ups and downs, happy surprises and serious challenges, retirement is going to coast along on autopilot. Hopefully, you have decades of retirement ahead of you. And those years are going to be just as unpredictable as any other period of your life, with one major new variable guaranteed. You won't have a paycheck from employment to rely on. Without the reassurance that more money is coming at the end of the month, too many seniors start making emotional money moves in the moment, whether they're facing a market dip or an unplanned home repair. That's not the kind of adaptability I was describing in part one of this blog series. I'm suggesting that if you view retirement planning as an ongoing process, you should be able to reroute when necessary. And, just as importantly, you'll have a decision-making framework that will help you distinguish between genuine warning sirens and noise you can ignore.

"Ute" (SUV), "chips" (French fries), "sunnies" (sunglasses), and "mates" (friends) are just a few of the slang terms I picked up earlier this year when the Keens visited our family in Brisbane, Australia. Another was "super," which is short for "superannuation." This mandatory savings program is central to Australia's retirement planning. And recently, President Trump floated the idea of implementing a similar program here in the U.S. On today's show, we discuss if taking some inspiration from our friends Down Under could provide a "super" solution to Social Security's looming insolvency and help more Americans build their nest eggs for retirement.

How different was your life 10, 20, or 30 years ago compared to where you are now? Back then, maybe you were just graduating college, or taking the next big step in your career. You and your spouse might have been wrangling kids ranging from grade school to high school. Maybe you were thinking about buying your "forever home" while also juggling college tuition and a new minivan. And today? Look at how much has changed! The kids are grown and starting families of their own. Your forever house is paid off. You traded in that old minivan two or three cars ago. And after years of hard work, you and your spouse are finally ready to retire. But believe it or not, when you look back at the beginning of retirement in another 25 or 30 years, your life will have gone through just as many changes and surprises as you experienced in the decades leading up to retirement. And that's why your retirement plan can't just run on autopilot. In my next series of blog posts, I'm going to discuss why comprehensive financial planning doesn’t stop just because you stop working. Effective planning is always an ongoing process, even in retirement.

Keen on Retirement listener "Joe" is 51 and his wife is 60. They are thinking about an early retirement before either of them turns 65. Joe wrote in asking about the best strategy for coordinating Social Security benefits around that retirement goal. Should they take his wife's benefits now? Delay benefits to keep their income low and make Roth conversions? And since they're both too young to collect Medicare, how will their Social Security benefits affect their Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies? The good news is that Joe and his wife are already thinking about the main topic of today's episode: when you pull one lever on your retirement plan, another piece adjusts. Working with a professional advisor can help you navigate these interconnected decisions with greater clarity and confidence.