No matter how much money you may have, worrying about money is part of human nature. We all worry that we may not have enough no matter what our tax bracket is. Even though that is the case, I still say money does not come first when planning retirement. When planning out your financial resources to prepare for retirement, first think about the life you want, then think about the money. This is the second episode in a four-part series where I use Lori and Bruce as a case study to help you to discover how to plan your own retirement. You will want to make sure that you listen in to the full series to understand how to plan your retirement.

Do you have a net worth statement?

On this episode, I discuss what a net worth statement is and why you need one. Make sure you listen so that you can find out how to prepare one for yourself. This tool is indispensable when tracking your financial resources. You definitely want to make sure that you have one of these prepared when you begin thinking about retirement. A net worth statement is a financial dashboard that lists all your assets and debts so that you can understand your worth and work towards planning a great retirement. Are you curious as to what a net worth statement is and how to build one? Listen in today to find out how to use this invaluable tool to help you plan your retirement.

What is the next step of Your financial plan for retirement?

On this episode, I continue my discussion with Lori and we move on to the next step of her and Bruce’s plan for retirement. Last week we discussed what their ideal retirement lifestyle would look like and in doing so we talked about Family, Occupation, and Recreation. This is the FOR part of my acronym FORM. Today is we get to the M part -- Money. Lori discloses her financial resources so that we can get a better feel for how well they are prepared for their impending retirement.

How are you preparing your life for retirement?

Find out how Lori and Bruce downsized their life in preparation for retirement. They used to have the large house and dual incomes and decided that they needed to start preparing for retirement by downsizing their house. Lori gives us the nitty-gritty about their financial resources so that we can discuss their financial plans for retirement. Lori also tells us how she got started as a virtual assistant and how this has been like a pre-tirement phase in her life.  If you've been thinking of having a transition period between full-time employment and retirement, you will want to listen to this episode as we discuss Lori and Bruce's preparations for full retirement.

Have you thought about at what age you would like to retire?

Will you wait until age 65, or retire a bit early? Do you need to wait a bit longer? These questions cannot be answered entirely until you have a full grasp of your financial resources. The first step in understanding your financial resources is to have a net worth statement. Make sure you listen in to this show to hear the case study of Lori and Bruce and to learn what a net worth statement is and how and why you need to prepare one.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[1:02] Money doesn’t come first

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

[2:57] Nobody feels like they have enough money

[3:57] FORM- Family, Occupation, Recreation, and lastly, Money

[5:32]  What is a net worth statement

[7:02] The difference between a use asset and a productive asset

[8:56] Six Shot Saturday is where you can find the tools to help you build a net worth statement

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[9:39] Lori explains how they downsized their life to prepare for retirement

[13:56] We discuss the possibility of full retirement at the age of 66 for both of them

[19:15] We discuss their assets