Retirement Answer Man

Many of my listeners have remarked about how I am always giving advice for married couples, they feel that some of my information may not be directed toward them. But what about those of you who are single? I have plenty of listeners that are single, widowed or divorced. Are you wondering what you need to consider to retire as a single person? On this episode, we will discuss special considerations for single people; the costs, networks, and networking as a single retiree. Retired singles, this episode is just for you! Listen to this episode to hear how to rock being single in retirement.

There may be some extra considerations that retired singles may not have thought of

Did you know that half of the women over 65 are likely to be single? Way more women than men are single in their retirement years. Being single in retirement is not a negative and there is so much freedom to be enjoyed. But being single means there is more pressure on you to build your resources to support yourself during retirement. Just because you are single doesn’t mean that your cost of living is half as much as a married couple. There are many things to consider as a single retiree such as life insurance, long-term care, and medical decisions. Listen to this episode to hear all of the considerations that you may not have thought of as a single retiree.

What kind of network do you have in place to help you?

Being single is great for the freedom to drop everything and fly off to Rome at a moment’s notice, but what about the dog? As a single retiree, it is even more important to have a strong network to support you. Whether it’s a handyman, a driver, a pet sitter, or just an ear to talk to, you will need to have a support system in place as you get older. Having a network of friends and confidants can help you make difficult decisions and support you during challenging times. Listen to this episode to hear how to build your support network to help you in your golden years.

How to rock being at being retired and single

You can rock being a retired single person, but it takes planning. You will need to be extra diligent when planning your income streams to ensure that you have a consistent cash flow to sustain you throughout your retirement years. Without a spouse, you will need to have an emergency plan and trusted proxy in place for whatever emergency may arise. You won’t have the need for life insurance but you may need to consider long-term care insurance. Long-term care can be an important consideration for single retirees. Listen to this episode to hear how to plan your retirement well so that you can rock being a single retiree.

How do you find a financial advisor?

During the Practical Planning segment, a listener asks how to find a financial advisor. This can be tricky since financial advisors like myself cannot ask for testimonials from clients. Many people choose their advisors through a referral from a friend. This is a great way to find someone, but you need to make sure to use due diligence. When choosing a financial advisor it is important to be armed with the right questions. You can get the Retirement Answer Man advisor interview worksheet in the Learning Center. These questions will give you a framework to find someone to serve you the way that you need. One benefit of living in the modern age is that you have a huge selection. You can hire someone anywhere in the country and meet with them virtually. Listen to the Practical Planning segment to hear more fantastic advice on how to find a financial advisor that best suits your needs.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

  • [0:22] What are some considerations to being single and retired?
  • [1:34] Are you single and interested in becoming the next case study for Retirement Plan Live?

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

  • [4:10] How to rock being single in retirement
  • [5:58] What are some considerations if you are thinking of retiring single?
  • [13:48] Who is your network?

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

  • [17:13] How do you find an advisor?
  • [21:55] A cash flow bucket question
  • [25:05] When are we going to discuss healthcare before Medicare?

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

  • [27:26] Learn to be happy without someone else - Own your happiness

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

  • [28:42] Are you owning your own happiness?

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Advisor Interview Worksheet

Episode #204 - Is Your Financial Advisor Worth the Cost?

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Ask Roger a question

Work with Roger

3-video Series: 5 Minute Retirement Makeover

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center

The Retirement Answer Man Facebook Page

Intro music by bensound.com

Direct download: RAM210.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

We need to have a social network in retirement. A good network of friends can help you live your life to its fullest and expand the quality of your life. Retirees with the most robust network of friends are happier, healthier and more engaged than those who are lonely. Your social network doesn’t have to be a huge group of friends. Making new friends will also help you figure out who you are as you enter this new phase of your life. Listen to this episode to hear how to find some great ways to embark on new friendships.

Making new friends can help you define who you are

Who are you? It is easy to label yourself in your younger years. You are what you do, right? When you hit retirement the previous label you gave to yourself no longer applies. So you need to base your answer on what your interests are and exactly who you really are. Think about how you will spend your time in retirement. These thoughts can help you discover how and where to look for a new circle of friends. Making new friends will help you figure out who you are and who you want to be in this next phase of your life. Listen to this episode of Retirement Answer Man to get an idea of how you can start defining yourself and finding new friends in retirement.

Don’t be left lonely

On a previous episode, I touched on loneliness and how vulnerable the elderly are to loneliness. Our circle of friends can shrink as we get older as people move away or pass away. Sometimes if our spouse passes away then we can be left even more lonely. Our circles of friends get even smaller as we age and become more sedentary. This is why making a solid friend base early on in your retirement years is vital to combating loneliness as you age. I give some fantastic tips for combating loneliness in your retirement years on this episode of Retirement Answer Man so listen to the full episode to hear them all.

How do we make friends in retirement?

Sometimes it’s harder to make friends when you’re older. If you’re not in school or working where do you even begin to make friends? One way is to follow your passion. What do you like to do? Passion brings a commonality. If you’re a knitter, join a knitting group. If you’re a reader, join a book club, If you enjoy yoga, hang out after class and get to know other yogis. Get outside. Become a joiner. Make acquaintances first and see if they turn into friendship.People crave human connection and are often looking for new friendships. Build friendships with those that are younger than you and this will support you in the years that lie ahead. Listen to this episode of Retirement Answer Man to hear how you can get out there and make some friends.

What can you do in pre-tirement?

On the Practical Planning segment, we discuss pre-tirement. Pretirement is that sweet spot when you are still working but maybe not full time. It’s like a dimmer switch, where you plan your life to slowly move from full-time work to part-time work to full-time retirement. The time to think about pre-tirement is while you're still working. Do some research to discover what you might like to do. Research who you want to serve and what problem they are trying to solve and help them solve it. Listen to this episode to find out if pre-tirement is right for you.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

  • [1:22] What is an introvert?

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

  • [4:46] Our circle of friends can shrink as we get older
  • [6:25] How do we make friends during retirement?

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

  • [14:02] What are some ideas for pre-tirement?
  • [20:58] Can you earn money and defer it to retirement accounts while not having your social security benefits reduced?

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

  • [26:29] We define who we are by what we do

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

  • [27:44] Who are you?

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

BOOK - Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller

Pretirement Episode

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Ask Roger a question

Work with Roger

3-video Series: 5 Minute Retirement Makeover

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center

The Retirement Answer Man Facebook Page

Intro music by bensound.com

Direct download: RAM209.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Let’s talk marriage! On this episode of Retirement Answer Man, I want to spark a discussion on how to have a happy marriage so that you don’t spend your retirement years alone. People with happy marriages live longer and are healthier than single retirees. Divorce in the retirement years can completely destroy your finances and even your social life. So having a healthy marriage comes with a lot of benefits. Listen to this episode to discover how to help your marriage thrive so that you can make the most of your retirement and your life.

The hidden benefits of a healthy marriage

Retirement can be an inflection point in a marriage because you are really There with that other person. One of the most common times that divorce happens is when couples hit retirement. But did you know that people with great marriages live longer, have fewer rates of heart disease, stroke, and advanced cancer at diagnosis? Married retirees are generally happier and don’t suffer the same rates of depression as their single counterparts. It turns out that having a healthy marriage leads to a healthy life overall. Listen to this episode of Retirement Answer Man to hear all of the health benefits that having a great relationship can bring you.

Are you familiar with the law of familiarity?

The law of familiarity states that when you become too familiar with someone you dismiss all their greatness and instead focus on their small annoyances. Because we're so familiar with our spouses over a long-term relationship we take for granted their good stuff. That is the natural battle to fight in the flow of relationships. When was the last time that you noticed something special about your spouse? This episode of Retirement Answer Man can help you learn not to take your spouse for granted, so listen in!

What can you do to create a better relationship?

Having a great marriage is good for your health, your mental health, and even your finances. So, how can you make the best of your relationship? One way is to learn to have fun together and share some common interests. If you are having trouble in your marriage give pause and appreciate your spouse and all of their good traits. Do you want some great tips to help your marriage not just survive but thrive? If so, you'll want to hear some more of these great ideas to bring back that spark and enjoy each other again.

My listeners ask the best questions

Once again my listeners have asked some excellent questions. I take some time in the Practical Planning segment to answer two great questions. The first is a very important question about the role of bonds in asset allocation. Here’s the question -- Nobody talks about what kind of bonds you should invest in. They just tell you to invest in bonds. Does it matter what type of bonds you should invest in? Another listener asks about low cost investing and using robo-accounts to manage your asset allocation. Listen to the Practical Planning segment to hear the answers to these interesting listener questions.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

  • [1:22] What are the danger zones for marriages

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

  • [4:39] How do you make your marriage thrive?
  • [6:40] What is the law of familiarity?
  • [9:25] Intentionally of make a better relationship

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

  • [14:01] What type of bonds should you invest in?
  • [28:33] What is my opinion on robo accounts?
  • [32:03] I have some general comments on investing

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

  • [38:52] What does your spouse want to receive from you?

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

  • [40:36] Think about what your spouse needs from you

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Ask Roger a question

Work with Roger

3-video Series: 5 Minute Retirement Makeover

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center

The Retirement Answer Man Facebook Page

Direct download: RAM208.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this great episode of Retirement Answer Man I touch on the recent developments in the markets, but I'm here to really discuss loneliness. Loneliness can be a limiting factor during the retirement years. It can seriously degrade quality of life and even lead to an untimely demise. Loneliness can be caused by many different reasons and if you don’t begin to take action now you could end up alone at a time of life when you are most vulnerable. Listen to this episode to hear some great ways to begin to combat loneliness right now so that this doesn’t become a problem for you in your retirement years.

How not to be lonely in retirement

Loneliness may be an aspect of retirement that you haven’t thought of before, but it actually can threaten not only your quality of life but your life itself. Loneliness is a leading cause of death in those over 60. It can cause depression and isolation from the world around you. Loneliness affects the elderly more than any other demographic. If you are looking for some ways to stay active and combat loneliness in your retirement then starting now is key. Listen to this episode of Retirement Answer Man to hear how not to be lonely during your retirement years.

What are some causes of loneliness?

There are many causes of loneliness in retirement. Work has a built-in social aspect. It gives you a social network to foster relationships, but once you stop working you may lose the network of friends that you once had. Loneliness can also be caused by the loss of a spouse. Oftentimes your entire social realm is created by your marriage and the loss of a spouse can lead to the loss of all of your social outlets. Immobility is another cause of loneliness, as you get older this can lead to loss of physical mobility or the decreased ability to travel by car or plane. Listen to this episode to hear how you can combat loneliness as you age.

How to combat loneliness

Combating loneliness can be an intimidating endeavor. It might put you out of your comfort zone. The key is finding a way to meet people with similar interests. This can be done by finding a book club, a meetup, taking crafting classes and opening yourself up to meeting new people. Building connections with younger people can guarantee that you are not the last man standing so to say. Another way to combat loneliness is to cultivate your purpose. We often lose our purpose when we stop working. Find out now what gets you out of bed in the morning. Listen to this episode to hear some great ways to cultivate friendships with people either your age or younger

Be intentional about fostering relationships

As we get older we begin to have more and more limitations that play a factor in our lives. But you can’t control everything that your body does. Instead, you can change what can you control and free yourself from the burden of the things that you can't control. Be intentional about fostering relationships with new and interesting people. If you only see the limitations that you have you will not give yourself an opportunity to create new relationships. Create a happier retirement by learning how to combat loneliness now. Listen to this episode to hear some fantastic tips on how to be proactive about creating a diverse network of friends that will take you into retirement and beyond.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

  • [0:22] Let’s talk about the recent markets

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

  • [4:10] Loneliness can kill you
  • [10:02] How to combat loneliness

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

  • [15:40] I correct an error I made - the best way to track non deductible contributions
  • [17:40] Merriman’s ultimate buy-hold allocation
  • [19:19] Vanguard’s payout fund
  • [21:21] Some comments on mortgages

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

  • [23:55] I have rebuilt my network to create a happier life

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

  • [25:20] Take an inventory of your social network

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Merriman’s blog

BOOK - Rock Retirement by Roger Whitney

Ask Roger a question

Work with Roger

3-video Series: 5 Minute Retirement Makeover

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center

The Retirement Answer Man Facebook Page

Direct download: RAM207.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

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