Recently I had the honor of participating in a video conference with CEOs and small business owners in the greater Kansas City area where we shared our perspectives on how to reopen our local economy safely and effectively. The organizer of that call was our region’s advocate at the Small Business Administration, and my guest today, Adrienne Vallejo Foster. Adrienne is currently running for Congress in the Third Congressional District of Kansas. She's a former mayor who also served as Executive Director of the Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission in Kansas. One of Adrienne’s current responsibilities is to assist in the Opening Up America Again initiative by gathering feedback from small businesses in our region so that we have a voice in the decision making happening right now in Washington, D.C.

Keen on Retirement

A Frontline View of Opening Up America Again

Last week’s job numbers have had a big impact on this week’s main topic of discussion: reopening. Communities around the country are starting to establish guidelines that will, hopefully, allow more folks to get back to work while also keeping the spread of COVID-19 in check. In the meantime, folks who are hurting are starting to get some relief via extended unemployment benefits and federal tax rebate checks. Others are weighing new options created by the CARES Act, including coronavirus-related distributions (CRDs). If you’re thinking about using your retirement assets to navigate the pandemic, you’re definitely going to want to listen to our discussion on how CRDs may help.

New Coronavirus-Related Distributions Could Help Folks as the Country Begins Reopening

I’m really happy that clients and other friends of Keen Wealth have continued to ask us questions about their financial planning over the past month or so. Those questions tell me that even as we’re dealing with all of the uncontrollable stresses surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, folks are keeping at least one eye on the things they can control. There is still business to be conducted, bills and taxes to pay, and both short and long-term plans to make. And as an essential business, Keen Wealth has been able to make a smooth transition to our new health and safety realities so that we can stay available to our clients when they need us the most. On today’s show, we go back to the mailbag to answer some questions we’ve received lately about oil prices, 2019 tax deadlines, and how the 2020 CARES Act affects the 2019 SECURE Act.

Negative Oil Prices, Tax Day in July, and Getting Our “Acts” Together

We’re getting our first small glimpses of light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel this week. Spread of the disease could be peaking. The markets are starting to look a bit more stable. And our political and health care leaders are in the very early stages of discussing how and when to reopen businesses. Still, I know we’re all dealing with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, both in our personal lives and when we step back to take in the big picture. On today’s show, we check in on the current state of the markets and the economy, while also answering three of the most common questions that Keen Wealth clients and friends have been asking us over the past couple weeks.

Answering Three Common Listener Questions Sparked by COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic continues to make recent market swings difficult to follow. Are the markets recovering or not? Are we still bearish or heading back to bullish? And what do these movements mean for your retirement planning? Today’s episode is another up-to-the-minute look at the current economic situation.

Making Sense of Recent Market Movements and How the CARES Act Affects Your Retirement Planning

We’ve all just gone through one of the most tumultuous weeks in recent American history – not just for the financial markets, but for how we live our everyday lives. So we’re releasing this podcast episode a little earlier than usual so that you can get our latest take on the coronavirus situation and the broader economic picture.

Coping with Uncertainty During the Coronavirus Pandemic

For today’s show, we put in some overtime to get you our up-to-the-minute take on how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting financial markets. The short version: Outside shocks to the financial markets, like the coronavirus, can't be predicted, but we do plan for them. Outbreaks like Ebola, Zika, MERS and SARS have rattled the markets before. And while past performance does not guarantee future returns, after downturns like the one we’re experiencing right now, the markets are typically on the road to recovery within a short amount of time. We’re also optimistic about what other key economic indicators are telling us about the overall strength of the US economy. However, that doesn’t mean we're Pollyanna or complacent. We continue to monitor the situation and are ready to take action if the situation warrants. Listen to this episode for our thoughts on the opportunity that volatility provides us to re-balance portfolios and other strategies to utilize when the market is low, what the government might do to help stabilize the markets, and the likelihood of a recession

Special Update on the Coronavirus, the Financial Markets, and Your Investments

In this Market Update Webinar, Matt Wilson, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at Keen Wealth Advisors, takes a look back at what happened in 2019 in the markets and in the economy. And even more importantly, Matt takes a look ahead at what may be in store for 2020. Some of the topics Matt covers in this webinar include: Upcoming election Current corporate earnings outlook Recession risks Health of the jobs market What the leading indicators are telling us Our expectations for the stock market for 2020 

Is an Election Year Recession on the Horizon?

Clients and friends of Keen Wealth have questions surrounding the Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act that was passed at the end of 2019. And with good reason! In many ways, the SECURE Act represents a significant rethink of retirement and estate planning. The government has recognized that as folks begin working longer at a wider variety of jobs, individuals need to start taking more personal responsibility for their retirement planning. This shift will affect your own retirement and how your heirs will approach their financial planning. On today’s show, we follow up our earlier overview of the SECURE Act with a deeper dive into three specific topics that our clients have been asking us about. As always, we try to keep the conversation light on industry jargon and technicalities. But the better you understand some of the SECURE Act’s most significant changes to retirement planning, the more confident you’re going to feel about your own plan.

3 Major SECURE Act Provisions You Need to Discuss With Your Fiduciary Advisor

I am honored that Anthony Fasano, Founder of the Engineering Management Institute, recently invited me to be a guest on his podcast, "The Engineering Career Coach." Anthony is a professional engineer who learned early in his career that the success of an engineering firm relied heavily on its employees' ability to communicate and mange effectively. Anthony founded the Engineering Management Institute to bring his passion for engineering management training to engineering organizations worldwide through customized on-site and online training. Anthony's podcast was recently cited by Forbes as one of the 15 most inspiring podcasts for professionals. The information in this podcast is going to be of particular interest to the many engineers and employees of engineering firms we work with at Keen Wealth. But all the topics that Anthony and I cover will be useful to anyone who is serious about planning for your future and your retirement, no matter where you work. As a bonus, you can also watch our conversation below. Anthony's production team did a great job adding slides and graphics that you may find helpful.

Engineering Retirement

At our annual Holiday Breakfast in December 2019, we presented "Forecast 2020: Silence the Noise."

Forecast 2020: Silence the Noise (Part 1)

Forecast 2020: Silence the Noise (Part 2)

Presents? Check. Tree? Check. Decorations? Check. Food and drink? Check. A thorough review of your tax-loss harvesting options? See, I knew you were forgetting something! Believe me, I understand that your checklist for the month of December is probably spilling onto another page already. And it’s not much fun to sit around the fire and think about filing taxes in April. But there’s less than two weeks left to consider some moves that could have a major impact on how you wrap up 2019 and progress into 2020. On our last episode of the year, we go through the important year-end planning decisions that you, your spouse, and your fiduciary advisor need to discuss before December 31st.

A Year-End Planning Checklist to Help You Wrap Up 2019

If I were to list some of the incredible things my good friend Joe Ratterman has accomplished in his life, the fact that he’s a Guinness World Record holder might not even crack the top ten. After a successful career in which he worked to improve competitive balance in the financial markets, Joe had earned the potential for an easy, carefree retirement. But his values, his faith, and his commitment to helping others wouldn’t let him go dormant. Today, I consider Joe to be one of the leading humanitarians and philanthropists here in Kansas City. Joe is an inspiration to me, and to anyone looking for a way to make the second half of their life potentially more meaningful and fulfilling than the first. On this very special episode, I’m honored to sit down with Joe Ratterman to discuss his views on the evolution of the financial markets, how his values informed some major business decisions, and what he’s doing right now to help Kansas City’s most vulnerable citizens.

An Inspiring Story of Doing the Most Good in Retirement

Happy Medicare Season! You might not be getting any Hallmark cards marking this Fall tradition, but I know your mailbox is stuffed with notices from insurance companies, health care brokers, and the US government. That’s because the open enrollment period during which seniors can change their Medicare policies runs from now until December 7th. And even if you’re planning on sticking with your current coverage for another 12 months, there are some important things about your coverage as well as your spouse’s coverage that you should be considering before open enrollment closes. On today’s show, we tackle four of the most common Medicare questions we’re fielding from clients at Keen Wealth right now. Hopefully this conversation will help you sort out the important notices about your health care coverage from the junk mail that belongs in your shred pile.

‘Tis the Season … To Review Your Medicare Coverage!

Do you want to make smarter decisions about your money and your life? Do you want to make sure you have enough money to retire comfortably? Join Founder and CEO of Keen Wealth Advisors, Bill Keen, as we discuss money, life, and everything in between. Whether you’re on your way to retirement or already there, these shows will educate and entertain you on your journey.

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Keen on Retirement

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