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Keen On Retirement

Insights Blog & Podcast

Focused insight on timely, relevant topics. Start planning your retirement. 


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How to Avoid Getting Caught Up in Financial Fraud  Thumbnail

How to Avoid Getting Caught Up in Financial Fraud

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.

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How a Financial Advisor Can Ease the Pain of Settling an Estate Thumbnail

How a Financial Advisor Can Ease the Pain of Settling an Estate

The pain of losing a loved one can be even harder to work through when you're tasked with settling their estate. As you're sorting through complex legal and family issues, you also have to worry about fulfilling your loved one's last wishes and ensuring that their legacy will live on. I hope this overview of settling an estate can help folks who are grieving work through the essentials as quickly and efficiently as possible. I also hope anyone in our audience who doesn't have an estate plan in place will understand how important it is to get your affairs in order and how a financial advisor can help at every stage of the process.

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Love and Community Helped My Mother Thrive in Her Golden Years Thumbnail

Love and Community Helped My Mother Thrive in Her Golden Years

Just after midnight on New Year's Day of 2012, I was standing in a pizzeria in New York with my wife Carissa. We had just watched “The Ball” drop in Times Square. Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" was playing over loudspeakers. Confetti was in the air. Spirits were high. And I was filled with gratitude and hope for the year ahead. Then I happened to see an email from my mother come in on my phone. What it said confused and worried me. I showed the email to Carissa, and she confirmed my reaction: "It is clear your mother is telling you goodbye." On today's show, I discuss how this experience changed my life, as well as my approach to financial advisory and building community at Keen Wealth Advisors.

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A New Approach to Decluttering Your Retirement Thumbnail

A New Approach to Decluttering Your Retirement

Organizing expert Marie Kondo encourages folks to look at their stuff and ask, "Does this spark joy?" The Swedes have a slightly less sunny spin on decluttering: döstädning, or, "death cleaning." As popularized in both a bestselling book and a Peacock reality show, death cleaning is a way for older adults to streamline their possessions so that their heirs won't have to when they're gone. “A loved one wishes to inherit nice things from you,” writes author Margareta Magnusson. “Not all things from you.” But “death cleaning” and the KonMari Method aren't just about clearing out your closets and saving your kids some hassle. Organizing your possessions and your home can have a liberating effect on how you live in retirement and how you plan for your legacy.

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Will Hitting “Peak 65” Rewrite the Rules for Retirement? Thumbnail

Will Hitting “Peak 65” Rewrite the Rules for Retirement?

We spend a lot of time on Keen on Retirement discussing how retirement is changing, from new laws and rules to generational shifts in how seniors work and live. But one constant in the retirement planning process is the importance of the age of 65. Many folks still feel like turning 65 means you've hit "retirement age," even though the government's definition is a bit different. And even if you continue to work well into your 70s, at age 65 there are some important decisions that should be coordinated as your vision for your Golden Years comes into focus. On today's show, we discuss why the age of 65 will be an especially important transition point for the next couple of years. We also answer listener questions about charitable contributions and required minimum distributions that might factor into your tax prep this spring.

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The Psychological Shift from Saving to Spending in Retirement Thumbnail

The Psychological Shift from Saving to Spending in Retirement

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.

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