Retirement Reality Podcast
Weekly financial and retirement planning guidance with Mike Kojonen of Principal Preservation Services. Mike serves western Wisconsin and the Twin Cities areas of Minnesota. He's the co-author of Momma's Secret Recipe for Retirement Success and will impart financial wisdom each week on this podcast.
Episodes
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
Ep 73: 5 Things You Must Know About Decumulation to Retire Successfully
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
So much of the financial world is focused on accumulating money and you can find plenty of advice on how to save and invest. But there aren’t nearly as many resources for navigating the period of time after your retirement through decumulation. On this episode, we’ll point to 5 things you need to know about spending down and managing the assets you’ve accumulated throughout life.
Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://principalpreservationservices.com/ep-73-5-things-you-must-know-about-decumulation-to-retire-successfully/
What we discuss on this episode:
2:20 – Lack of support
4:16 – Fear of spending is real
5:56 – Risks in retirement
7:29 – Focusing on tax consequences
9:59 – Leveraging your lifetime income
12:34 – Mailbag question on divorce settlement
14:17 – Mailbag question on saving and interest rates
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Ep 72: The Three Worlds of Money
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Just about everyone is familiar with the phrase diversification and what it means in financial planning, but what does it take to be properly diversified?
On this episode of the podcast, we’ll break it down to the three worlds of money and explain why finding balance among these will provide you with the diversification you need to have a successful retirement. Each of these play a key role in planning and it’s important that you find the right mix for investing your money.
You can listen to the full episode or use the timestamps below to find a specific segment.
1:12 – The Banking World
5:25 – The Insurance World
10:37 – The Wall Street World
17:18 – Finding balance with our clients
20:23 – Mailbag question on old 401K accounts
22:12 – Mailbag question on taxes in retirement
For additional financial planning resources, visit us online at http://principalpreservationservices.com
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Ep 71: Learning Through Uncommon Sense
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
If financial planning was simple, no one would need help. Even when we know what we’re supposed to do, it’s not always a certainty that we will.
On this episode of the Retirement Reality podcast, we’ll go through some common sense financial statements that ring true to all of us and Mike will explain why we often fall short in following this guidance. If you find yourself getting off-track, make sure you lean on an advisor to help you keep retirement planning on the right path.
You can listen to the full episode or use the timestamps below to find a specific segment.
1:14 – Buy Low, Sell High
4:04 – Don’t pay more in taxes than you have to.
7:02 – Keep expenses low.
9:56 – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
12:04 – Market timing is virtually impossible.
17:01 – Mailbag question on capital gains taxes
18:48 – Mailbag question on IRAs
For additional financial resources, visit us online at http://principalpreservationservices.com
Thursday May 20, 2021
Ep 70: Estate Planning for Life After Death with Patrick Boley (Part 2)
Thursday May 20, 2021
Thursday May 20, 2021
On part two of our estate planning conversation with attorney Patrick Boley, we turn our attention to life after death to discuss the documents you need to have in place. That includes a detailed discussion on wills and trusts, along with the role probates play in the estate process.
Read more and get additional resources here: https://principalpreservationservices.com/ep-70-estate-planning-for-life-after-death-with-patrick-boley-part-2/
Check out Part 1: https://principalpreservationservices.com/ep-69-the-living-side-of-estate-planning-part-1/
What we discuss on this episode:
1:14 – Interview begins
2:44 – What happens if you don’t have documents in place?
3:58 – The Will
6:19 – Probate & the Transfer on Death Deed
10:16 – Stepped-Up Value
11:52 – Formal or Informal Probate
13:44 – Mike shares a personal story
17:48 – Client story about a will getting contested
18:55 – Revocable Living Trust
22:41 – Putting house in a trust
28:22 – Second marriages
30:30 – Dangers of doing it yourself
33:24 – Protection from nursing home
35:13 – Updating your documents
Thursday May 13, 2021
Ep 69: The Living Side of Estate Planning with Patrick Boley (Part 1)
Thursday May 13, 2021
Thursday May 13, 2021
Through years of working with clients, we’ve seen that the estate side of planning often gets overlooked. That’s why we’ve asked attorney Patrick Boley of Eckberg Lammers to come on and talk to us about the living documents that every person needs in part one of a two-part series on estate planning.
Read more and get additional resources here: https://principalpreservationservices.com/?p=39915&preview=true
What we discuss on this episode:
1:01 – Welcome in Patrick Boley
2:09 – Background on Patrick
5:37 – Healthcare directive
8:04 – Specific statutes that need to be in place
14:45 – Mike shares story about how a catastrophic event can unfold.
16:46 – What if you have an adult college student and need access to medical records?
18:02 – Definition of Durable Power of Attorney
19:36 – Standard Power of Attorney
21:31 – Little things to think about
26:31 – How long is the process to get these living documents in place?
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
Ep 68: Understanding the Different Risk Types
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
You can't talk about financial planning without discussing risk, but what does that mean exactly? Risks comes in multiple forms and you have to guard against each when building a plan. Today we'll tell you about the different types of risk and how we help clients manage it.
Read more and get additional financial resources here: http://principalpreservationservices.com
What we discuss on this episode:
2:00 - Market Risk
4:31 - Interest Rate Risk
6:47 - Inflation Risk
9:44 - Taxes
12:01 - Longevity risk
14:35 - Mailbag question on variable annuities
17:25 - Mailbag question on flipping houses
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Ep 67: Things That Drive Your Financial Advisor Crazy
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
On today’s episode, we’re talking about things that drive your financial advisor crazy about the financial world.
Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://principalpreservationservices.com/retirement-reality-podcast/
What we discuss on this episode:
1:21 – Coronavirus vaccine
3:10 – Hidden fees
5:08 – Advisors who put their own goals ahead of their clients
7:00 – Cookie cutter (one-size-fits-all) sales pitches
9:15 – Big companies who push products
11:12 – Buzzwords and jargon that don’t mean anything to the average person
13:25 – Financial plans that consist of dozens of pages that no one can understand
16:48 – Mailbag: Should we refinance our house?
Thursday Jan 14, 2021
Ep 66: Things Nobody Says in the Financial Planning World
Thursday Jan 14, 2021
Thursday Jan 14, 2021
On today’s episode, we’re talking about things nobody says in the financial planning world and Mike explains why that’s the case.
Read more and get additional resources here: https://principalpreservationservices.com/ep-66-things-nobody-says-in-the-financial-planning-world/
What we discuss on this episode:
3:08 – I really regret putting money into my Roth IRA every year
4:33 – I should have spent more and saved less
6:00 – Life insurance payment was insulting
8:10 – It makes me feel patriotic to pay more in taxes
10:56 – I love big market corrections
13:35 – Mailbag: How to stay out of craziness of the market
Thursday Jan 07, 2021
Ep 65: Lessons Learned From Biggest Market Crashes of All-Time
Thursday Jan 07, 2021
Thursday Jan 07, 2021
Our country has been through some major market crashes over the years. What happened during those events and what can we learn from them?
Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://principalpreservationservices.com/ep-65-lessons-learned-from-biggest-market-crashes-of-all-time/
What we discuss on this show:
1:59 – Black Tuesday
3:50 – Dot com crash
6:25 – 2008
8:42 – 2020 coronavirus pandemic
10:34 – Lessons learned
14:28 – Contact Mike and his team
16:15 – Mailbag: Should I take Social Security?
18:03 – Mailbag: Husband doesn’t want to plan for retirement?
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
Ep 64: Are You Prepared for Retirement? Take This Quiz
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
Today we’re sharing five key questions to see if you are ready for retirement. How well do you know your finances?
Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://principalpreservationservices.com/ep-64-are-you-prepared-for-retirement-take-this-quiz/
What we discuss on this show:
2:42 – Do you know how much you actually have?
5:09 – Do you know how much you’re spending?
7:37 – Do you know how much risk you actually have?
10:07 – Do you know what you’re paying in fees?
12:28 – Do you know what your retirement income stream will actually look like?
14:10 – Using a financial advisor
14:50 – Mailbag: Thoughts on annuities and hedge funds
17:58 – Mailbag: How can I save taxes on my new income?