A Road Trip Plan for the Retirement of Your Dreams | Guiding You Forward

There are a lot of facets to a successful retirement plan. Beyond the money itself, there are estate plans, investment options and decisions about how to spend your retirement years, plus so much more. That’s why it’s important to have a guide. Today, Matt Meese, wealth advisor at Mountain America Investment Services, stopped by the podcast lounge to shed some light on how to plan for your golden years.

In the video above, you’ll learn:

• How the retirement journey is really like a cross-country road trip.

• Four ways to handle an old 401(k).

• Matt’s take on the future of Social Security.

Matt starts out this podcast session by busting a few retirement myths. The first one goes like this: I’ve waited too long to start saving for retirement and now there’s no way I can catch up.

The reality is you can! Just start now.

Some people find it difficult to look far enough into the future to plan for retirement. They’re worried about planning for the right things at the right time. Matt’s advice is to think about saving for retirement like a cross-country road trip—you don’t have to plan out every detail, from start to finish, ahead of time. All you need to do is start heading in a certain direction.

That first step represents the beginning stage of putting money away. Instead of worrying about whether it’s the right amount or investment vehicle—just start saving.

Then, as you get a little closer to your destination, think about whether there will be traffic and which exit to take—these are things like setting up your estate plan and deciding when to retire. Watch the video above to see how Matt expands on this valuable metaphor.

One topic that often comes up during Matt’s financial discussions is what to do with old 401(k)s. For anyone who has a 401(k) from a past employer, choosing the best way to deal with it will present a few different options. Matt shares the four options and dishes on his favorite—and least favorite!

Anxious about the future of Social Security? A big concern for anyone planning their retirement is whether there will be any money left in Social Security by the time they retire.  Matt gives his take on it and shares the one thing that has to happen for Social Security to continue.

If you’re nearing retirement age, thinking about starting to save for retirement or anywhere in between, click on the video above to watch this podcast episode. You’ll be glad you did!