Keen On Retirement

As divided as Americans may be about a whole bunch of issues, it's heartening to see that we do still agree on the importance of giving back. According to recent reports, as America faced some of its toughest challenges ever in 2020, charitable giving rose 5.1% to a record $471.44 billion. That number is really remarkable when you think about how hard the pandemic hit so many individuals and businesses in their wallets. Add in the stress and uncertainty we were all dealing with and it's clear Americans really went out of their way to help important causes and communities in need. That big boost in giving could also be a positive long-term trend, as many experts had worried that recent changes to tax laws might disincentivize charitable giving. As we discuss on today's show, effective giving plans for the year ahead should account for those changes while weighing some important options for doing the most good.

We're barely a week into the New Year, but I'll bet plenty of folks are already struggling with the resolutions they felt so excited about back in December. In fact, many people have given up already! According to some studies, 25% of resolutions fail after just a week. After 6 months, less than half of resolutions are still active. A common theme in my reading on this topic is that most resolutions fail because they aren't specific or meaningful enough. On today's show, we discuss why 2022 should be the year you stop making resolutions and start making action plans to hit your top goals -- especially financial ones.

For the second year in a row, we decided that it would be prudent to hold our Holiday Market Outlook virtually. And while we're disappointed that we can't share the fellowship of our breakfast event with you, please know how grateful the Keen Wealth team is for the privilege of serving as your financial advisor. It's a very big deal to us when a client entrusts us with their life savings, and we take that responsibility very seriously.  While we can't serve breakfast this year, we can present another favorite holiday tradition: the annual Market Outlook Presentation from Matt Wilson, President and Chief Investment Officer at Keen Wealth Advisors. Some of the topics that Matt covers include: Forecast for 2022 Inflation vs. Reflation Markets and the Wall of Worry The importance of the consumer Stay tuned after Matt’s presentation for some holiday cheer from The Dickens Carolers.

As my team at Keen Wealth Advisors starts looking ahead to 2022, there are things we know, and things we don't know. On the one hand, year-end announcements from the Social Security Administration, the IRS, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have allowed us to start making some more detailed projections as we prepare for the year ahead. But with a new COVID-19 variant circulating, inflation on the rise, and legislation still under debate in Washington that could affect taxes and retirement accounts, we have to maintain flexibility as well. As we discuss on today’s show, history tells us that financial planning requires a delicate balance between making the most out of the present and laying the groundwork for success in the future.

When "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini died in 2013, he left behind an estate worth $70 million. The musician Prince died in 2016, and earlier this year, the IRS valued his estate at over $160 million. Michael Jackson was worth $500 million when he died in 2009. Aretha Franklin's estate was worth as much as $80 million when she died in 2018. And despite the ample resources available to each of these superstars, errors in estate planning basics prevented a smooth and orderly transfer of wealth to their intended heirs. On today's show, we discuss how to prevent your own estate from getting tangled in red tape and bad blood.

Pop quiz: What do Black Tuesday 1929 and Black Monday 1987 have in common? They both happened in October. That's probably a big reason why October has a reputation for being the worst month for investing. But as we discuss on today's show, digging into the numbers and taking in the broader historical perspective reveals some more important lessons for investors who get spooked by volatility. We also bring that same long-term perspective to a couple questions our Keen Wealth clients have been asking recently.

Do budget deficits matter to the health of the U.S. government and economy? That's been a hot topic of conversation among economists, especially as debate raged about the most effective way for the government to support folks during the pandemic. And it's been a topic that's popped up on a few of our Keen on Retirement episodes and blogs as well. But while ideas like modern monetary theory are ... well, just theories right now, the battles in Congress over the federal debt ceiling and President Biden's Build Back Better Plan are going to have some real-world consequences before the end of the year. So, on today's show, we address some of the questions that we have received about federal debt, inflation, market volatility, and long-term retirement planning.

One reason we advise our clients not to overreact to election results is that the plans candidates propose on the campaign trail often look very different once they've worked through the U.S. lawmaking process. President Biden's agenda has struggled with that very reality in recent weeks. As Congress continues to debate and negotiate the Build Back Better Plan, perhaps the central topic of discussion has been balancing ambitious spending with changes to tax codes that would be necessary to pay for that spending. We wanted to devote today's show to answering some of the questions that our clients have been asking about the Build Back Better Plan and their own tax planning. Rather than leaning one way or the other politically, our discussion stays centered on the numbers and potential rule changes that could affect retirees -- particularly high earners.

It's that time again! Every year, during the open enrollment period from October 15th through December 7th, we recommend that all seniors review their Medicare coverage and see what new options might be available to them. It's also extremely important that new retirees who are signing up for Medicare for the first time get a handle on the ABCDs of Medicare, as well as the things that Medicare does and doesn't cover. On today's show, we prepare you for Medicare Season 2021 and discuss some key aspects of your health care coverage that you'll want to investigate before open enrollment ends.

According to a recent study by Fidelity, a 65-year-old couple retiring today will need $300,000 to cover their medical expenses. Unfortunately, that eye-watering number only includes insurance premiums, deductibles, and copays. If you or your spouse need long-term care, which isn't covered by Medicare, your health care costs could end up putting a serious crack in your nest egg. Now, I don't say that to scare anyone. The point of our conversation on today's episode is to underline just how important it is for seniors to understand what the potential out-of-pocket costs of long-term care can be, what kinds of long-term care insurance options are available, and how to incorporate your health care needs into your financial planning.

The pandemic closed a lot of doors in 2020. But for cybercriminals, business is always open. The more time folks spend socializing, working, shopping, and managing money online, the more sensitive data could be vulnerable to hacks and scams. Click on the wrong link or answer the wrong phone call and you could be at risk for significant financial loss or identity theft issues that can take weeks, months, or years to sort out.  On today's show, I'm happy to welcome back Jeff Lanza for a cybersecurity tune-up that will benefit all of us. During his 20-year career as an FBI Special Agent, Jeff investigated cybercrime, organized crime, human trafficking, and terrorism. He's also lectured at Harvard and Princeton and is a go-to expert for TV news and documentaries. Jeff recently updated his acclaimed book, Cybercrime: How to Stay Safe From Online Fraud and Identity Theft. And I'm pleased to announce that Keen Wealth Advisors will be hosting Jeff for a live presentation on cybersecurity at the Overland Park Conventi

Recently, while answering some listener questions about early retirement, I pointed out that every piece of your financial plan is connected to every other piece. Adjust one lever, and you might trigger some unexpected consequences if you're not working with a professional who can help you anticipate and prepare for further changes. We're certainly seeing those same kinds of interconnected effects with concerns about inflation. Even as our economy continues to accelerate out of the pandemic, massive government stimulus combined with ongoing supply chain disruptions and low labor participation have driven up the consumer price index (CPI) this summer. That's affecting how many seniors are thinking about their household spending and retirement timelines. But, as we discuss on today's show, inflation is also affecting how the government is looking at Social Security.

The pandemic has given us all a new perspective on our lives and our work. I think that’s a big reason why we’ve had a number of our clients at Keen Wealth ask us about early retirement scenarios this year. After a year of locking down, missing friends and family, working from home, and in far too many cases, losing loved ones, folks want more than just financial security. They want to use their assets to live their best lives for as long as they can. That’s what we want for our clients as well – in retirement and every step along the way. But the listener questions we answer on today’s show are a reminder that adjustments to your financial plan aren’t made in a vacuum. Each decision causes ripple effects that can be extremely hard to manage if you’re not working with a fiduciary advisor.

As good as it feels to be exiting the pandemic and enjoying a relatively normal summer, the ongoing economic fallout from COVID-19 and the levers our government pulled to accelerate recovery have a lot of folks worried about inflation. Those fears spiked recently after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices rose by 5% during the month of May, the biggest jump since 2008. Those numbers are ringing alarm bells for some of our older clients who don't like being reminded of 1970s stagflation as they're nearing or beginning retirement. On today's show, we discuss whether inflation is inherently bad, what rising costs say about the health of our economy as a whole, and how our investment philosophy accounts for inflation over the course of a modern retirement.

In recent months, my two daughters have given me a personal perspective on just how hot and how competitive the real estate market is right now. Both decided to buy homes in the Kansas City area, and both had to make unsuccessful bids on multiple houses before they were able to close on their new homes. That millions of families all over the country are trying to navigate these same issues is quite a turnaround from just a decade ago, when folks were hesitant to buy houses in the shadow of the Great Recession. However, as we discuss on today's show, many economic factors that caused the housing market to collapse in 2008-2009 are contributing to the current housing boom. That doesn't mean we're headed for another bubble burst, but it does mean that folks need to weigh all their options if they're looking to buy or sell right now, especially if you're eying a potential retirement home.

Longtime Keen on Retirement listeners might remember a running gag where Matt Wilson and I would joke with our co-host, Steve Sanduski, about all the bitcoin we suspected he was hoarding. At the time, bitcoin had just emerged from one of its periodic freefalls and was starting to seep back into the general public’s awareness. And then, in 2018-2019, it dropped again. Today, as the value of one bitcoin hovers in the tens of thousands of dollars, this digital asset is back to making headlines and generating a lot of questions from our listeners. And it turns out that, all kidding aside, our buddy Steve really has been playing very close attention to how Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies could affect our economy and our monetary system. He’s even started a new podcast, The Digital Money Advisor, focused on exploring these very issues. So, on today’s show, we decided to put our co-host on the hotseat and ask Steve what he’s learned on his deep dive into bitcoin.

A few years ago, I was intrigued by the many news stories I was seeing about the new “tiny homes” helping homeless veterans around Kansas City. I reached out and connected with the Veterans Community Project, and the more I learned, the more impressed I was by the impact that the VCP is having. One number really stood out: over 90% of the veterans whom the VCP work with are able to get back on their feet and reacclimate into society. Today, both my family and Keen Wealth Advisors are grateful supporters of the Veterans Community Project’s newest initiative, the VCP Veterans Navigation Campus. It’s a real honor to welcome VCP Co-Founder, Chief Project Officer, and retired U.S. Army Specialist Brandonn Mixon on today’s show to discuss how his remarkable team is transforming cities across the country and making sure that none of our heroes get left behind.

One year ago, despite lockdowns, skyrocketing unemployment, and major market volatility, my team at Keen Wealth was cautiously optimistic. We believed that most of the economic disruption our country was facing was a temporary and necessary response to battling COVID-19. And we believed that once vaccine development started progressing and the country started reopening, jobs would come back, the economy would roar to life, and the markets would respond in kind. So far, 2021 has exceeded our expectations. But the latest jobs report and other key economic indicators show that we still have a ways to go before we’ve fully recovered from the pandemic. On today’s episode, Keen Wealth’s Chief Investment Officer, Matt Wilson, discusses the data he presented in his most recent Market Update Webinar, as well as factors that could potentially slow down our economic momentum.

Greg Graves is the former president, CEO, and chairman of Kansas City's own Burns & McDonnell, which is 100% employee-owned and one of the most successful ESOPs in American history. Greg is also the author of a new book, Create Amazing: Turning Employees into Owners for Explosive Growth. On today's show, Greg discusses his life as a new retiree as well as his vision for a more productive, profitable, and equitable American workforce.

As we discussed on our previous episode, many financial pros and taxpayers are working overtime this tax season to accommodate the American Recovery Plan Act’s changes to tax law. But my team at Keen Wealth also has one eye on Tax Day 2022. President Biden and Congress continue to float some pretty significant tax proposals, including last week’s package focused on corporate tax rates. On today’s show, we dig into items aimed at individuals, particularly some potential changes that could affect retirees this time next year.