momceltics

The Boston Celtics, A Super Fan Named Carol and Retirement: The Surprising Parallels

by BlogRetirement AdvisorRetirement EducationRetirement IncomeRetirement Income PlanningRetirement Savings

The Boston Celtics are the NBA Champions for the 18th time!!  WooHoo. A world record. Wowza.

As a life-long Celtics Fan-atic I’ve been dreaming about this day for a while. My late mom, Carol, dreamed about it too. I will never again be able to think about the Celtics without thinking about my mom. A basketball player herself back in the 50’s and a HUGE Celtics fan. Perhaps their number one fan. She referred to Jayson Tatum as “Her” Jayson.

Last season, the Celtics (and Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston), kept my mom cheering and going strong until she gave in to her battle with Ovarian cancer last April. During the 22/23 season, Jayson’s number one fan endured a blockage in her kidney, a blockage in her stomach, two surgeries and stays in four different medical facilities. Throughout all of this my hero mamma NEVER missed a game! The Celtics were her medicine. Her dream was to see them win the championship last year. Neither the Celtics nor my mom, however, could pull it off.

But alas, the Celtics came back with vengeance for the 23/24 season and are now the NBA champs (with a little help from an angel in heaven named Carol). I think she was on the rim at the Garden Monday night. I also think she’ll be watching from above as banner number 18 is raised to the rafters.

My mom was fortunate to have witnessed years of Celtics games and championships. She was also fortunate and grateful to have had a long happy and mostly healthy life. She retired early at 58 and enjoyed a 30-year retirement! A life and retirement like this doesn’t just happen. Just like an NBA championship doesn’t just happen. It’s all a battle from the start.

The battle requires strategy, perseverance, commitment, consistency and teamwork. A little luck from an angel helps too.

So, let me break it down and see what lessons we can learn from the Celtics’ championship (and my mom) that you can apply to your own life and retirement.

  1. A Strong Game Plan

Boston Celtics: The Celtics didn’t just stumble onto the court and hope for the best. They had a well-thought-out strategy, focusing on both offense and defense. Every play was designed to maximize their strengths and exploit their opponents’ weaknesses.

My Mom: Divorced at 38 with four kids, my mom figured out a new strategy for her life. She had good offense and a good defense. She was one tough lady.

Your Retirement: Similarly, your retirement plan should be strategic. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, only 48% of Americans have calculated how much money they need for retirement and the average retirement is over 20 years in duration. Creating a detailed financial plan, which includes budgeting, saving, and investing, is crucial. Just like the Celtics, you need a solid game plan to ensure you’re financially prepared for the long run.

  1. Consistent Training and Adaptation

Boston Celtics: The Celtics’ success didn’t happen overnight. It took years of training, adapting to new players, and learning from losses. They kept refining their skills and strategies to stay at the top of their game.

My Mom: Lucky for my siblings and I, my mom had a career as a school teacher, which meant a reliable income (albeit small for a family of 5) and a retirement pension. Leaving our family home with kids in tow, she was the queen of adaptability. She was both a dad and a mom for many years, honing her skills on the job. Her plan: to get through each day, one day at a time and focus on being a good mother.

Your Retirement: Retirement planning is a long-term commitment. Saving significantly for retirement takes consistency and starting as soon as possible. Learning about money, finances and retirement early on is critical. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your financial plan is essential. Keeping up with changes in the market, adjusting your investments, and ensuring you’re on track to meet your goals is essential.

  1. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Boston Celtics: Basketball is a team sport. The Celtics’ victory was a result of excellent teamwork. Each player knew their role and worked together seamlessly, from the starting five to their incredibly talented bench. The team is steeped in talent.

My Mom: She kept us all close and we learned what it meant to function as a family team. We all chipped in to make daily tasks easier, we appreciated what we had, and every day ended with love and a smile.

Your Retirement: Your retirement plan should also involve teamwork. Financial advisors, accountants, and even family members can play vital roles in your retirement planning. According to a study by Vanguard, working with a financial advisor can add up to 3% in net returns on your investments. Surround yourself with a supportive team to help guide you through complex decisions and keep you motivated.

  1. Staying Healthy and Prepared

Boston Celtics: Physical fitness and injury prevention are crucial for NBA players. The Celtics maintained peak physical condition to ensure they could perform at their best throughout the season and playoffs.

My Mom: Physical and mental health was a priority for my mom, throughout her life. While not an exercise fanatic, my mom always took good care of herself and her kids. She had a good balance and instilled an active lifestyle in all of us.

Your Retirement: Health is equally important in retirement as it is in all the years before retirement. Medical expenses are a significant concern as we age, with Fidelity estimating that a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2023 may need about $315,000 for out-of-pocket healthcare costs in retirement. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle now can reduce future medical expenses and improve your quality of life.

  1. Handling Pressure Like a Pro

Boston Celtics: Performing well in high-pressure moments defines championship teams. The Celtics excelled under pressure, making clutch plays and rising to the occasion when it mattered most.

My Mom: The term cool as a cucumber was coined in my mom’s honor. JK. Seriously, my mom faced some pretty high-pressure moments in her life, but she handled these moments mostly with calm, courage and practicality. She always told us, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Your Retirement: Retirement planning can be stressful, especially when facing financial uncertainties or unexpected expenses. However, staying calm and making informed decisions under pressure is key. Diversifying your investments, having an emergency fund, and planning for contingencies can help you handle financial and retirement pressures like a pro.

  1. Celebrating Wins Along the Way

Boston Celtics: Every win during the season was a cause for celebration and motivation to keep going. The Celtics didn’t wait until the championship to acknowledge their successes.

My Mom: Celebrations in our family were a regular occurrence. Birthday parties, Christmas, and even everyday life, my mom was celebrating life and being grateful. My mom celebrated and appreciated the smallest things in life. A sunset was one of her favorites.

Your Retirement: Celebrate your retirement planning milestones too! Whether it’s hitting a savings goal, paying off debt, opening a Health Savings Account or making a smart investment decision, recognizing your achievements can keep you motivated and on track.

Conclusion

Winning an NBA Championship, being a single mom, fighting cancer, or planning a successful retirement all require determination, strategic planning, courage, teamwork, and the ability to adapt and perform under pressure. By applying these lessons from the Boston Celtics’ championship run, and from my mom Carol, you can set yourself up for a victorious and enjoyable retirement. So, lace up those sneakers—and let’s get her done.

Remember, whether you’re aiming for a championship ring or a comfortable retirement, the journey is just as important as the destination. Here’s to enjoying every season of life. Happy planning!

If you’d like some help with your financial plan for retirement, reach out to us. We can hook you up with a team of experts: retire@herretirement.com.

 

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When it Comes to Having an Investment Advisor…is Nice, Enough?

by BlogRetirement AdvisorRetirement EducationRetirement IncomeRetirement Income PlanningRetirement Savings

Recently I had a Get Her Done Chat with a lovely lady named Susan who’s turning 60 soon. She’s starting to think seriously about retirement (because she’s been watching me and all my tips on YouTube and TikTok).

She has $500,000 managed by one of the big investment firms and she’s paying a 1.5% management fee. That’s $7,500 per annum or $625/month. Not an insignificant amount. However, fees are an issue in the absence of value.

I asked her what services the advisor is providing (i.e. value)? Other than meeting once a year to review her portfolio and making some adjustments, she really couldn’t come up with any other value.

She also admitted she doesn’t really understand what the firm/advisor is doing with her money, or why. She did say the advisor, who she’s had for several years, is likable and nice.

But….when it comes to your money and retirement, is nice enough?

We talked a bit more, and it became clear the nice advisor has never had the proper money and retirement conversation (nor provided any education). A conversation and education that my new friend Susan really needs (and deserves), by the way.

Me: “So has your advisor brought up (and educated you about)…

  • Retirement risks and how to mitigate them? Longevity, volatility, sequence of return, inflation, interest rates, etc.?
  • Optimized retirement portfolios?
  • Retirement income planning (generating protected income for life)?
  • Social Security timing & maximization?
  • Healthcare planning?
  • Long-term care planning?
  • Life insurance planning?
  • Tax planning for retirement?
  • Using home equity as an income buffer?
  • Estate planning?
  • Non-financial topics such as: lifestyle planning (where you’ll live, what you’ll do, purpose, mental and physical health, social connections, etc.)?

Susan: “Nope. Nada. Just my investments. I did ask him about Social Security and he said I can take it whenever I feel like it (me: ugh). I also asked him about annuities and he said, “Run. If anyone ever brings up annuities to you, run away from that advisor.”  (me: ugh again)

Before I could respond, Susan added, “I don’t even know when I can retire or how much money I can take from my 401k or when? Or if, god forbid, I run out of money and become a bag lady. I’m just feeling a little panicked and the thought of not having a regular paycheck from working is frightening.”

Wow…so much to unpack from her response. It was crystal clear that Susan’s nice advisor was clueless about retirement planning. As I explained to Susan, “There’s many, many investment-only advisors. This doesn’t make him bad at his job. I’m not here to judge that. It just makes him inappropriate for the “retirement planning” job you need done now. And, for an equal to or potentially lower fee than what you’re currently paying, you could be benefiting from FULL retirement planning vs. just investment advice.”

Susan decided to schedule another chat with me to dig into her details (yay). I encouraged her to take my free Her Retirement Masterclass and to check out a preview of my retirement readiness software platform before our next chat.

I explained that getting foundational retirement literacy is a key part of the Her Retirement process. This will allow her to have more informed conversations with retirement experts and make more informed decisions. She’ll also be taking a complete financial inventory within my software and will benefit from a personalized G.R.O.W. guide the software produces for her. The guide will identify her Gaps, Risks and Opportunities, which is a foundational element to her ultimate retirement plan.

I’m looking forward to being an active listener and collaborator with Susan on her journey to “more.”

Unfortunately, there’s many conversations going on across the country that are similar to Susan’s with her investment advisor. Approximately 5,200 women are turning 60 every day in the United States.  It scares me to think of the lost opportunity many women will have to improve their retirement outcome, simply because they aren’t getting the quality advice and education around retirement they deserve. Sometimes, it’s simply because they don’t know what they don’t know. They don’t know who to turn to and who to trust.

In addition, as the Great Wealth Transfer unfolds over the next decade, women will become increasingly vulnerable as they inherit significant wealth. This demographic shift, which will see trillions of dollars transferred from the older generation to their heirs, places women at a unique risk. Many women, especially those who may not have been the primary financial decision-makers in their households, could find themselves navigating unfamiliar financial terrain. This vulnerability is exacerbated by the potential influx of unscrupulous advisors looking to exploit their lack of financial literacy or experience. These predatory advisors may offer seemingly attractive financial products or services with hidden fees, poor returns, or outright fraud. It is crucial for women to seek out trustworthy, transparent, and knowledgeable financial/retirement advisors to safeguard their newfound wealth and ensure their financial security for the future.

My mission with Her Retirement is to encourage more women to become students and stewards of their life and retirement. With my “More for Her Movement,” I want all women to Know More. Have More & Live More (now and in retirement).

I also connect women with professionals who are nice AND knowledgeable about all this retirement planning stuff…while also providing A LOT more value than the average Joe investment advisor. If you’re a single or suddenly single professional woman who wants more, I can help you Get Her Done.  Reach out because no, nice is not enough.

 

 

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Do’s & Don’ts of Finding the Right Retirement Advice

by BlogRetirement AdvisorRetirement Income PlanningRetirement SavingsWealth

First off, I’m NOT an advisor. I’m a retirement researcher, writer and educator. I have a few Do’s and Don’ts to consider as you begin planning your retirement and finding the right person/people to help you go from Savings (401k, etc.) to Security (creating an income for life from your 401k).

  1. DON’T listen to a neighbor, a friend or even that friendly financial/investment advisor who’s probably not well versed in retirement planning and is biased toward investments. The insurance advisor is biased toward insurance. And the big companies in both camps spend a lot of money to spread their version of the truth. Looks for a “retirement advisor” who’s license in both investments and insurance and therefore, doesn’t have the bias of one vs. the other. They should be dedicated and taking the time to educate you about this retirement planning process and all the strategies they are recommending vs. just saying “it’s a good idea because I said so.” All professional service providers make money….they must be paid like everyone else. Just make sure they are 100% transparent in their fees.
  2. DO listen to retirement researchers, academics and economists who focus on retirement planning and there are plenty.
  3. DO base you decisions on research…always ask Why? and ask for the data to support an advisor’s/friend’s recommendation.
  4. The right answer can only be found by answering a number of questions about you and your goals, along with analyzing what you’ve got, what you’ll have, and what you’ll need. And then finding the best combination of strategies to make your money lasts throughout retirement.
  5. You’ll need to have an open mind as it relates to retirement/distribution strategies because they are completely different than the accumulation phase of life.
  6. The traditional 60/40 portfolio is dead. As you approach and enter retirement, you’ll need a portfolio strategy that reduces your risk, while also being positioned to take advantage of growth. You MUST mitigate volatility in retirement. There are a number of ways to do this. With the current low bond returns, you should seek alternatives. For some that may include Fixed Indexed Annuities. For others, it may be structured investments. Stocks will always be a part of your portfolio, albeit a smaller part.
  7. DON’T work with an advisor who knows nothing about tax planning for retirement…and most CPAs don’t know how to do pro-active retirement planning. A true retirement advisor knows how to integrate tax efficient withdrawal strategies into your income distribution plan so that you keep as much of your hard earned money as possible. This may be one of the most important strategies. Side note: ask them about Roth Conversions…2020 may be a perfect storm for Roths for many people.
  8. DO make sure your portfolio is stress tested and proven to last in ALL market environments.
  9. DON’T let anyone guess as to when you should take Social Security. This accounts for 33% of your income in retirement (in most cases) and must be incorporated into your overall income planning. The answer as to when depends on a lot of factors. Also, Social Security must be included in your tax picture as well. Since 85% of your benefit could be taxable without the right planning.
  10. DO find out if they are aware of MAGI and Medicare (and the impact on how much you’ll pay for Medicare). Make sure they have resources to help you navigate the Medicare maze.
  11. DO find out if they help you find ways to fund a Long Term Care policy, if needed?
  12. DO consider a reverse mortgage as an emergency income buffer…this is a perfect example of when having an open mind is important. Find out what the retirement academics say about reverse mortgages. And, no, they can’t take your house away if you follow some basic rules, like paying your taxes. And no, the bank doesn’t own your home. Take the time to find the facts vs. listening to hearsay.
  13. DO find out if the advisor you’re considering working with has a team of providers to help you with other ancillary needs.

I do believe it’s impossible for the layperson (and most of the 300,000 financial advisors in this country), to do ALL of the proper retirement planning that must be done to improve and secure your retirement outcome.

Fortunately or unfortunately, advisors, like many other for-profit companies have to make money. But, with the right advisor you won’t question their fees…their value will be evident in everything they do for you. DO make sure they are committed to spending whatever time you need to be 100% confident in your plan and are acting in your best interests. And there’s nothing wrong with checking their references.

Finally, most of us have good intuition when choosing our professionals. Get to know him/her. Ask about his/her family. Ask about their perspectives on finances and life. Ask why they do what they do. Find out a lot about this person personally, and then dig into their “retirement planning” experience.

It’s easy for an advisor to give you credentials and pretty reports and look good on the surface. But dig a little deeper and you might be able to discover if he or she is the real deal.

Click here to chat with a RetireMentor to help you connect with a retirement planner or other retirement professional (legal, healthcare, etc.):

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Who’s the Right Advisor for Me?

by BlogRetirement AdvisorWealth

 

“The research is unequivocal that a competent financial guide can both help you achieve the returns necessary to arrive at your financial destination while simultaneously improving the quality of your journey.”

-Behavioral Alpha: The True Power of Financial Advice, Daniel Crosby, Ph.D., Nocturne Capital, 2016

 

Finding the Right Advisor in a Sea of 300,000

There are more than 300,000 “financial advisors and planners” in the U.S. 80% of them are men and their average age is 60. The title financial planner or financial advisor is used to describe anyone from an insurance agent to a stockbroker to an investment advisor to a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). And there is no shortage of certifications and acronyms on advisor business cards. No wonder people are confused when trying to decipher who they should get financial or retirement advice from.

Many investors assume that any professional who refers to himself or herself as a “financial planner” has received some kind of certification. Unfortunately, there’s no rule governing who can go by the title of financial planner. Anyone can set up shop using that title, whether or not they know anything about finance or have any experience. You’re better off sticking with financial planners who have an actual certification by a governing agency, be it state or federal.

Financial advisors used to be hired predominantly by people with upwards of several hundred thousand dollars. No matter if you have $1 million of $1,000 to invest, you still have many options. That’s changed over the last decade as the financial landscape has changed. Among other changes are the self-funding of retirement plans vs. pensions. People are also living longer and the financial decisions that accompany are long life are more complicated. The financial industry and products are also much more complex with many more offerings. Not to mention the complexities around retirement, which are myriad.

Here’s a quick overview of the types of advisors and planners and their certifications:

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA): A person or firm who advises individuals on investments and manages their portfolios. RIAs have a fiduciary duty to their clients, which means they have a fundamental obligation to provide investment advice that always acts in their clients’ best interests. As the first word of their title indicates, RIAs are required to register either with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities administrators. Registered investment advisors seek to offer more holistic financial plans and investing services. They offer very different fee schedules and are typically fee-based by assets under management.

Registered Representatives: Work for a brokerage company and are well versed in investment products including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Registered representatives are required to have passed their Series 6 and/or Series 7 exams. They must register with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and are governed by suitability standards (which means they ensure an investment is suitable given an investor’s investment profile. Registered representatives, also known as stockbrokers work on commission. Since reps are regulated by FINRA, you can check an advisor’s background on FINRA’s Central Registration Depository at www.finra.org.

Many financial advisors or planners attain other certifications (some of which are listed below). So, for example, you may meet with someone who is both an RIA and a CFP or an RIA and an insurance agent.

Certified financial planner (CFP): The CFP certification is offered by the CFP Board and is generally considered the gold-standard certification for financial planners. CFPs are always fiduciaries, meaning they are legally required to put their clients’ interests ahead of their own at all times.Chartered financial analyst (CFA): The CFA designation is granted only by the CFA Institute. To gain this certification, advisors must meet significant education and work experience requirements and pass a series of three exams. CFAs have expertise in investment analysis and portfolio management.

Chartered financial consultant (ChFC): A chartered financial consultant (ChFC) studies college-level insurance, estate planning, retirement funding, investments and others subjects in financial planning.

Retirement Income Certifications: There are three major retirement income planning certifications that many financial advisors choose to attain to demonstrate their expertise in retirement planning. These include: Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP), Retirement Management Analyst (RMA), and Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC). While these don’t guarantee your retirement advisor will have a full command of retirement planning, they do indicate a level of education beyond the certifications above.  What’s more important than certifications, however, is the process and planning that a retirement advisor offers you. See page 4 for details on finding the right retirement advisor.

Read this entire paper on finding the right advisor for you

When you want some directions on getting connected with a retirement advisor in our network or other solution providers, talk to a RetireMentor.

Why Simply Saving for Retirement Isn’t Enough? Part 2

by Health InsuranceIncome PlanningLong term careRetirement AdvisorRetirement IncomeRetirement Income PlanningRetirement SavingsUncategorized

As I mentioned in part 1 of this multi-part blog post, simply saving for retirement isn’t enough. There’s a myriad of things that can go wrong in retirement. And you MUST be prepared. Preparedness is the key to many of life’s challenges. Unfortunately, many simply “put off” planning for another day. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months and months into years and before you know it, BOOM, retirement is right around the corner. And you’re not ready. This bring me to our first and most important retirement threat:

Neglecting to prepare, either on your own or with a retirement specialist, a comprehensive plan that addresses all the potential threats and risks we all could face in retirement, as well as your income needs and income projection. Will you have enough to last throughout retirement and how will you fund the emergencies of retirement? Her Retirement offers a full “Are You Ready” assessment to determine any gaps in your plan, or to create a plan for you.

Here’s 5 other threats to consider. We’ll cover several more in part 3 of this blog series.

  1. Death of a spouse (without life insurance). While it’s true many pre-retirees are over-insured, the opposite is true as well. Life insurance is certainly critical while you still have a mortgage or other debt obligations, as well as young children to support. But we also feel that you do need life insurance as you are nearing retirement.  The threat is that you or your spouse could die without insurance and you would need to take from your retirement savings to cover your living expenses.  More than 2 in 5 Americans say they would feel a financial impact within six months of the death of a primary wage-earner, according to a 2015 report from the industry group LIMRA and the nonprofit group Life Happens. In addition, 30% of Americans think they don’t have enough life insurance, the report said. Term life insurance policies can be aligned with your retirement age so that it can cover you and your spouse during those important wage earning years and replace the earnings in the event of a pre-mature death of either partner. Her Retirement offers a full life insurance assessment to determine if you’re under-insured or over-insured, and then we can help match you with the right insurance based on your circumstances.
  2. A healthcare crisis. Unfortunately, medical debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy for many. For those that can afford to cover illness or medical emergencies with their savings, it can prevent you or your spouse from working in the final stretch before retirement. In addition, covering these expenses significantly impacts your retirement nest egg. There’s several types of insurance to consider including disability insurance and long-term care insurance.  Her Retirement offers a long term care/medical insurance assessment, as well as some unique ways to fund these expenses outside of insurance.
  3. Scams and more scams. Retirees are a big target for scammers. We’ve all heard the nightmare stories. These scammers take advantage of people’s fears. A perfect example are life insurance policies marketed at 702 retirement accounts. Scammers will sometimes use early retirement seminars as a forum to sell these policies. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the industry oversight organization, advises buyer beware for any scheme or program, like these that promises unrealistic returns of 12% or more, as well as anything promising that you can retire early and/or make more money in retirement than you did in your working years. Here’s a link to the more scams and how to protect yourself and your loved ones
  4. The kid(s) that come back. Some call these boomerang children. Just when you think you have an empty nest, some one of them or worse yet, all of them return!  I just experienced this myself with the return home of my 24 year old son. While a part of me was excited to have him in the house again, the other part of me was calculating the cost to have him back home. Many pre-retirees continue to support children who are considered adults. According to the March 2015 study by Hearts & Wallets, an investment and retirement research firm, those 65 years or older with financially independent children are more than twice as likely to be retired than people of the same age group who financially support their adult children. That’s because those who are still supporting their kids are often putting off retirement to do so,said Hearts & Wallets co-founder Chris Brown. Ideally, we want to help our children become independent from the get go so they can avoid ending up on your doorstep, but we know this isn’t always the case, especially in these times. My son attended one of the best colleges in the world and he’s in my spare bedroom as I write this. The best way to protect your retirement savings from the kids that come back is to help them get financially independent as quickly as possible and ask for them to pay their fare share of the household expenses. Read these tips for surviving your child’s return home (I think I need to read this a couple times!)
  5. Giving grandma a hand out and a hand up. The statistics are pretty convincing that baby boomers are caring for their aging parents and giving up some of their retirement savings in the process. My mother used to say, “I never want to be a burden to my children.” And so far she hasn’t been a burden at all. But, she was properly prepared and to her credit worked as a teacher for 35 years and has a good pension and a good medical plan. Some 11% of adult children under 65 provide financial assistance to their parents, according to the National Institute on Aging’s 2015 Health and Retirement Study. Further, 25% of adult children under age 65 help parents with things like chores and personal care, often at the expense of having their own paying job. In fact, people age 50 and older who care for parents lose an average of $303,880 in pay, Social Security and pension benefits, according to a 2011 MetLife report! Here’s some resources for caring for your elderly parents

While it’s unrealistic to avoid these and many other retirement threats, it’s best to consider what you may face just before retirement and in retirement and make sure you have a Plan A…and a Plan B. This plan, as we discussed above, needs to include not just you, but your spouse and your entire family.

To chat about your plan with an affiliated advisor, please request any one of our assessments here.