Christine Benz is the Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning at Morningstar, where she has spent over three decades helping investors navigate the complexities of financial planning. She is also the author of "How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement" and serves as the president of the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy.

Before focusing on retirement planning, Christine worked as a fund analyst, bringing a unique perspective that combines deep investment knowledge with practical financial wisdom.

Christine joins the show to discuss why retirement isn't just about hitting your "magic number," how to overcome the psychological barriers to retirement spending, why keeping your inner circle vibrant is crucial for long-term happiness, the surprising power of lifetime giving, and MUCH more.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, "Hmm, that's interesting!", check out our Substack.

Important Links:

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Show Notes:

• Retirement Focus: Finances or Lifestyle?
• Bring Your Kids In The Loop
• Embrace the Challenges of Social Health
• A Day in The Life of a Retiree
• Defaulting People Into Saving
• Genesis of the FIRE Movement
• Horsemen of The Investment Apocalypse
• The Delicate Balance of Investment Buckets
• Dodging A Single Point of Failure
• How to Sniff Out Fishy Financial Advice
• The Saver vs the Investor Personality Type
• Keeping Up With Mr. Market
• Annuities: The Low-Risk Underdog
• Christine as World Emperor

Books / Authors Mentioned:

• How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement; by Christine Benz
• The works of Jonathan Franzen