How can we better prepare for a successful retirement? We’re exploring the lessons from a recent article by Christine Benz of Morningstar, where she reflects on her six-week sabbatical and how "mini-retirements" can help us test the waters before we fully retire. 

We talk about how the luxury of unscheduled time, balancing purpose, and the importance of finding joy in small moments can shape our ideal retirement experience.

I also have a listener-inspired segment on protecting personal data in the age of cyber threats and data breaches.

Outline of This Episode

• [00:58] How should we handle data breaches and protect our information in retirement?
• [03:02] Lesson 1: Why is unscheduled time an underrated luxury?
• [05:15] Lesson 2: Why having a sense of purpose is crucial in retirement
• [06:49] Lesson 3: How hard is it to balance leisure and obligations in retirement?
• [08:47] Lesson 4: What joy can we discover in small moments during retirement?
• [10:26] Brett Mulvaney shares how he got started in financial planning
• [14:08] Steps for protecting your Social Security and tax data after a breach

Resources & People Mentioned

• The Retirement Podcast Network
• Christine Benz’s Lessons From Another ‘Faux-tirement’
• Christine Benz, How to Retire (Morningstar)
• IRS Identity Protection PIN
• Social Security Online Services

Connect with Benjamin Brandt

• Become a Client: www.retirementstartstoday.com/start
• Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/
• Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/retiremeasap
• Join the newsletter: https://retirementstartstodayradio.com/newsletter
• Dive deeper into retirement planning with Ben at www.RetirementIncome.University

Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on

Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podbean, Player FM, iHeart, or Spotify