Secure Your Retirement

As our bodies age, we can face increasing mobility challenges. Movements and exercises that were once familiar to you might now be less accessible.

Keeping your body mobile is a key part of ensuring a happy and healthy retirement. But how can we incorporate more movement into our daily lives when so many of us live a sedentary lifestyle?

To find out more about embracing movement and wellness over the age of 55, we invited fitness expert Ashley Liu Kirkman to join us in this episode. She shares lots of tips on how to stay active in retirement, reduce your mobility issues, and keep your health at its best.

In this episode, find out:

• How Ashley balances a corporate career and her ‘fun’ fitness career
• What fitness goals you should aim for if you’re 55 or older
• Why you should embrace movement – not necessarily exercise
• How to incorporate more movement into your daily life
• The pros and cons of using wearable tech for monitoring your activity
• Why you should listen to your body to prevent injury
• What you should and shouldn’t do to increase your mobility
• How to adjust impact and intensity for your body
• Tips for introducing out-of-the-box movement into your day

Tweetable Quotes:

“Transition the thought of exercise to movement.” – Ashley Liu Kirkman

“‘No pain, no gain’ does not make any sense. Being in tune with your body makes all good sense.” – Ashley Liu Kirkman

Important Links & Mentions:

• Ashley’s email, [email protected]
• Ashley’s Instagram, @ashlk
• Ashley’s Facebook, ashleylk

If you’re enjoying the Secure Your Retirement podcast, please do leave us a 5-star rating and written review. We love hearing what you think and use your reviews to help us create future episodes. So, whether there’s a topic you’d like to hear us discuss or if you’re a loyal listener, let us know in your review.

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected].

When working with a financial planner or advisor, it’s important that you’re aligned on how you want your money invested. There are many different investment strategies and what you might be comfortable with may not be your advisor’s preference. So, how can you ensure that your money will be managed how you like?

The first step is to have a basic understanding of investment strategies. This way, you’ll know what’s more suited to your personality and how you want your investments taken care of.

In this Retirement in Action episode, we explain the differences between two investment strategies, asset allocation and strongest assets. We share the fundamentals to each, why people choose them, and how to figure out if they’re appropriate for your money management style. 

In this episode find out: 

• Why you should find a financial advisor that suits your investment preferences
• What an asset allocation strategy is
• Why long-term investors prefer asset allocation
• What not to do if you choose asset allocation
• How to understand your risk tolerance
• What the strongest asset strategy is
• How to manage a strongest asset portfolio
• Which investment style is better for active management

Tweetable Quotes:

“Asset allocation is the most common way of investing – it’s easy to do and there’s hardly any maintenance.” – Murs Tariq

“You should work with an advisor or financial planner whose personality matches yours” – Radon Stancil

Important Links & Mentions

• 3 Keys to Secure Your Retirement
• Peace of Mind Wealth Management blog

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected]. 

How much do you know about your retirement banking options?

Whether you use a traditional or private bank to manage your money, there are plenty of different bank accounts and products available to you as you move into retirement. Finding out more about what choices are out there is a good way to understand how your money could work for you in the future.

Mary Thacker, Regional Private Banking Executive at First Bank (FBNC), joins us in this episode to answer our questions about navigating your banking choices in retirement. She’s got more than 26 years of experience in the industry, with 15 years in private banking alone, and works closely with her clients and their financial advisors to find the best banking solutions for them.

Tune in to hear our discussion about FDIC rules, using equity lines of credit as cash reserves, and why it’s crucial to arrange a payable on death with your bank.

In this episode find out:

• Mary’s background in the banking industry
• The differences between private and traditional banking
• When you need to work with a private banker
• The benefits of working person-to-person, rather than online
• How equity lines work with private banking
• How to structure your money so it’s FDIC insured
• What a transfer on death (TOD)/payable on death (POD) is and why it’s important

Tweetable Quotes:

“A private banker comes in when you are very financially active – you have homes and investments – and you need to make sure that all of those things are working for you.” ­– Mary Thacker

“It’s important to have an advisor on both the banking side and the investment side to find out what’s best for you.” – Mary Thacker

Important Links & Mentions:

• The Peace of Mind Wealth Management blog
• 3 Keys to Secure Your Retirement – free interactive webinar
• EDIE The Estimator
• Mary’s cell: 540-960-0006
• Mary’s email: [email protected]

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected].

There are two major reasons why people use an annuity as part of their retirement portfolio. First, a fixed index annuity gives you complete safety and still grows your investment at a good rate of return. Second, it generates guaranteed income. But how can you implement an annuity into your portfolio to successfully achieve both of these outcomes?

In this final installment of our “Annuities – Why Ever Use Them” series, we share what you need to consider when adding an annuity to your portfolio, and illustrate how a portfolio constructed for your needs can give you peace of mind during your retirement.

In this episode find out:

• Why you should use a fixed index annuity
• How to implement an annuity within your portfolio
• Why you need to understand your risk tolerance
• How to construct a portfolio that suits you

Tweetable Quotes:

“Inflation is a real thing, and we have to plan for that.” ­– Murs Tariq

“An annuity can be part of an overall retirement income plan that gives you very good liquidity, safety, and income.” ­– Radon Stancil

Important Links & Mentions

Find parts 1-7 of the “Annuities – Why Ever Use Them” series on your podcast app or watch the video versions on our Secure Your Retirement YouTube channel or blog:

• Part 1: https://youtu.be/uWAEacnGO28​       
• Part 2: https://youtu.be/WowKPRfsocQ​  
• Part 3: https://youtu.be/aWa6R1OAONg​    
• Part 4: https://youtu.be/Sd-9GRHACYk   
• Part 5: https://youtu.be/E9HMvSsri-o      
• Part 6: https://youtu.be/FJO9OVk0aM4      
• Part 7: https://youtu.be/neua_vpB0w4
• Peace of Mind Blog

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected].

With now being a great time to take advantage of low mortgage rates, you might be looking at alternative housing or mortgage options for your future.

Mortgages are a huge topic. Everyone’s situations are different and what you need to qualify for a mortgage often depends on your own situation. So, it can feel unclear how achievable your future home hopes and dreams are.

In this episode, we’re joined by mortgage expert, Lexie Rodriguez. She shared lots of helpful advice and information about mortgages, from what you need to qualify, to how to improve your credit score. We also discuss the need-to-knows about buying a second home and the proper process for helping your children out with their down payments.

In this episode find out:

• The type of income you need to qualify for a mortgage
• How assets can help with qualifying for a mortgage
• How parents can help their children with a down payment for a home
• What percentage you need for a down payment and what the different qualifiers are
• What to think about if you’re transitioning into a new home
• The need-to-knows about buying a second home
• How to understand your debt-to-income ratio
• What it means to have a strong credit score and how this affects your mortgage application

Tweetable Quotes:

“A conventional loan is the best loan type that you can qualify for.” – Lexie Rodriguez

“If you can get your credit score to 640 and above, that’s going to qualify you for the best mortgage rates.” – Lexie Rodriguez

Important Links & Mentions:

• Lexie’s email: [email protected]
• Lexie’s website: http://www.jethl.com/lrodriguez

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected].

Do you need a retirement planning checklist?

Retirement planning can be overwhelming. There are many things you need to think about, from financial and legal requirements, to how you want to live your day-to-day life. Retirement is a big stage of your life to prepare for, and it’s often difficult to know where to start!

A retirement planning checklist can help you work out what directions you need to take on the road to retirement. In this episode, we’re sharing the nine most important things to think about when retirement planning and give you some actionable steps to help you prepare.

In this episode find out:

• The first thing you should think about when planning for retirement
• What numbers you need to know to prepare for your future
• What you need to know about Social Security
• Why you should take an interest in your investing
• When to start learning about Medicare
• Which legal documents you need to get in order
• How to plan for long-term care
• Why you need to understand your taxes
• Why you should get a retirement income plan in writing

Tweetable Quotes:

“You only retire once – you don’t get do-overs” – Radon Stancil

“Understanding how all of your accounts are taxed is the first step to developing a retirement income plan” – Murs Tariq

Important Links & Mentions:

• 3 Keys to Secure Your Retirement
• Peace of Mind Wealth Management blog

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected].

What makes you happy?

While some of us can’t wait to retire and pursue the things that make us happy, others might be apprehensive about finding fulfillment in their later years. The thought of retirement may even make you hesitant to let your working life go.

But happiness doesn’t have to start (or end) with work. In fact, Tia Graham, Certified Chief Happiness Officer and the Founder of Arrive At Happy, joined us to share the many ways you can take charge of your own happiness and find purpose in this podcast episode.

So, whether you’re still in your working life, preparing for retirement, already retired, or even facing parenting challenges, listen to this episode to find out Tia’s tips for living a happier life.

In this episode, find out:

• How Tia’s corporate past shaped her happiness-focused future
• The ripple effects of pursuing happiness
• How to create a happy culture within your workplace
• Why you should take responsibility for your own wellbeing
• How to find happiness both during your working life and afterward
• How your happiness affects business results

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everyone should prioritize their own wellbeing and happiness.” ­– Tia Graham

“There’s a direct connection between happiness and success.” – Tia Graham

Important Links & Mentions:

• Tia’s website, Arrive At Happy

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected].

Annuities can be a safe way to grow your money – but they’re not without their limitations.

In our “Annuities – Why Ever Use Them” series, we’ve talked a lot about the advantages of using a fixed index annuity. However, there are always drawbacks to an investment.

If you’re thinking about purchasing a fixed index annuity, there are two main limitations to consider. The first is how much liquidity you have, and the second is surrender charges. In this episode, we’re going to explain how both of these limitations work, how to avoid them, and what you can do to balance your portfolio.

In this episode, find out:

• A quick recap of our annuities series so far
• How liquid an annuity is and how that affects your overall portfolio
• What a surrender charge is and how it works
• The three elements to investing

Tweetable Quotes:

“With every investment, there are pros and cons, and limitations to how they work.” – Murs Tariq

“With a fixed index annuity, you don’t have complete liquidity, but you will have safety and growth.” – Radon Stancil

Important Links & Mentions:

Find parts 1-6 of the “Annuities – Why Ever Use Them” series on your podcast app or watch the video versions on our Secure Your Retirement YouTube channel or blog:

• Part 1: https://youtu.be/uWAEacnGO28​
• Part 2: https://youtu.be/WowKPRfsocQ​
• Part 3: https://youtu.be/aWa6R1OAONg​
• Part 4: https://youtu.be/Sd-9GRHACYk
• Part 5: https://youtu.be/E9HMvSsri-o
• Part 6: https://youtu.be/FJO9OVk0aM4
• Peace of Mind Blog

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected].

How do you want to live your life in retirement?

When thinking about retirement, you may make decisions about what you want your lifestyle to look like in the future or set goals that you want to achieve. You might consider where you want to live, what kind of community you want to be a part of, or even if you want to relocate outside of the US.

In this Wine Down Show, we invited two special guests to join us. Julie Whelan Capell and Jeri McClenaghan-Ihde are Co-hosts of “The Seniortopia Show.” In their podcast, pre-retirees and experts discuss the opportunities and challenges on the road to retirement. 

So, grab a glass of wine and listen in as Julie and Jeri discuss their hopes and dreams for retirement.

In this episode, find out:

• Why Jeri and Julie created “The Seniortopia Show” and how it helps people consider how they want to live as they age
• The difference between CCRCs and cohousing
• How to join a cohousing community
• Why you might consider retiring abroad
• How relocating abroad could help your healthcare costs

Tweetable Quotes:

“It’s important to educate ourselves about the options available to us.” – Jeri McClenaghan-Ihde

“We need to plan for retirement before we get to that magic age of 65.” ­– Julie Whelan Capell

Important Links & Mentions:

• Seniortopia

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected].

How much money do you need to have saved so you can retire?

Finding out how much you need to retire is more complicated than many people realize. Financially planning for your retirement isn’t just about how much you have in your savings – it also takes many other variables into account.

In this episode, Murs and Radon demonstrate these variables' effects by comparing two different retirement scenarios. They also reveal how factors like retirement age, monthly spending, inflation, and your savings all play a part in helping you have a long, stress-free retirement.

In this episode find out:

• Why no set savings amount guarantees you a stress-free retirement
• If a million dollars is enough for you to retire
• How spending and inflation affect your savings in retirement
• How to manage your money in retirement
• How to start financially preparing for retirement

Tweetable Quotes:

“There's no actual number, no formula, for how much money you need to retire.” – Murs Tariq

“If someone has more money saved than you, it doesn’t mean that they have a better retirement plan.” – Radon Stancil

Resources:

If you are in or nearing retirement and you want to gain clarity on what questions you should be asking, learn what the biggest retirement myths are, and identify what you can do to achieve peace of mind for your retirement, get started today by requesting our complimentary video course, Four Steps to Secure Your Retirement!

To access the course, simply visit POMWealth.net/podcast.

To receive our free book, Get Off the Retirement Rollercoaster, leave a 5-star rating review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to [email protected].