The Humans vs Retirement Podcast

Summary Derek Hagen is the founder of Money Health Solutions®️, a financial therapy and life planning firm. Money Health Solutions helps clients live intentionally and mindfully, using money as a tool to support their ideal life. He facilitates financial health by helping clients understand their own money psychology, lowering financial stress, and increasing confidence in financial decisions. Derek also started Meaningful Money Memo, a newsletter about the psychology of money and living a meaningful life, using personal stories and simple drawings to help demystify money for readers. He shares his journey from being a Chartered Financial Analyst and a focus on numbers to then having the big realisation that money is a tool not a goal which lead to focusing on the interior side of money and helping people find purpose and significance. In this conversation, we discuss the importance of mindset and intention when it comes to retirement planning. Derek emphasizes the need to have a purpose and a value statement to guide financial decisions and prioritize experiences over accumulating wealth. We also discuss the significance of time and the finite nature of life, encouraging people to be present and intentional in their retirement years. Importantly Derek highlights the importance of creativity and designing a life that aligns with personal values and priorities. Takeaways Sound Bites "Money is a tool, not a goal." "Diversification of meaning in retirement is crucial." "Retirement is not a finish line." "You know, that reality check in and, ⁓ and I think unless you can work with someone that can bring this out of you, or you can naturally bring this out of you, you end up reverting back to the mean, don't you?" "Yeah, absolutely. And that's the thing with habits. If we get into our ⁓ habits, we get into what we're familiar with. And this is a pretty big, retirement's a pretty big life transition." "The retirement that I think the 50 to 60 year olds have witnessed in their parents and their grandparents is and was materially different to the retirement that they're entering into." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 09:21 Money as a Tool, Not a Goal 15:57 Money's Role in Retirement 26:11 The Importance of Planning for Life Beyond Retirement 29:19 Retirement: Not a Finish Line, but a New Phase of Life 31:20 The Importance of Purpose and Value in Retirement Planning 32:03 Being Present and Intentional with Time in Retirement 33:42 Designing a Life that Aligns with Personal Values 38:45 The Role of Creativity in Retirement Planning 52:32 Systems vs Goals: Focusing on Inputs and Intentions Links Meaningful Money

Summary Eric is the founder and CEO of BFG Financial Advisors a large financial planning business in Baltimore, USA that specialises in retirement planning. As well a writing his book Eric hosts a podcast by the same name and id a regular contributor to forbes.com and Sunday morning TV in Baltimore In this conversation Eric and I discuss the concept of retirement as a graduation and the need to redefine retirement as an opportunity for growth and exploration. Eric highlights the significance of having an abundance mindset and being open to reinventing oneself in retirement. Eric shares the three secrets to the happiest retirees: being debt-free, taking care of your health, and having a sense of purpose. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 06:03 Redefining Retirement as a Graduation 09:25 Embracing a Second Childhood 14:10 Compounding Mindset and Wisdom 19:25 Finding Purpose and Identity in Retirement 23:21 The Emotional and Psychological Challenges of Retirement 28:20 The Importance of Financial Literacy 35:25 The Fear of Running Out of Money in Retirement 37:47 Achieving Financial Independence without Being Good with Money 42:56 The Three Secrets of the Happiest Retirees 43:05 The Three Secrets to the Happiest Retirees 44:05 Taking Care of Your Health 45:01 Having a Sense of Purpose 46:44 Debt and Financial Freedom 48:29 The Importance of Good Health 49:26 The Value of Purpose in Retirement 50:23 The Inflation Rate for Retirees 52:13 Planning and Intention in Retirement 53:10 Finding a Sense of Purpose in Retirement 54:08 What Financial Freedom Looks Like Episode Links & Resource Buy Eric’s book Don’t Retire… Graduate!Listen to Eric’s PodcastConnect with Eric on LinkedInWealthGPS – Lifestyle Financial Planning by TFPDownload My FREE Retirement ToolkitSubscribe to my Super Sunday Retirement Roundup Newsletter

Summary In this episode, Ed Coambs, a financial planner, and therapist, discusses the challenges couples face in managing money and planning for retirement. He shares his personal journey from being a firefighter to becoming a financial planner and therapist. Ed emphasizes the importance of understanding one's own relationship with money and how it impacts relationships. He introduces the concept of financial intimacy and explains how it can help couples navigate the complexities of retirement planning. Ed also highlights the role of attachment theory in understanding couples' dynamics around money. In this conversation, Ed and I discuss the challenges couples face when transitioning from work to retirement and how financial therapy can help. He emphasises the importance of creating a safe space for vulnerability and open communication. He also explores the influence of childhood experiences on money management and the challenge of spending money in retirement. Our conversation highlights the need for balance in money management and the role of financial therapy in helping couples live a happy and fulfilling retirement. Takeaways . Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 06:15 The Journey to Financial Therapy 10:35 The Healthy Love and Money Way 23:34 The Importance of Financial Intimacy 28:00 The Struggle to Transition from Work to Retirement 32:38 Creating a Safe Space for Vulnerability 35:12 The Influence of Childhood Experiences on Money 38:18 The Challenge of Spending Money in Retirement 44:07 The Importance of Balance in Money Management 51:08 The Role of Financial Therapy in Retirement Episode Links & Resources Go see Ed’s WebsiteBuy Ed’s book The Healthy Love and Money Way Listen to Ed’s Healthy Love and Money PodcastCheck out Ed’s Online Courses for CouplesConnect with Ed on LinkedInConnect with Ed on XWealthGPS – Lifestyle Financial Planning by TFPDownload My FREE Retirement ToolkitSubscribe to my Super Sunday Retirement Roundup Newsletter

Summary Have you ever herd of ‘the sandwich generation’? Are you part of it? And if so, what challenges does it bring to your retirement? Well. In this episode I get to have a conversation with a guy that has literally wrote the book on the subject! Mark Bineham is one of Australia’s top keynote speakers on retirement and the award-winning author of 'The Money Sandwich”. Mark’s goal has always been to help people live their very best life through positive mindset, promoting well-being and simply achieving financial freedom that much sooner, because in his words “we all deserve that, don’t we?. In 2019, a turning point occurred in his life when he underwent open-heart surgery. Prompting a re-evaluation of his 30-year career as a financial advisor, including four years as the national president of the Association of Financial Advisers. While he always loved helping his own clients reach their goals and aspirations, he realised most people just couldn’t afford help or advice, and that had to change. That’s when he decided to pour all the knowledge he gained over his career into a book, which he proudly titled The Money Sandwich and subsequently setting up a family business with his Daughter Katherine by the same name which enables him to take this message out to the wider world through presentations, workshops and courses. In this thought-provoking conversation Mark and I discuss the challenges faced by the sandwich generation, who are responsible for supporting both their adult children and aging parents. Mark emphasizes the importance of having conversations about retirement and estate planning with your elderly parents and adult children. He also introduces the concept of the 'third act' as a more positive and fulfilling way to approach retirement and highlights the need for mindset shifts and an understanding of the emotional aspects of money in order to achieve happiness in retirement. Our conversation explores changing attitudes towards work and retirement, the negative connotations of money, the impact of financial stress on productivity and health, the importance of talking about money, the value that financial planning professionals add at this stage of life, and what financial freedom looks and feels like. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 05:25 Unleashing Your Third Act 08:34 The Money Sandwich and the Sandwich Generation 14:30 Challenges of Supporting Adult Children 22:35 Challenges of Supporting Aging Parents 29:24 Reframing Retirement as the Third Act 38:44 Money Shifts for Happiness 45:31 Changing Attitudes Towards Work and Retirement 47:00 The Negative Connotations of Money 48:31 Financial Stress and its Impact on Productivity and Health 49:30 The Importance of Talking About Money 50:52 The Need for Financial Planning Professionals 53:51 What Financial Freedom Looks Like Episode Links & Resources Get Marc’s brilliant book The Money SandwichListen to The Money Sandwich PodcastVisit The Money Sandwich websiteConnect with Marc on LinkedInConnect with Marc on XWealthGPS – Lifestyle Financial Planning by TFPDownload My FREE Retirement ToolkitSubscribe to my Super Sunday Retirement Roundup Newsletter

Summary Christine is director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar, Inc. In that role, she focuses on retirement and portfolio planning for individual investors. She also co-hosts a podcast for Morningstar, The Long View, which features in-depth interviews with thought leaders in investing and personal finance. and I was honoured to be asked to be a guest on last year (link in the show notes). She is a prolific writer and her published Morningstar articles are must reads for anyone interested in retirement planning. In this episode, Christine and I cover a lot of ground! We discuss various aspects of retirement planning, including blind spots, sequence risk, inflation, the bucketing approach to income management, the importance of continuing to work, and lessons for a happy and successful retirement. Christine emphasizes the need to consider both financial and non-financial aspects of retirement and to make choices that align with personal happiness and purpose and also highlights the value of working with a financial planner to navigate the complexities of retirement planning. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 07:15 The Blind Spots of Retirement 13:38 Mitigating Sequence Risk and Inflation 17:47 Bucketing Approach to Retirement Income 25:26 The Importance of Continuing to Work in Retirement 35:37 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement 38:20 Spending to Optimize Happiness 40:26 Living Life with No Regrets 48:15 The Value of Working with a Financial Planner 10:32 Common Retirement Planning Mistakes 23:45 The Role of Financial Advisors in Retirement Planning 34:56 The Impact of Behavioral Biases on Retirement Planning 43:21 The Value of Seeking Outside Help 51:09 Blind Spots and the Importance of Outside Perspective Episode Links & Resources Pre-order Christine’s book How to Retire: 20 Lessons For A Happy, Successful & Wealthy RetirementRead all of Christine’s brilliant stuff on retirement and investingSubscribe to her podcast The Long View Listen to my appearance on The Long View PodcastConnect with Christine on LinkedInConnect with Christine on XWealthGPS – Lifestyle Financial Planning by TFPDownload My FREE Retirement ToolkitSubscribe to my Super Sunday Retirement Roundup Newsletter

Summary Paul is the founder of Inspiring Advisers, a lifestyle financial planning training programme and Life Centred Planners, a fast-growing global community of advisers from around the world who believe that it is time to put the client and not their money at the centre of their plans. Paul is also the author of the brilliant book Enough?: How much money do you need for the rest of your life. A book that we give out to for free and has had such an impact on many of our clients. Paul began life as a financial planner back in 1982 and in 1990 he was one of the very first to see the light and start the movement of what is now known as lifestyle financial planning, focusing on the human and not their money. As well as helping and inspiring many financial advisers across the globe, Pauls overarching mission is to educate and change the lives of people by showing them the REAL benefits of how lifestyle financial planning can help them live their best life. In this episode, Paul and I talk about his wake-up call, when his mother passed away suddenly, leading him to realize that life is not a rehearsal. He shifted his focus to lifestyle financial planning, putting life at the centre of financial plans. Paul emphasizes the importance of understanding how much is enough and helping clients live a great life now. He also discusses the three types of people when it comes to retirement planning: not enough, got too much, and just right. Paul discusses the importance of redefining retirement as financial independence and freedom ant that true financial independence means having the choice to work or start a business because you want to, not because you have to. Paul encourages everyone to pursue new opportunities and passions during this retirement with the idea of leaving behind memories and experiences, rather than just money. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Impact of the Book 01:27 Paul's Journey and Frustration with the Financial Services Industry 04:22 The Wake-Up Call: Paul's Mom's Death 06:45 Realizing Life is Not a Rehearsal 09:05 The Concept of Time and Aging 11:27 The Shift to Lifestyle Financial Planning 13:48 The Book 'Enough' and Putting Life at the Center of Financial Plans 19:33 Retirement and Understanding the Concept of Time 21:51 The Three Types of People: Not Enough, Got Too Much, Just Right 47:28 Financial Independence and Freedom 48:23 Redefining Work and Purpose 49:13 Exploring New Opportunities in Retirement 50:08 Leaving Memories and Experiences, Not Just Money 51:30 Crafting a Lifestyle Financial Planning Message 53:02 Understanding What You Want and Don't Want 54:29 Maintaining Your Current Lifestyle 55:00 Planning for Your Future 55:30 Spreading the Message of Financial Planning Episode Links & Resources Download for FREE a copy of Paul’s book Enough?Connect with Paul on LinkedInConnect with Paul on XWealthGPS – Lifestyle Financial Planning by TFPDownload My FREE Retirement ToolkitSubscribe to my Super Sunday Retirement Roundup Newsletter

Summary Jonathan Clements is the founder and editor of Humble Dollar and brilliant free blog site that is dedicated to providing articles, guides and resources from some of the greatest thinkers in the world of finance. The goal of Humble Dollar is to tell you everything you need to know about money – all in one place without the hype and hollow promises that characterises so much financial writing. Jonathan was born and educated in England before moving to the states and prior to semi-retiring and launching humble dollar in 2014, Jonathan spent almost 20 years as The Wall Street Journal’s personal finance columnist and six years at Citi group where he was director of financial education for the banks US wealth management arm. He is also the author of 9 personal finance books. In this episode, Jonathan and I discusses the challenges and risks in retirement, both from a financial and human standpoint. He focuses on the need to have sense of purpose and identity in retirement, which he believes can be overcome by continuing to work in some fashion. Jonathan also explores the concept of embracing a second childhood, allowing for childlike curiosity and exploration. He emphasises the importance of experimenting in early retirement to discover what truly makes one happy. Jonathan also discusses his work with Humble Dollar and the ventures that provide him with a sense of purpose. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:05 Financial Challenges and Risks in Retirement 11:02 Investing in Retirement 21:28 The Importance of Working in Retirement 28:36 Generating Income in Retirement 38:02 The Importance of Identity and Purpose in Retirement 45:45 Avoiding Comparisons in Retirement 48:12 Embracing a Second Childhood in Retirement 48:30 Transitioning to Retirement 49:23 Experimenting in Early Retirement 50:35 Finding Fulfilment in Retirement 52:03 Humble Dollar and Jonathan's Work 53:16 Closing Remarks Episode Links & Resources Humble DollarJonathan’s book My Money Journey: How 30 people found financial freedom – and you can tooJonathan’s book From Here to Financial Happiness: Enrich Your Life In Just 77 DaysConnect with Jonathan on LinkedInConnect with Jonathan on XWealthGPS – Lifestyle Financial Planning by TFPDownload My FREE Retirement ToolkitSubscribe to my Super Sunday Retirement Roundup Newsletter

Summary In this episode of The Humans vs Retirement Podcast, I sit down with Jack Chellman, Chief Project Officer of the Global Returns Project a UK charity that is on a mission to create systemic change to fund the highest impact climate charities and make giving toward climate change as easy and accessible as possible. Jack and I discuss how charitable giving could and maybe should form part of every retirement plan. Jack also dispels many myths about giving and explains how the Global Returns Project makes charitable giving easy and transparent by selecting high-impact climate charities and providing rigorous monitoring and reporting. The portfolio of charities includes organizations that protect rainforests, enforce environmental law, conserve marine life, and restore forests. Jack emphasizes the need for increased philanthropy towards climate mitigation efforts and highlights the role of the Global Returns Project in making sustainable giving mainstream. He also discusses the integration of the project into financial planning and the options for donating. We explore the impact of climate change, individual actions to combat it, and the role of governments and corporations in addressing the issue. Our conversation highlights the importance of taking meaningful action to combat climate change and emphasizes the potential for positive change if everyone contributes. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Global Returns Project 03:21 Charitable Giving as Part of a Retirement Plan 09:36 Dispelling Myths about Charitable Giving 12:59 Making Charitable Giving Part of Asset Allocation 18:49 The Importance of Transparency and Impact Reporting 23:20 The Limitations of Sustainable Investing 26:45 The Portfolio of Charities and Their Impact 32:34 The Mechanics and Methodology of the Global Returns Project 40:02 Integrating the Global Returns Project into Financial Planning 49:05 How to Donate and Get Involved 05:00 Understanding Climate Change 15:00 The Impact of Climate Change 25:00 Individual Actions to Combat Climate Change 35:00 Investing in Sustainable Solutions 45:00 The Role of Governments and Corporations 51:12 Taking Meaningful Action Episode Links & Resources The Global Returns ProjectWealthGPS – Lifestyle Financial Planning by TFPDownload My FREE Retirement ToolkitSubscribe to my Super Sunday Retirement Roundup Newsletter