How to Plan for the Perfect Retirement

You might have heard some "rules of thumb" about financing your retirement, and they might point you in the right direction. But in this episode, learn why no generality, statistical average, or one-size-fits-all answer will work for you. Instead, learn how to accurately estimate how much money you will need by creating a series of personalized expense, income, and withdrawal timelines.

We all have one important thing in common about our retirement: We do not want to run out of money! Examine the five major risk categories every retiree will face and learn the key aspects of developing a responsive and resilient financial plan to address these risks in retirement. Then you'll be in solid shape to weather any storms that might come along.

Many of us resist the idea of creating a budget, but having a handle on your spending is the starting point to financial success. Compare and contrast two different ways to create a personalized spending plan. You'll also learn how to make some crucial planning decisions, including whether to pay down debt first or boost savings and whether to rent or buy a home.

If you're a mid-career parent, you'll have some decisions to make when funding your child's college versus funding retirement accounts for yourself. You'll also want to make sure you're using your company's benefits to your best advantage. In this episode, you'll learn how to address those issues, plus why tax-deductible contributions to a retirement plan might not be the boon you think it is.

Where should you put your money when saving for retirement? That feels like the million-dollar question, and the sheer amount of information out there is overwhelming. Understand why discipline, not superior skill, will be your key to success as you learn how stocks, bonds, and mutual funds work, and the differences between active and passive investing.