Keen On Retirement

The headlines and talking heads painted a very bleak picture last week as the market went through its first significant bout of volatility in two years. But at Keen on Retirement I’m not trying to scare you into clicking on another link or sticking around through the next commercial break. We want to give folks our honest perspective on what’s really going on in the markets and the state of the economy’s fundamentals. So, on today’s show, we take a clear-eyed, long-term look at the recent market fluctuations and key economic indicators, explain some of the reasons for Wall Street’s jitters, and discuss the potential effects on your portfolio.

On January 13th, I was walking through the grocery store with my mother and daughter when I noticed that I’d missed a call from my son, Devin, who was vacationing in Hawaii. I played Devin’s voicemail and listened as he very calmly told me that I didn’t have to worry. The alert of an incoming ballistic missile, headed for Hawaii, had been a false alarm. He was safe, after spending a terrifying 25 minutes huddled in a storm drain with about a dozen other people. This was the first I’d heard about the false missile alarm, which in a way was a mixed blessing. As it turned out, Devin was never in any real danger. Had I known about the alarm as it was happening, the stress and the worry might have been too much for this father to bear. Of course, my concern was nothing compared to what Devin went through, and on today’s show, he talks to us about how his experience impacted him in the moment, and how it’s changed his outlook on life.

My team at Keen Wealth has been hard at work pouring over the new tax bill that President Trump signed into law at the end of 2017. There’s much to unpack and a few details that still haven’t settled into place, but I know that my listeners and clients have questions. So while this probably won’t be our only episode this year on what might be the biggest change to the tax code in decades, today we will look at some of the most important changes this bill introduces. Hopefully this discussion will help folks cut through all the political clamor, and start thinking about the potential impact on their financial planning.

We were privileged to have so many clients, family, and friends join us to celebrate our 20th Annual Holiday Breakfast. As is our tradition, we rang in the season with great food, inspiring entertainment, and our Market and Economic Outlook Presentations for 2018. Matt’s presentation, entitled “Focus on the Fundamentals,” gave an outstanding overview of some of the key metrics that drove 2017’s strong markets.

We were privileged to have so many clients, family, and friends join us to celebrate our 20th Annual Holiday Breakfast. As is our tradition, we rang in the season with great food, inspiring entertainment, and our Market and Economic Outlook Presentations for 2018. In my presentation, I gave a brief overview of recent global turbulence as it related to fluctuations within the market.

At the end of the year the whole internet goes into list-making mode with lists for best movies, best TV shows, best songs, biggest political events and so on. I couldn’t help getting into the spirit a bit myself, so here’s my “Top 3” list of questions that clients and listeners have asked my team at Keen Wealth in 2017: How much money do I need to retire? How do I need to adjust my portfolio because of what’s happening right now in the news? What are Bitcoin and blockchain? Should I start investing in them? I think we’ve done a good job covering the first two questions in previous episodes this year. So on today’s show, I’m going to cross the final big question of 2017 off my list and talk about Bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies – definitions, pros and cons, broader applications, and what moves, if any, you should consider as an investor.

Last week the Keen Wealth leadership team took a trip to Chicago for the Charles Schwab IMPACT® Conference. One of the biggest gatherings in the financial services industry, it is designed to educate attendees on new technologies, trends, and navigating hot-button issues. There were dozens of sessions, hundreds of vendors, and vast opportunities to learn. And Schwab put together an incredible lineup of speakers this year: former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Washington insider (and Keen On Retirement podcast guest) Greg Valliere, Not Impossible Labs Founder and CEO Mick Ebeling, and best-selling author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Big Short), just to name a few. It’s inspiring to hear people who are at the top of their professions give their perspectives on big issues in business, politics, science, and culture. And it’s fun and a privilege to be surrounded by industry peers at invitation-only events like this and like the Barron’s Top Advisors Summit each year. But even more, I believe attendance is an i

2017 just hasn’t gotten any easier, has it? After ten months of natural disasters, internet hacks, political tumult, and celebrity scandal, I know I’m not the only one looking forward to the start of the holiday season for some much-needed light at the end of the tunnel. Hard as it’s been sometimes this year, my team at Keen Wealth always keeps its eyes on the big picture when we’re managing our clients’ money. And just last month, many of us in the financial industry were looking back at an infamous anniversary: October 19, 1987, aka “Black Monday” – the biggest one-day percentage drop in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Thirty years later, there’s a lot that Black Monday can teach us about market volatility, and long-term retirement planning. So, on today’s show, we open up the listener mailbag and apply the lessons of Black Monday to some important retirement questions.

I believe that your retirement equation breaks down into three parts: things that you have total control over (such as how much you save and where you put those savings and investments); things you have some control over (how long you work); and things that you have no control over (short-term market returns, government policy). Your retirement spending is a big focal point when we’re working with our clients at Keen Wealth. This process may initially feel restrictive at times, but approached prudently, we have found this to be one of the most fun and exciting pieces of the planning process. On today’s show, we discuss four important spending considerations that should factor into your retirement plan.

It happened again! The recent breach at Equifax is the third major cybersecurity disaster of 2017. WannaCry and Petya round out the “big three” that have gained widespread media attention. On top of that, earlier this month we found out that the Yahoo breach from 2013 was far worse than the company thought – 3 BILLION users had their accounts compromised! Over the summer I wrote a blog about how these kinds of hacks and scams are becoming more common, and way more sophisticated. But luckily people are doing a better job of educating themselves about cybersecurity threats as well. At Keen Wealth, we try to do our part to keep our clients and listeners informed about the latest online threats. On today’s show we discuss how the Equifax breach happened, and offer some simple but effective cybersecurity tips that will help protect your info, and your money.

Maybe the scariest thing about the 2017 hurricane season is that it’s not over yet. It’s hard to imagine dealing with anything more destructive than Harvey, Irma, and Maria this year, but historically, some of the strongest storms have hit the U.S. in October and November. And add in the devastation from the recent large-scale earthquakes, it’s clear that the strain Mother Nature has put on our disaster prep and response services will continue for some time. In life, as in finance, the best way to deal with problems is to get out ahead of them. On today’s show, Shawn Tipping and Bob Harris from Game Plan Experts join us to discuss what lessons in disaster prep families can learn from this year’s record-breaking weather, and how thinking ahead can fortify your financial planning as well.

Your vacation is over, your kids are back in school … Time to pack up your swimsuit and eclipse glasses and get back to working on that nest egg! Fall always seems to spark a renewed sense of focus in my clients at Keen Wealth, so for today’s show, we thought it would be a good time to answer three big retirement questions from our listeners. 2017 continues to be a rough-and-tumble year, and when we’re talking about your money, it’s always a good idea to cut through the chatter on the news and the internet, and focus on the facts that really matter.

A year ago, on this podcast, we were discussing how the upcoming 2016 presidential election might affect the economy. Then, at the beginning of 2017, my clients and listeners wanted to know if the surprising “Trump rally” was for real, and how the new administration’s plans might affect taxes and popular retirement-planning tools. Now, my clients are asking: “Has the ‘Trump rally’ peaked? Is there something I can do to take advantage? Do I need to prepare my investments for a big correction?”

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. In just the last 18 years of Devin’s life, the world has changed so dramatically. That got me thinking about my Great Aunt Nina, born in 1901, who lived a full and eventful 100 years. It’s truly amazing to think about all the incredible things Aunt Nina saw in the course of her lifetime. But I also think that looking back can provide some perspective, and some reassurance, to anyone worried about the future.

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. On today’s show, we try to demystify some of these financial terms and acronyms for our listeners. Because we adhere to the fiduciary standard at Keen Wealth, we always put the best interest of our clients first. We want to be as transparent as possible when it comes to your retirement planning, and sorting through this word jumble of financial terms and acronyms might be a big help.

For the first part of our working lives, our retirement plans are on autopilot. We save what we can every month, we contribute to our employer-match 401(k)s, and if we’re living within our means, we don’t think about the plan very much.  But at Keen Wealth, we often see that once our clients hit 50, a lightbulb goes on: “My retirement plan is not just numbers on a page. This plan is going to have to sustain me and my family for the rest of our lives.”  This webinar covers some common concerns that new and soon-to-be retirees have as they transition to the distribution phase of their investing.

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. No one is teaching your kids basic savings strategies, budgeting, or retirement planning in school. This is one of those areas where parents have to take it upon themselves to educate their children and help provide for their futures. On today’s show, we speak both as parents and as financial professionals as we discuss some practical tips and strategies to educate your kids about their money.

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. On today's show, we weigh the pros and cons of various investment and savings accounts to help you pick the best tools to provide for your child, and impart a little financial guidance to your heirs in the process.

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.” Would you stay on that flight, or would you join the crowd hustling towards the exits? If your retirement plan is that dream destination, then your investment assets and the income produced from them are the fuel. One of the most common questions we get from our clients at Keen Wealth is, “Do I have enough money to retire?” And the answer is, that depends. It takes more fuel to fly from Kansas City to Orlando than it does to St Louis. So where do you want to go? Are you properly fueled? On today’s show, we discuss how a smart spending plan and disciplined withdrawal limits will keep your retire

Tax season may – finally! – be behind us, but taxes are still very much on the minds of our listeners, and my clients at Keen Wealth. President Trump recently unveiled a new tax plan, the consequences of which are still being unpacked and analyzed. And changing taxes is just one part of the broader Trump economic plan that the president and Congress are trying to convert from campaign promises into actual legislation. On today’s show, we open the listener mailbag to answer some common questions about the Trump economic plan, and how it could affect your finances. We also take a look at life insurance for retirees, and revisit the crucial distinction between a fiduciary advisor and a broker.