Today’s Prep:

On game day, it’s fun to wear your jersey and show some team spirit. What you might not realize are the three ways your financial planning process is similar to a jersey. Consider the names, numbers, and symbols on a jersey. How might they be similar to the names, numbers, and symbols on your financial statements?

Equipping Points:

1:20 – The Number

• Jersey numbers often signify positions. What is your number in retirement?
• How much do you need in savings?
• What rates of return do you need?
• What risks should you take?
• Income is the most important number to understand in retirement.
• Eric shares a client story of a couple who felt they understood the numbers.

5:48 – The Name

• Some teams choose not to have individual names on their jerseys. Instead, they feature the name of the team.
• A lot of people face similar issues in retirement. These include: income planning, Social security planning, and tax planning. Depending on the household, these issues will have different impacts.
• You want your financial advisors to be working for you, but they should customize a plan to your needs.
• Eric shares how he uses his tax knowledge to help clients.

11:11 – The Look

• Sometimes the jersey looks great, but the team is awful.
• Consistent teams understand the basics and have a system.
• A lot of times, there are simple plans and products that work for retirement.
• You want a plan that will enable you to enter retirement with confidence and enjoy it.

Today’s Takeaway:

“Just because something looks good and sounds good, you need to see that it actually works. You want something in retirement that works, not something that in theory might work. – Eric Peterson“