Keen on Retirement

By the end of February, your financial institutions should have sent you all your relevant tax documents for 2017, like earning statements on your investment accounts, interest earned on savings, etc. If you're missing anything important, you might want to get in touch with those institutions and make sure the info you need is on its way.

This tax season is a bit unique because many people are wondering how the laws passed at the end of last year are going to affect their tax picture and their long-term financial planning. Remember: as we discussed in a previous podcast, the vast majority of folks aren't going to be affected by the new tax laws until filing their taxes in 2019 for 2018.

But on today's show, we're going tackle some other tax questions from listeners and Keen Wealth clients to help you get ready for this April.

The headlines and talking heads painted a very bleak picture last week as the market went through its first significant bout of volatility in two years. But at Keen on Retirement I'm not trying to scare you into clicking on another link or sticking around through the next commercial break. We want to give folks our honest perspective on what's really going on in the markets and the state of the economy's fundamentals.

So, on today's show, we take a clear-eyed, long-term look at the recent market fluctuations and key economic indicators, explain some of the reasons for Wall Street's jitters, and discuss the potential effects on your portfolio.

On January 13th, I was walking through the grocery store with my mother and daughter when I noticed that I'd missed a call from my son, Devin, who was vacationing in Hawaii.

I played Devin's voicemail and listened as he very calmly told me that I didn't have to worry. The alert of an incoming ballistic missile, headed for Hawaii, had been a false alarm. He was safe, after spending a terrifying 25 minutes huddled in a storm drain with about a dozen other people.

This was the first I'd heard about the false missile alarm, which in a way was a mixed blessing. As it turned out, Devin was never in any real danger. Had I known about the alarm as it was happening, the stress and the worry might have been too much for this father to bear.

Of course, my concern was nothing compared to what Devin went through, and on today's show, he talks to us about how his experience impacted him in the moment, and how it's changed his outlook on life.

My team at Keen Wealth has been hard at work pouring over the new tax bill that President Trump signed into law at the end of 2017. There's much to unpack and a few details that still haven't settled into place, but I know that my listeners and clients have questions. So while this probably won't be our only episode this year on what might be the biggest change to the tax code in decades, today we will look at some of the most important changes this bill introduces. Hopefully this discussion will help folks cut through all the political clamor, and start thinking about the potential impact on their financial planning.

We were privileged to have so many clients, family, and friends join us to celebrate our 20th Annual Holiday Breakfast. As is our tradition, we rang in the season with great food, inspiring entertainment, and our Market and Economic Outlook Presentations for 2018.

Matt's presentation, entitled "Focus on the Fundamentals," gave an outstanding overview of some of the key metrics that drove 2017's strong markets.

We were privileged to have so many clients, family, and friends join us to celebrate our 20th Annual Holiday Breakfast. As is our tradition, we rang in the season with great food, inspiring entertainment, and our Market and Economic Outlook Presentations for 2018.

In my presentation, I gave a brief overview of recent global turbulence as it related to fluctuations within the market.

At the end of the year the whole internet goes into list-making mode with lists for best movies, best TV shows, best songs, biggest political events and so on. I couldn't help getting into the spirit a bit myself, so here's my "Top 3" list of questions that clients and listeners have asked my team at Keen Wealth in 2017:

1. How much money do I need to retire?
2. How do I need to adjust my portfolio because of what's happening right now in the news?
3. What are Bitcoin and blockchain? Should I start investing in them?

I think we've done a good job covering the first two questions in previous episodes this year. So on today's show, I'm going to cross the final big question of 2017 off my list and talk about Bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies – definitions, pros and cons, broader applications, and what moves, if any, you should consider as an investor.

Last week the Keen Wealth leadership team took a trip to Chicago for the Charles Schwab IMPACT® Conference. One of the biggest gatherings in the financial services industry, it is designed to educate attendees on new technologies, trends, and navigating hot-button issues. There were dozens of sessions, hundreds of vendors, and vast opportunities to learn.

And Schwab put together an incredible lineup of speakers this year: former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Washington insider (and Keen On Retirement podcast guest) Greg Valliere, Not Impossible Labs Founder and CEO Mick Ebeling, and best-selling author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Big Short), just to name a few.

It's inspiring to hear people who are at the top of their professions give their perspectives on big issues in business, politics, science, and culture. And it's fun and a privilege to be surrounded by industry peers at invitation-only events like this and like the Barron's Top Advisors Summit each year. But even more, I believe attendance is an important professional obligation. Our clients at Keen Wealth trust us to help them make the most informed decisions possible about their long-term financial futures. To do that, my team has to stay current on the important trends that are shaping fiscal policy, technology, economic trends and the wider world.

On today's show, I'm joined by Keen Wealth's Matt Wilson and Sarah Tipping as we reflect on the key big picture trends we saw emerging from this year's Schwab IMPACT® Conference, and how those trends might impact your financial planning in 2018 and beyond.

2017 just hasn't gotten any easier, has it? After ten months of natural disasters, internet hacks, political tumult, and celebrity scandal, I know I'm not the only one looking forward to the start of the holiday season for some much-needed light at the end of the tunnel.

Hard as it's been sometimes this year, my team at Keen Wealth always keeps its eyes on the big picture when we're managing our clients' money. And just last month, many of us in the financial industry were looking back at an infamous anniversary: October 19, 1987, aka "Black Monday" – the biggest one-day percentage drop in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Thirty years later, there's a lot that Black Monday can teach us about market volatility, and long-term retirement planning. So, on today's show, we open up the listener mailbag and apply the lessons of Black Monday to some important retirement questions.

I believe that your retirement equation breaks down into three parts: things that you have total control over (such as how much you save and where you put those savings and investments); things you have some control over (how long you work); and things that you have no control over (short-term market returns, government policy).

Your retirement spending is a big focal point when we're working with our clients at Keen Wealth. This process may initially feel restrictive at times, but approached prudently, we have found this to be one of the most fun and exciting pieces of the planning process. On today's show, we discuss four important spending considerations that should factor into your retirement plan.