Grading Your Financial Competency

Today’s Prep:

How would you grade yourself on your financial competency? Are you at the top of the class or falling behind? Find out on this episode.

Equipping Points:

Are you an “A” student or are you barely passing? Have you ever stopped to grade yourself on how well you are doing financially? Ask yourself how well you’re doing and if you need to meet with an advisor to help boost your grade.

For instance, do you know how much you actually have? From different investments to various assets and even 401(k) rollovers, maybe you don’t know what you have and where everything is. Then remember, it’s not only how much money you’ve saved, but how much do you spend? Do you know what your spending habits are now? How will these change in retirement? What kind of income streams will you have in retirement?

Are you aware of how much risk you have? What kind of risk are you exposed to? You might think you know, but talk about it with your advisor to make sure your risk tolerance and your actual risk match. When it comes to mutual funds, do you know what you’re paying in fees? Are you getting the appropriate level of value in exchange for those fees?

So how well did you do?

Listen to the full episode or click on the questions below to hear more about how you can improve your score.

0:57 – Do you know how much you actually have?

3:04 – Do you know how much you truly spend?

4:29 – How much risk do you have?

5:58 – What are you paying in fees?

8:43 – Do you know what your income streams are going to look like in retirement?

Today’s Takeaway:

[spp-tweet tweet= “It’s not a matter of how much money you’ve saved (which is important), it’s how much it costs you to live.  -Eric Peterson”]

Related Resources:

Mailbag: When Should I Take Social Security?

Finding Predictable Income Sources in Retirement

More From Eric:

The host: Eric Peterson - Contact - Call: (515) 226-1500

Subscribe To The Podcast:

Apple Podcasts  -  Google Podcasts  -  Spotify  -  Stitcher  -  iHeartRadio  -  TuneIn

Check out some other recent episodes

Retirement Planning Statistics

April 25, 2024

Retirement is closer than you think, but are you ready? With a staggering number of people lacking confidence in their retirement savings, Eric shares the misconceptions people have and what mistakes can derail someone’s financial future. Many people feel inadequate when it comes to what they have saved in their nest egg, uninformed about the pitfalls of target date funds, and unprepared about the reality of leaving the workforce earlier than expected.

Read More

Mailbag: Should I Fire My Broker?

April 18, 2024

Navigating life’s financial crossroads can be tricky, especially when it involves your financial future. In this episode of Retirement Ready, Eric addresses these complex issues head-on. How do you best evaluate your broker and your investment performance against the S&P 500? Eric says a lot of that comes down to setting expectations and understanding the risks. Then, Holly wants to know what to consider before making a midlife career change.

Read More

Putting It Off

April 11, 2024

We are all guilty of procrastinating from time to time. Financially speaking, though, this can get you into a lot of trouble. Let’s talk about the areas where it might feel better to kick the can down the road.

Read More

Common Scams to Avoid

April 4, 2024

Americans over 60 have lost more than $3.1 billion in various forms of fraud and scams in the last 12 months! Today we talk through some of the common scams people unfortunately fall for and how you can stay vigilant against it.

Read More

Financial Strategies: Agree or Disagree?

March 28, 2024

There are a number of financial ideas that people have differing opinions on. Eric shares today which of these he agrees with or disagrees and why.

Read More

Divorce Mistakes

March 21, 2024

Unfortunately, divorce happens. When it does, no one wants to make costly financial mistakes amidst an already stressful time. Today, we talk about the mistakes that can happen and how to avoid them when it comes to dividing up your assets with a spouse.

Read More

Villains of the Financial World

March 14, 2024

Just like some of these cinematic villains, some of these financial elements may have a bit of nuance and history that can make it hard to label them all good or all bad.

Read More

Uses for Life Insurance

March 7, 2024

When you’re younger, life insurance is often thought of as an income replacement as needed. But as you get older and into retirement, you might find other uses for life insurance. When thinking ahead for your estate and how it passes to beneficiaries, life insurance can prove to be a useful tool. Currently, the proceeds from life insurance are tax-free. How does that change how you include it in your financial plan? Eric outlines some of the options and benefits life insurance can provide.

Read More

Understanding Financial Risk

February 29, 2024

What kind of risks do you take in your financial life? As you get less comfortable with things like climbing up ladders and riding on skateboards, you might also become less financially risky. When you enter retirement, how you view your money in the market changes significantly from your working years. It’s important to look at your portfolio to ensure your investments match your risk tolerance.

Read More

Mailbag: What Financial Advice Should I Share with My Grandchild?

February 22, 2024

Why is retirement planning different than the “good old days” that our parents and grandparents experienced? Things like pensions, Social Security, and even RMD age have changed. Is your financial plan set up accordingly or is it in need of some changes to match?

Read More

Leave a Comment