Macon Money Podcast

Do you ever feel like your retirement planning goals are always moving? You're not alone. We’ve found that people often move the goalposts in their own retirement planning, often to their detriment. In this episode, we're diving deep into the psychology of retirement planning and the dangers of moving the goalposts. Here are some of the topics we will cover in this episode: Holding onto excess cash and not investing it could mean giving up on potential earnings. 2:15 Procrastinating with investing is an easy trap: “There’s always going to be a reason to keep you from saving money.” 5:40 The danger of waiting to reach a specific number in your investment account before reducing risks. 10:06 How procrastinating retirement planning could have you working longer than you originally planned. 13:19 Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com  

In this episode, we’ll highlight the most common financial fears and discuss how to address them in your retirement plan. Whether you are worried about running out of money during retirement or aren’t sure how to find the best financial advisor for your situation, this episode will help you face these fears head on.  Here are some of the topics we will cover in this episode: The fear of running out of money during retirement and preparing for the expense of end-of-life care 2:13 The fear of overpaying for taxes and why it’s important to plan as taxes increase over time. 7:39 Finding the balance between leaving behind a legacy and enjoying your retirement lifestyle. 10:23 The fear of having to reduce the quality of your life in retirement because of the economy. 13:22 How to find an advisor you trust with your financial situation. 16:01   Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com  

We work with some tremendous savers who worked hard and sacrificed to build a nest egg, and that mindset isn’t easy to move away from. Many of those same savers are afraid to spend their own money once they’ve reached retirement. So what can you do to embrace that mindset shift? We’ll share a recent conversation we had about this and discuss some ways you can address the problem.   Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: Why is this struggle to spend money a little more prevalent in recent years? 1:03 What happens to your mindset when you retire? 3:40 Why remaining disciplined with your investment strategy will help you do better over the long-term. 7:14 How we perceive value when it’s our money versus when the money comes from someone else. 10:35 What can you do to give yourself confidence to spend money in retirement? 13:45   Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com  Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com

After being discussed in Congress for nearly a year and a half, the SECURE Act 2.0 passed in January. This follows the original piece of legislation that took effect at the beginning of 2020. With a list of nearly 100 provisions, there’s too much to sort out in one show. Instead, we want to highlight a few of the planning opportunities that could affect most retirees.   Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: The RMD age is moving back again in 2023. 2:52 Catch-up contributions have received an adjustment that people approaching retirement need to know about. 6:51 You will soon have the option to roll money over from a 529 plan to a Roth. 9:24 Now people will have the chance to earn their company match to a 401(k) while making qualifying student loan payments. 12:23 How can you forecast the tax amount you’ll owe in retirement?  16:45   Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com

If you’ve been a good saver for most of your life, you might find yourself in a position at retirement where you want to try to live off the interest the money can make you rather than tapping into your nest egg. It’s a great idea and would go a long way toward protecting your money, but is it a realistic goal? In today’s episode, Lee is going to tell you why living off the interest in retirement probably won’t work. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: When did people start having the idea that you could live off interest in retirement? 2:24 Why this goal might have seemed realistic in the 70s and 80s. 3:42 What has changed since that time? 4:47 Here’s how we break down the math. 7:43 This is why income planning needs to be more of a focus for retirees. 10:40 Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com

In this episode, we want to set some well-thought-out goals that we can plan for and work hard to achieve. We’ll do that in the area of business, finance, and personal goals with the help of Lee today to give you some things to strive for in every area of life.   Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: What personal goals has Lee set for the year? (2:33) Relationship goals for 2023. (6:10) The goals that business owners can aim for. (8:37) How Lee prioritizes financial goals. (12:01) Should tax planning be included in your goals? (15:39)   Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com  Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com

Nobody enjoys taxes, especially while they’re working because they eat into so much of our paycheck. But what about retirement? How should we be planning for taxes when we’re no longer working? That’s the topic for this episode of the podcast and we’ll dive into it by addressing four of the most common questions we get from pre-retirees or those that just recently retired. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: Will you have as many deductions in retirement as you do while you’re working? (1:27) Are all of your retirement accounts taxed the same. (4:41) Should you move to an income tax free state? (7:15) Is there a way to get tax-free income in retirement? (10:47)   Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com  Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com

In this episode, we’ll cover some of the top rookie mistakes we see people make, and illustrate how to avoid them or how to fix them if you’ve already made some mistakes in your financial life. Plus, we’ll tell you about a recent trip we made to the golf course that included a hole-in-one. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: How investing without a purpose becomes a problem. (3:26) Why we often find that people don’t know how much risk they have in their portfolio. (6:45) Emotions are one of the major causes for investment failure. (11:48) Are people being transparent with their ‘hot tips’? (15:39) There are fees associated with investing and you need to be aware of this. (18:40)   Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com

Most folks enjoy spending money, and it’s pretty easy to do when you’re working because that paycheck gives you a safety net. But how do you spend money in retirement in a way that gives you the best chance of not running out of money? Today we’re going to give you four retirement spending strategies that you might want to consider.   Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: We break retirement expenses up into two categories. (1:30) The inflation-adjusted spending strategy. (4:46) The spending smile method. (9:11) The floor and ceiling method. (13:02) The retirement guardrails strategy. (14:30)   Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com  Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com

The final two weeks of this 2022 football season have been incredible for Georgia fans, but every college football fan had to enjoy the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. As we were watching all this football during the holidays, we started to realize that there are some really great lessons we can take from the sport so many of us love. So we started compiling them over the past couple of weeks and pulled together five we wanted to share on the podcast. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: You are responsible for you. (2:01) Never give up no matter the circumstance. (5:54) Be gracious in defeat. (9:11) Be with others. (10:48) Life is precious. (12:55)   Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http://talkwithlee.com   Get more financial education at http://myretirementclarity.com

Have you ever opened the mailbox to see you have gotten a financial statement, just to toss it in the ‘shred’ pile? Most people have. In this episode, we will cover important parts of your financial statements so you understand what you are looking at amidst all of the fine print. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: How reliable are income projections on financial statements? (3:26) Understanding your asset allocation summary. (6:10) Are all of your fees disclosed on your statements? (8:27) What you could be missing in the fine print… (11:15) Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: Talk With Lee

This is the time of year when everybody puts together various lists, whatever the list may be. A lot of times these lists are interesting and helpful, but others are really just marketing tactics. Last year we did an episode “22 Resolutions for 2022”. This year’s list will consist of 7 financial resolutions that apply to everyone. If you do these seven things, you should notice a difference in your financial situation in 2023. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: Do you have text alerts set up for your credit cards? (4:10) Do you know what you spend monthly? (7:13) Do you have an income plan for after death? (15:26) Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: Talk With Lee

Saving in your 401(k) can be an easy and painless way to build your retirement savings. But because it’s so easy and painless, it can also be easy to ignore for long periods of time, which often leads to mistakes. We’ll cover at least the top 5 mistakes people make in their 401(k)s. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: If you have changed jobs, listen here. (3:02) Are you rebalancing your 401(k)? (5:57) Are target date funds a no-brainer, or should you pass on them? (9:52) Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: Talk With Lee

We all have likes and dislikes. As we get older, many of us find more and more things we tend to not be a big fan of, and it can be easy to fall into a negativity trap. With that in mind, I decided to spend some time thinking about the things I am a big fan of. In this episode, I will be sharing some of my favorite things with you, some financial, and some not. As you listen, try to make a list of your own!   Here is some of what you’ll learn on this show: Plan ahead of time so you retire while you can enjoy it. (2:13) Let’s talk trucks. (4:20) Why you shouldn’t check your retirement accounts daily. (10:29) Three of my favorite Christmas movies. (12:44) Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: Talk With Lee

Everyone makes poor decisions at some point in their life. Big life changes can make the chances of a mistake higher- specifically a financial mistake. Let’s explore some of the things you should be thinking about to make smart financial decisions when you encounter some of the most significant events in your life.   Here is some of what you’ll learn on this show: What to do if you find yourself in a new job or career. (3:40) Here are some things you should consider when going through a divorce. (7:27) An inheritance can be a blessing or a curse and here’s why. (10:22) Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: Talk With Lee

There is a good chance you have seen, or at least heard of, Charlie Brown. On the Thanksgiving Special, there is a moment where Charlie Brown makes a mistake but keeps repeating it as if he is expecting a different result. Unfortunately, many of us do this with our finances. Some even go as far as reaching out for help, but ultimately end up going back to their old ways. Listen to find out why and how you should avoid this.   Here is some of what you’ll learn on this show: Let’s talk Thanksgiving; What are you thankful for? (8:56) Have you seen Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving special? (2:33) Sometimes we repeatedly make the same financial mistakes and don’t learn our lesson. (4:08) What you can learn from a Strategy Meeting with us. (6:30) Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: Talk With Lee

You have questions? Well, we have answers. We have been getting a lot of listener questions the last few weeks, and many of them are questions I get from clients all of the time. We will discuss financial scenarios from having multiple mortgages to whether or not you should pay for your children’s student loans.   Here is some of what you’ll learn on this show: Should I pay off my mortgages on my rental properties if I have enough invested to pay them off? (3:23) What to do when you’re paying a large tax bill on dividends. (4:49) Should I pay for my kid’s student loans instead of retiring? (8:21) Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: Talk With Lee

What is an RMD? You've probably heard the acronym but how much do you know about required minimum distributions? There tends to be a lot of confusion surrounding RMDs, so today we will go over everything you should know. The Required minimum distribution is the mandatory amount that everybody must take from their qualified accounts in the year they reach age 72. Let’s cover some of the key points to help you better understand RMDs.   Here is some of what you’ll learn on this show: What is the purpose of an RMD? (4:26) What are the qualified accounts for RMDs? (6:42) Differences between RMDs and IRAs. (10:34) Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: Talk With Lee

Just like the lights on your dashboard can indicate if something is wrong with your car (like low tire pressure or leaking oil), there are indicators in your financial life that might point out that you have a problem that needs to be addressed You might have watched your parents retire in their early 60s and think that’s how it should still be for everyone.  But consider that you’ll likely live much longer than them, you probably don’t have the pension that they had, and the costs for your healthcare during your retirement years will dwarf their costs.  In this episode, we will shed light on potential financial problems that could hinder your retirement plan.   Here is some of what you’ll learn on this show: Do you really know how much it will cost to fund your current lifestyle? (3:54) Are you too hung up on your net worth, instead of the income you will be generating? (6:34) Does the impact of current events on the market make you lose sleep over your portfolio? (15:03)   Want to set up a meeting with us

We are excited to have Steve Lopez as our guest today. Steve is a journalist for the LA Times and is about to release a new book on retirement. We feel that a lot of what Steve writes about will resonate with our listeners. Steve found himself facing a fork in the road: To retire, or not to retire? This fork in the road led him to write ‘Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement from Some Who’ve Done It and Some Who Never Will’. During this journey, he spent a year interviewing people who had various experiences with retirement. Listen as he shares what he learned as he wrote his new book.   Here is some of what you’ll learn on this show: Here you can learn about navigating life as an ‘empty nester’. (10:33) Here are Steve’s thoughts on claiming Social Security early. (24:24) Navigating your loss of identity in the eyes of others. (33:40)   Preorder Steve's book: https://www.amazon.com/Independence-Day-Learned-About-Retirement-ebook/dp/B09N8RVS42 Want to set up a meeting with us? Visit us here: http