Keen on Retirement

"Risk" and "uncertainty" are similar concepts. But your financial plan has to be prepared to cope with both. I think that mix is what's making some folks a little uneasy right now. In addition to the typical risks that all investors accept, we're also dealing with uncertainty around the government shutdown and what the effects on the economy will be until our leaders get back to the negotiating table. And, despite strong market returns this year, some observers are uncertain about the outsized impact that big tech companies might be having on portfolios. On today's show, we try to clear away some of the fog around the shutdown and the latest market data so that folks can start clarifying their plans for 2026.

Change is in the air every fall – not just in the leaves and weather, but in your financial planning. At this time of year, the federal government announces some important rate adjustments that affect tax planning and retirement benefits for the year ahead. And complicating matters this fall is a government shutdown that has many seniors worried about the benefits and services that they’ve earned, and that they rely on. On today’s show, we answer questions from some very astute listeners in the Keen on Retirement audience who are already looking ahead and wondering what they need to prepare for as we move towards the end of the year.

In 1988, William Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery. A year later, he was $1 million in debt. First, he splurged: houses, cars, a plane. Then a former girlfriend sued him for a third of his winnings. His brother was arrested and convicted for hiring a hitman to kill Post and his then-wife in hopes that he'd inherit a share. And after sinking money into a failing family business, Post spent time in jail for firing a gun over the head of a bill collector. In the end, Post said he was happier living quietly on $450 a month and food stamps than he was when he was rich. Post's story is an extreme example of the bad decisions and bad luck that leave so many lotto winners wishing they'd never won at all. But while you're more likely to be struck by lightning than hit the winning numbers, an inheritance, a promotion, a legal settlement, selling a business, and reaching retirement can all create significant windfall scenarios as well. On today's show, we offer some tips on how to manage life-changing money, including tax planning, dealing with friends and family, and the kind of team that can help you protect your assets.

Charitable giving is a cornerstone of many comprehensive retirement plans. It's also a cornerstone of our mission at Keen Wealth Advisors. Our whole team takes great pride in serving as active members of our community, whether we're making monetary grants or lending a hand to projects around the greater Kansas City area. And through the efforts of the Keen Wealth Foundation, we're able to identify causes where we can have a high impact and share what we've learned about effective giving with friends and clients of the firm. On today's show, I'm honored to welcome the director of the Keen Wealth Foundation, my wife Carissa Keen, to discuss our philanthropic mission. Carissa also shares some best practices and a checklist that can help you feel more confident as you evaluate and consider which charitable causes and organizations you may want to support.

Married couple "Mark" (62) and "Lisa" (60) want to retire together in the next year. They shared their financial plan and their goals with two financial advisors. One advisor said they could retire. The other said that they should keep working. So ... Who's right? On today's show, we try to split the tie and help Mark and Lisa set the best course for a successful retirement.

If you're only judging based on what's happening in the world and the financial markets, there's never a "perfect" time to retire. But 2025 is throwing a bunch of extra variables at seniors that are adding more complexity to an already complicated decision. Businesses are changing. The rules around investing are changing. And, most importantly, your life is changing. Your financial plan has to be flexible enough to keep pace while also maintaining focus on the best path towards your personal long-term retirement goals. On today's show, we discuss two listener questions that touch on alternative investments and how to think about portfolio management at various stages of your life.

Last week, I discussed how Keen Wealth's comprehensive planning process might assess a multi-million-dollar nest egg. I think these hypotheticals, including some back-of-the-napkin math, are useful in illustrating how retirement planning can work, and also the limits of focusing exclusively on your numbers. However, in the Keen Wealth offices, we don't work with hypotheticals. We work with real people, their real savings, their hopes, dreams, worries, and goals for the future. Every day, we help hardworking folks navigate complex financial issues that touch every part of their lives. We're honored that our clients have entrusted us with the responsibility of managing assets they've spent decades earning, and we want them to feel confident about their path to retirement. On today's show, we explore the Keen Wealth Advantage in action as we help a couple answer one of life's most important questions: Can we retire?

According to a report from the Federal Trade Commission, Americans lost $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, a 25% increase from 2023. That's why episodes like this one are among my least favorite to record and also among the most important. We’ve all heard about so many folks losing large sums of money because they answered the wrong phone call or clicked on the wrong email link. The greed, cruelty, and, yes, ingenuity of today's fraudsters is only growing along with the technology available to them. Keeping our audience updated on the latest scams is an important part of Keen Wealth's educational mission. On today's show, we discuss warning signs that you may be dealing with a scammer, as well as best practices for safeguarding your personal information and your nest egg.

Well ... we were wrong. During our previous discussion about The One Big Beautiful Bill, we predicted that the final law would probably pass with a different name. But, instead of the acronyms we're used to seeing lately, like the SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement), President Trump and Congress stuck with the original title. For the most part, the final bill also maintains the big picture tax policy objectives that President Trump has been discussing since the start of his second term. On today's show, we focus on the portions of the One Big Beautiful Bill that could have the biggest impact on retirement planning.

I believe that The Keen Wealth Advantage helps folks feel more confident about comprehensive financial planning and their road to retirement. I also believe wholeheartedly in the consumer being as educated as possible on their various options before entrusting their planning and investing to any financial advisor. This is one of the key reasons we are now in our 10th year of producing this podcast and blog, answering listener questions and giving listeners a candid “look behind the curtain” on all things personal financial planning. When you're meeting with professionals who could be managing your life savings for the rest of your life, there has to be more than just a personality fit. While personality is important, you also need to know what questions to ask and what warning signs to look for. Do they have a disciplined process and the depth and breadth of experience and resources to undertake this most serious responsibility? Are you able to confidently discern what your overall client experience will look like and know that they take the appropriate steps to ensure your confidential information is protected and that rules and regulations are being complied with? On today's show, we answer two discerning listener questions that will help you have more productive meetings with potential advisors.

By the time it works through Congress to President Trump's desk, The One, Big, Beautiful Bill will probably have a few different details, and a different name. But the version of the bill that recently passed in the House gives us a fair indication of where tax policy could be headed for the next few years. On today's show, we discuss the current version of the 2025 tax bill, potential changes that Congress might make, and potential ways this bill could affect your financial plan.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, there were 580,887 pending Social Security claims in March 2025. That's an increase of more than 80,000 from a year ago. Many of those claimants are seniors who have not yet reached their reach full retirement age. I'd love to believe that the majority of these folks are taking Social Security early as part of a carefully considered plan to achieve a specific goal, such as early retirement. But, unfortunately, fear and short-sightedness often play far too big a role in the Social Security decision, especially for seniors who aren't working with an advisor. On today's show, we clear up some of the misconceptions around Social Security and explain how Keen Wealth incorporates this important benefit into our comprehensive planning process.

Matt Wilson, Chief Investment Officer and President of Keen Wealth, sure had a lot to work with when he put together his 2025 Q2 Market Update Webinar! It's been an eventful few months for the economy, and Matt delivered a clear analysis of everything from growth trends and interest rate expectations to the potential impacts of tariffs. On today's show, we complete our Q2 outlook by discussing some of Matt's broader points and answering follow-up questions from webinar attendees.

Folks reach out to Keen Wealth for all sorts of reasons, at all different points in their lives. We talk to young couples just starting out who want to put themselves on a path towards financial security. New retirees want to feel secure about transitioning away from work. Older seniors come to us looking to secure their legacies and make life a little easier for the next generation. And, sometimes, a person realizes they've been receiving bad financial advice, and they're hoping my team can help them clean up the mess. On today's show, we discuss some warning signs that the person managing your money might not be putting your best interests first, as well as how Keen Wealth's comprehensive process can restore your confidence in your financial planning.

"Jim" (66) and "Karen" (64) both retired in the last six months. Jim has an IRA with $900,000, and Karen has a Roth IRA with $300,000. They inherited a brokerage account with $600,000 and a cost basis of $500,000. They have $100,000 in an emergency cash fund. Jim is receiving his Social Security benefits of $2,600 per month. He also has a pension of $1,800 per month. Karen is planning to start receiving her Social Security benefits at 67, for $1,900 per month. Their total net worth is $2.7 million. And now, just months into their retirement, Jim and Karen are wondering if they retired too soon. Do they need to jump back into the workforce to protect their financial plan against current market volatility? On today's show, we analyze "Jim and Karen's" situation in the context of our broader economic moment and comprehensive planning principles. I hope this case study will help anyone who's close to retirement gain some perspective about whether market movements should affect your short-term or long-term financial goals.

Tariffs are nothing new. They've been implemented at several points in U.S. history, including as recently as 2018. But there are a confluence of factors surrounding President Trump's current round of tariffs that make it worth discussing. On today's show, we round up questions we've been receiving at Keen Wealth about tariffs to provide a comprehensive rundown of why Wall Street is interested and what you should discuss with your financial advisor.

With about a month until Tax Day on Tuesday, April 15th, you should, ideally, have all your financial documents collected. It might be a good idea to check in one last time with your financial advisor before you send your 2024 data to your CPA or start plugging away on your favorite tax software. But as you put a bow on last year, it's important to keep an eye on the future, especially for retirees. Cracking open your nest egg and sequencing how and when you use your assets and benefits is a complex process. Decisions you make today can affect your lifetime tax liability, the lifestyle you can enjoy during your Golden Years, and your legacy planning. On today's show, we use this combination of short-term and long-term perspective to tackle some listener tax questions and explain how the Keen Wealth Advantage can help you feel more confident about how taxes fit into your comprehensive planning.

The words “fun” and “taxes” probably don’t go together in your mind. But, as I mention on today’s episode, they do at Keen Wealth! Helping folks be good stewards of their money so that they can enjoy life to the fullest is one of the most rewarding parts of being a financial advisor. And as Tax Day approaches, I love seeing my team in action, working through our checklist-driven process to make sure folks aren’t overlooking any details or making any mistakes that might not be fixable. Whether you’re working with professionals or preparing your taxes solo, make sure these four common filing errors are on your radar.

If you're spending a lot of your day scrolling on social media or glued to cable news, you might feel like your emotions are running a little high right now. Major life transitions can also cause our feelings to spike, whether we're getting ready to send a kid to college or thinking about retiring. But while letting your feelings in is just part of being human, letting too much emotion seep into your financial decision-making can be catastrophic for your long-term security. On today's show, we discuss financial biases that we all should be on the lookout for as we try to manage both our emotions and our money.

A New Year brings excitement, hope, and a little extra motivation to achieve some major goals. But 2025 has also brought some uncertainty as well. Political, economic, environmental, and technological events have all made big headlines, sometimes all on the same day. If you're feeling a little unsure about your financial planning right now, you're not alone. So, on today's show, we answer three timely listener questions that hopefully will give folks some perspective on where the economy is right now, where we could be headed, and how to set the best course for the rest of the year.