Should Tariffs and Market Volatility Change Your Retirement Timeline?
Release Date: 04/09/2025
What Questions Should Retirees Be Asking … BEFORE They Retire?
Keen on Retirement
Matt Wilson, Keen Wealth’s Chief Investment Officer and President, recently hosted an excellent webinar on Tax Planning Through the Four Stages of Retirement. In addition to providing a thorough overview of the tax issues that seniors should be prepared for, Matt also wanted to remind folks that the best time to ask questions about retirement is before you retire. And I’m glad that several of our webinar attendees took Matt up on that offer! On today’s show, we discuss three follow-up questions to Matt’s webinar that touch on not just taxes but also the value of working with a...
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Navigating the 2026 Tax Landscape: Why You Need a “Human in the Loop”
Keen on Retirement
According to the most recent available data, the IRS collected $5.1 trillion in taxes in 2024. Just ten years earlier, it collected $3.1 trillion. We all grumble about paying the government this time of year. And gathering all our forms and statements while we're in the middle of a partial shutdown isn't going to make Tax Day 2026 any more pleasant. But those trillions are also signs of a healthy economy that continues to grow and generate wealth, which is good for your long-term financial planning. Still, just because the government needs our tax dollars to provide essential services...
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Answering Listener Questions about Security Theft, Double-Dipping Donations, and Tariff Checks for Seniors
Keen on Retirement
When was the last time you checked your penny jar? If it's looking a little emptier than usual, that might be because we're in the middle of a penny shortage! The U.S. Mint has ceased production of the penny because the cost of making one ($0.0369) is now almost four times what it’s worth as legal tender. While this is yet another step towards a more digital, cashless economy, you might want to take a look at that jar before you bring it down to the bank. Having fewer pennies in circulation could drive up the value of some rare pennies, like the $2.4 million 1943-D Lincoln Wheat Cent! With...
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How the "One Big Beautiful Bill" Is Changing the Tax Landscape for Retirees
Keen on Retirement
During my recent trip to Australia, I learned that navigating a foreign country can feel normal but different all at the same time. On the one hand, my family and I enjoyed the familiar experiences of being on vacation, such as unplugging from our daily routines, relaxing on a long flight, seeing the sights, and spending time with loved ones. But once we arrived in Brisbane, we had to get used to a new landscape and a new set of rules. The huge time zone difference. Driving a "ute" (utility vehicle) on the left side of the road and overtaking (passing) on the right. Calling "French fries"...
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Words of Wisdom for Redefining Wealth in 2026
Keen on Retirement
The freshness of the New Year can also help us gain a fresh perspective on what's really important and what we want to accomplish. From a comprehensive financial planning perspective, that might mean looking beyond your numbers and thinking about what your money is really for. On today's show, my Keen on Retirement co-hosts and I share a few words of wisdom that I hope will help you maintain balance during the inevitable ups and downs of the markets, the news, and your life in the year ahead.
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Is Dow 100,000 Closer Than You Think?
Keen on Retirement
Longtime Keen on Retirement listeners and friends of the firm are probably familiar with The Big Hat. Matt Wilson, our Chief Investment Officer and President, is the proud owner of an oversized Dow 100,000 cap that he wears on our show from time to time. And when folks visit our offices, such as during our annual Holiday Breakfast, they often spot Matt's hat in his office and have a bit of a chuckle about its pie-in-the-sky prediction. More than once, I've heard someone tell Matt, "Gosh, I'll never see that in my lifetime." But ... is the Dow hitting 100,000 really all that far-fetched?...
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Are You on Track for an “Average” Retirement?
Keen on Retirement
"How am I doing?" "Am I falling behind my peers?" "Do I have enough money?" "How does my nest egg measure up?" My team at Keen Wealth spends a lot of time talking folks through these kinds of questions. And, as the years go by and folks enter their 50s, 60s and beyond, that conversation evolves and begins to coalesce around another question: "Can I retire?" You might try to answer these questions on your own by comparing your account balances to benchmarks or rules of thumb you've seen on social media. But are "averages" really the best way to assess where you are on your financial journey,...
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Put a Bow on 2025 With Our Year-End Tax Planning Checklist
Keen on Retirement
Does your financial team provide you with comprehensive tax planning, or just annual tax reporting? When you file your 2025 taxes next April, you're essentially just reporting your financial data from the previous year. At Keen Wealth, tax planning is a proactive, year-round process we use to put your annual report in the best shape possible before the ink dries and windows close. And when it comes to your 2025 tax return, some important windows are closing right now. Today, on our 250th episode, we explore some recent changes to tax law and potential moves that you need to...
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Avoid These 3 Wrong Turns from the Kyle Busch Insurance Lawsuit
Keen on Retirement
"This sounds too good to be true, but you’ve got to believe in those that are looking at it for you and trusting in the people with Pacific Life email addresses that are sending you the documents." So many stories of financial fraud and mismanagement boil down to statements just like this one. All too often, the folks who are losing large sums of money are hardworking folks working 9-to-5s who don't have a team of professionals looking out for them, and whose finances may never recover. But, in this case, the quote above is from racecar driver Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup...
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Managing Risks and Uncertainty Around the Government Shutdown, Stock Prices, and Market Bubbles
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...
info_outline"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.