We’ve made it to 100 episodes! So in this special edition of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, I’ll answer five questions from the first quarter of 2022. These questions cover a wide variety of topics that are all important to know, from paying off your mortgage to following the “4% rule.” Make sure you give it a listen! You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [0:22] Make sure you check out RetirementMadeEasyPodcast.com! [1:39] My three-step process to help you retire [5:1...
Jun 02, 2022•22 min•Ep. 100
There are two types of people that fail miserably at retirement. One person is the type that loved their job because it gave them a sense of purpose. The other type is the spender—they struggle to stick to a budget and want an extravagant retirement. What should these two people do to have a successful retirement? Learn more in this episode of the Retirement Made Easy Podcast. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [0:21] Check out RetirementMadeEasyPodcast.com for FREE R...
May 26, 2022•18 min•Ep. 99
These are 5 things that you might forget about that can make a HUGE impact on your retirement. These five issues are things that you need to consider when you create a retirement plan—or they could derail your retirement. Listen to this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast to find out what they are (and what you can do about it). You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [1:26] Check out our FREE resources at RetirementMadeEasyPodcast.com [4:46] Issue #1: Do you want ...
May 19, 2022•20 min•Ep. 98
In this special retirement replay, we listen to one of the most popular episodes: “ The Retirement Story Everyone NEEDS to Hear. ” Why is it so popular? I outline some things you need to know when you’re planning for retirement. Things like the life expectancy of the average 62-year-old, what we can learn from history about inflation, the optimal time to start withdrawing from social security—and how to apply it all to your retirement. Don’t miss this one. <<<<<<<<<<...
May 12, 2022•21 min•Ep. 97
Did you know that some months are better than others when it comes to retiring? What month YOU should retire depends on numerous factors, like what you do for a living, health insurance, your retirement portfolio, and even the weather. We’ll cover it all in this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [0:26] The top 5 episodes of the podcast you need to listen to [3:26] Check out FREE resources at RetirementMadeEasyPodcast.com! ...
May 05, 2022•19 min•Ep. 96
What can you do to help you achieve your goal of retiring at age 70? When you write goals down, you increase your odds of completing them by 10x. So the first thing you can do to increase your odds of retiring at 70 is to write down: “My goal is to retire at age 70.” Now, you need to write down other things you can do to maximize your chances of reaching your goal. You might write down, “I will delay my social security benefit until age 70.” That would maximize your social security. However, I’v...
Apr 28, 2022•21 min•Ep. 95
Yes, you read the title right—there are some questions that I can’t answer. In this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, I dissect questions submitted by Jerry, Dean, and Jean. All three asked great questions that I just can’t answer. So in this episode, I’ll explain why I can’t answer them, the information I would need to give an informed answer, and things each listener needs to question for themselves. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [4:28] Speculative i...
Apr 21, 2022•22 min•Ep. 94
Roth conversions are a useful tool that you should consider taking advantage of as you approach retirement. If you have a Roth IRA, it would grow tax-free for life. When you take withdrawals in retirement, they will be tax-free. With a traditional IRA, you pay taxes whenever you take withdrawals. So if you take a $5,000 withdrawal, you have to pay Federal and State income taxes. But when should you start doing Roth conversions? Listen to this episode of Retirement Made Easy to hear my thoughts. ...
Apr 14, 2022•23 min•Ep. 93
This episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast is a mix of the old and the new. I revisit some listener questions that are currently relevant as well as answer a NEW question that’s debunking a once-popular social security disbursement method. What is it? You’ll have to give this episode a listen to learn more. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [1:40...
Apr 07, 2022•22 min•Ep. 92
Mcdonald’s has over 38,000 restaurants across the world. They’ve closed all of their locations in Russia, which equates to about 2% of McDonald’s restaurants. Other companies—such as Apple—are following suit. How will those companies’ actions impact your portfolio? Before sanctions, Russia’s stock market represented about 2% of the Emerging Market Index (MSCI). With the sanctions, the MSCI is kicking out Russian companies. This means that you'd no longer be susceptible to the Russian market. Wha...
Mar 31, 2022•23 min•Ep. 91
Years ago, a gal I’m going to call “Robin” came to us and asked about our pre-retirement assessment. She wanted to retire at the end of the year and wanted to make sure she was on track. She brought us 401k, IRA, social security, and pension statements. She was curious how much she had to live on in retirement. We could NEVER have predicted what happened next. Listen to this episode of Retirement Made Easy to learn from her story. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [0...
Mar 24, 2022•19 min•Ep. 90
What is long-term care insurance? Do you need long-term care insurance? How much does it cost? When should you buy it? Is it a good deal— or is it a ripoff ? Long-term care insurance is a necessity for some and completely unnecessary for others. You want to make informed decisions about your future. That’s why I’m going to share how it works and what it covers in this episode of The Retirement Made Easy Podcast. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [2:48] Check out FREE...
Mar 17, 2022•21 min•Ep. 89
A listener recently messaged me and said that investing in the stock market—when it’s this volatile—feels like gambling at a casino. Intrigued by her observation, I dove into some research. In this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I share the results of my research and answer the question: Is investing in a volatile market the same as gambling? Don’t miss it! You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [2:58] Check out FREE resources at RetirementMadeEasyPodcast.com [4:22] Is ...
Mar 10, 2022•18 min•Ep. 88
Does the volatile stock market make you uneasy? It’s easy to lose sight of the purpose of your investments when you’re reading the latest headlines or watching the news—especially with what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine. The market seems to be plunging in response. I understand why this makes you uneasy. That’s why in this episode of Retirement Made Easy I help you decide what to do with your retirement portfolio. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [0:56] The fu...
Mar 03, 2022•20 min•Ep. 87
The average non-smoking 62-year-old couple has a life expectancy of 30 years (living until age 92). That means the average couple needs to plan for a 30-year retirement. So how do you calculate the Rate of Return (RoR) that you need to make on your investments to fully fund your retirement? Calculating the RoR you need is one of the most crucial elements of retirement planning. You don't want to find yourself out of money and living solely on social security in your late 80s. So in today’s episo...
Feb 24, 2022•18 min•Ep. 86
How do you factor social security into a retirement plan? What is my process? What do people do wrong with social security because they don’t understand how it works? In this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, my goal is to simplify social security benefits to help you make an informed decision. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [3:15] How to get a FREE retirement assessment [4:25] Social security basics you need to know [8:35] Understanding the cost of liv...
Feb 17, 2022•19 min•Ep. 85
How can you increase your productivity and effectiveness to reach your goals? There are two things I implement in my personal and professional life that have transformed my productivity. Even better, one of the strategies is backed by solid Harvard research. Tune in to this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast to learn more! You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [2:06] How to get a FREE retirement assessment [3:25] Why we are so big on goal-setting [5:21] The reci...
Feb 10, 2022•20 min•Ep. 84
Should you consider a part-time job when you retire? What about utilizing passive income streams? How does a passive or part-time income in retirement impact your social security benefits? I share some facts about social security benefits in retirement—and how they might be impacted by an income—in this episode of Retirement Made Easy. Don’t miss this one! You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [5:57] My thoughts on becoming an Uber driver [7:20] Start with a retirement b...
Feb 03, 2022•23 min•Ep. 188
One of my listeners completely disagreed with what I said in episode #41, “ Thinking of Investing in Gold? Think Again .” He was risk-averse and viewed gold to be a good hedge against inflation. He brought up the declining value of the dollar and how gold would react to that. In this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I’ll share the research I provided to this gentleman and why I STILL don’t believe gold belongs in your retirement portfolio. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<...
Jan 27, 2022•22 min•Ep. 82
Your retirement nest egg has to last the rest of your life. There’s a lot at stake. So what happens when you face an emergency like a market crash? Because crashes are inevitable and a natural part of the cycle, you must plan for them. That’s why you need to get a retirement parachute in place. Learn more about why a retirement plan is so important in this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [5:31] Why you need a retirement ...
Jan 20, 2022•20 min•Ep. 81
There are many ways you can do your retirement investing, from do-it-yourself platforms like Vanguard to the exclusive advice of Financial Advisors. If you want to go the route of working with a Financial Advisor, you need to understand how they are paid and how that impacts the service you will receive. Most importantly, it’s important to know how you can quantify the value a financial advisor brings to the table. Vanguard did a study on this issue a while back that revealed a number of benefit...
Jan 13, 2022•21 min•Ep. 80
One of the most common questions asked of financial advisors who specialize in helping people plan for retirement is the main question that makes our services necessary: How much money is needed for an adequate retirement fund? There are a handful of ways to answer the question and I try to walk through them in short order on this replay episode of the podcast. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [3:25] The Retire Inspired Quotient [5:50] Fidelity’s rule of thumb for r...
Jan 05, 2022•19 min•Ep. 79
I love making podcast episodes as practical as possible and nothing is more practical than the real-life questions and scenarios that listeners pass my way. I decided to end up the year with a handful of episodes that focus exclusively on the questions my listeners have submitted. In this episode, you’re going to hear practical advice, in language you can understand. You can submit your questions (see the resources linked below). I’d love to answer your question in the future. This episode cover...
Dec 30, 2021•23 min•Ep. 78
It’s always fun to hear from listeners and to field questions about retirement and retirement-related financial issues. I publish my podcast to help people deal with those issues with wisdom and insight, so they can live a better life in retirement. This episode is not just another listener question episode — it’s the BEST questions I’ve received over the past week. There are so many decisions to be made and the questions are relevant not only to the person who asked the question, but also to ot...
Dec 23, 2021•23 min•Ep. 77
I love answering questions from you, my listeners. Each of you has unique situations and goals for your retirement and I understand that sometimes you need to hear someone speak directly to the specifics you’re facing. That’s why I’ve decided to answer listener questions. If you’d like to ask a question of your own, you can submit a question at the website (listed below). This episode I’ll cover as many topics as I can, rapid fire style. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested i...
Dec 16, 2021•22 min•Ep. 76
As we head into a new year, the typical changes the government makes regarding retirement accounts and government healthcare are being announced. It looks like we’re going to see changes to 401K accounts and changes to Medicare premiums. Some of these changes are pretty significant, especially in light of the high rate of inflation and increased cost of living we’re experiencing at the moment. This episode is going to break it down for you. Also, we have a number of very interesting listener que...
Dec 09, 2021•25 min•Ep. 75
Is it possible that you could be FORCED to buy Long-Term Care Insurance? Well, it’s happened in the State of Washington. Could your State be next? I can’t predict which States will follow suit or in what time frame, but I do believe this is only the beginning of this kind of legislation… and I think it’s a BAD idea, at least the way Washington has implemented it. This episode will address what’s wrong with the Washington plan, and I’ll also answer three listener questions about retirement date f...
Dec 02, 2021•24 min•Ep. 74
This episode is based on a book by Dr. Frank Luntz, “ What Americans Really Want...Really: The Truth About Our Hopes, Dreams, and Fears .” Dr. Luntz has led focus groups and conducted numerous surveys on Americans to gather research about what Americans want. So in this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I cover the 7 most common worries of retirees as well as answer some listener questions! You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [4:49] 7 Questions people over 60 have about...
Nov 25, 2021•24 min•Ep. 73
This is one of THE most popular episodes I’ve aired—and for good reason. The bucket strategy is an easily understandable approach to retirement savings that actually works. This simple strategy can help you reach your retirement goals. In this throwback of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, we’ll cover the purpose of a rainy-day bucket, how to create a bucket that will sustain your retirement, and a bucket designed just for growth. Don’t miss it! You will want to hear this episode if you are inte...
Nov 18, 2021•20 min•Ep. 72
Are you in your 50s or 60s and wondering what you need to get figured out before you retire? In this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, I share 6 questions you need to ask—and answer—before considering retirement. If you can answer these 6 questions by the time you retire, you should be in great shape. Retirement should be a blessing–not a curse. So let’s get your ducks in a row. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [2:44] 6 questions to ask before you retire ...
Nov 11, 2021•21 min•Ep. 71
