Hi Reader, What happens when the life you planned no longer fits the person you’ve become? Retirement planning can create space to reconsider where you live, how you work, and what you want your next chapter to look like. "The easier path might have been the house in the suburbs and the 2.2 kids and the cute little doodle dog. But I'm having fun, and I'm having adventures, and the trust and the belief in myself, it's never been stronger." MEG MCKEEN Rethinking Retirement: Building a Life on...
7 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Life changes, but the beneficiary forms attached to your retirement accounts, insurance policies, and other assets may still reflect decisions you made years ago. "You want to make sure your beneficiary designations reflect your life today, not the life you had when you filled out that form." ERIC BLAKE Beneficiary Designations: 9 Key Questions for Retirement Planning In this episode, I explain why beneficiary reviews should be part of ongoing retirement planning and walk through...
14 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Retirement investing can raise many questions, especially when your savings must support your lifestyle for decades. How do you balance growth, income, taxes, and market uncertainty when planning for life after work? "When I ask a soon-to-be retiree what their number one fear is, the most common answer is, 'I don't want to run out of money.' But when I ask what the primary objective of their portfolio is, the typical response is, 'preserving my principal.' These two statements are...
21 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, For women approaching or already in retirement, Social Security decisions can feel harder when tax questions, funding projections, and proposed legislation all appear in the headlines at once. How do you separate information that affects your plan from news that simply deserves your attention? "A good retirement plan isn't built around predictions by any means. It's built to adapt to life, and sometimes the laws are going to change." ERIC BLAKE Social Security Headlines: What They...
28 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, If you’re planning for retirement and an annuity has been recommended to you, the hardest part may not be understanding how it works. It may be deciding whether it actually belongs in your retirement plan. Asking better questions can help you understand what you’re considering before you commit. "An annuity is not a retirement plan. It's just one possible tool in the toolbox that may help solve a particular retirement need." ERIC BLAKE How to Decide If an Annuity Fits Your...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Retirement tax planning can feel confusing, especially when annuities enter the conversation. I've found that many people aren't really asking about the annuity itself. They're trying to understand what happens to their money, how it's taxed, and whether an annuity is the right fit for their retirement. "Taxes are very important, but taxes alone shouldn't determine whether an annuity belongs in your retirement plan. The planning objective always comes first. The tax rules simply...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, We've learned that many of the most important retirement decisions aren't only about finances. They're about family, communication, and preparing for moments that none of us hope will come. "I want to see senior citizens; I want to see their voice in every room into their 80s and 90s, and I want adult children to not feel that immense guilt and exhaustion from doing something to their aging parents." TAMI CALAIS Don't Wait for a Crisis: How to Talk with Aging Parents In this...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, When people hear the word annuity, they often picture a stream of retirement income. While that's certainly part of the story, there are important decisions that come long before those payments ever begin. How do the different types of annuities work? Which one might fit your retirement goals? And what questions should you answer before comparing products? "The objective isn't to find the best annuity. The objective is to determine whether an annuity belongs in your retirement plan...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Annuities often become part of the retirement conversation during major life changes, yet many people still aren't sure what they actually are or when they make sense. "For many retirees, the question isn't simply, 'Have I saved enough?' The question becomes, 'How do I turn what I've saved into a dependable income?" ERIC BLAKE Understanding Annuities Before You Decide if They Belong in Your Retirement Plan In this episode, I begin a four-part series designed to help you understand...
2 months ago • 3 min read