Coming soon to the RetirementRevised podcast

A series focused on the key themes of my new book, Retirement Reboot: Commonsense Financial Strategies for Getting Back on Track

An old friend asked recently if there will be a Cliff Notes version of my new book, Retirement Reboot: Commonsense Financial Strategies for Getting Back on Track. The answer is “no” - I certainly hope Retirement Reboot is written in a sufficiently accessible way that a summary version won’t be necessary!

But - how about a podcast series?

The official publication date for Retirement Reboot is January 10th, and I’m excited to let you know about a six-part series that starts right after the holidays. The “Retirement Rebootcast” will consist of six episodes featuring conversations with top expert guests on key themes of Retirement Reboot. Many of the shows already have been taped, and I think listeners will really find the discussions helpful.

Americans approaching retirement age today have experienced some particularly frightening economic waves. During the Great Recession in 2009 and the COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s, older Americans experienced higher rates of job loss than younger ones, and the uncertainty caused by the rising inflation rates has led to exceedingly difficult economic circumstances for millions.

Retirement Reboot walks readers through the core decisions to make now to improve a person’s retirement outcomes—even if their planned retirement is just a few years away.

Here’s the podcast schedule:

• Introduction: A conversation with Chris Farrell, senior economics contributor for Marketplace, the public radio program. Chris wrote the introduction to Retirement Reboot, and we’ll be discussing the broad themes of the book. January 5th.

• Let’s Make a Plan. Far too many people don’t take the time to make an actual financial plan for retirement – and that’s a real misstep. If you don’t have a plan, it’s impossible to know whether you are on track to meet your goals. My guests are Steve Chen, the founder of New Retirement, and Steve Vernon, the well-known retirement educator and author. January 12th

• Optimizing Social Security. For most of us, Social Security will be the most important retirement benefit – full stop. Decisions about when to claim can make a big difference in your lifetime income. For this episode, I invited two of the most knowledgeable people I know on the topic of Social Security claiming. Mary Beth Franklin is a contributing editor at Investment News magazine, specializing in Social Security, Medicare and Retirement income. Bill Reichenstein is a professor of investment management at Baylor University, a co-founder of Social Security Solutions – a company that offers online software tools that help individuals and financial professionals sort through claiming decisions. January 19th.

•  Navigating Medicare. Along with Social Security, there’s nothing that will have a more important impact on your retirement security than making smart choices about navigating Medicare. Joining me are two top Medicare experts: Tricia Neuman, executive director of the Medicare program at the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Fred Riccardi, president of the Medicare Rights Center. January 26th.

• Building Savings. Starting as early as possible is the name of the game when it comes to saving for retirement. But if you’re getting close to retirement and haven’t been able to save much, don’t despair: it is still possible to build significant savings late in the game. Joining me to discuss catch-up strategies and smart, simple approaches to saving for retirement is Christine Benz, director of personal finance at Morningstar. February 2nd.

• Toward a New Social Insurance Era. When I hear from readers who are worried about the future of Social Security or Medicare, their questions and comments often take a passive tone—“what will happen to me if they cut my benefits,” or “what happens if they allow the Social Security trust funds to become insolvent.” But Retirement Reboot is a book about action steps you can take to improve your personal retirement outlook. Social Security and Medicare have both played critical roles in improving the lives of millions of Americans, but as has happened throughout their history, these programs need to change, and do more. Or, better put: We need to advocate for changes in these programs so that they can serve us better. Joining me are Nancy Altman of Social Security Works and Judith Stein, executive director and founder of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. February 9th.

Subscribers will see the podcast popping up at the top of the newsletter. You can also subscribe to the RetirementRevised podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Join me for an interactive workshop on retirement planning

I’ll be discussing Retirement Reboot during an interactive, online workshop on January 24th. I hope you’ll join me!

The 90-minute workshop, hosted by Bookends University, will offer practical strategies for improving your retirement prospects, even if your savings are meager and retirement is looming! It will draw from material in Retirement Reboot: Commonsense Financial Strategies for Getting Back on Track.

We’ll walk through core decisions to make now to improve retirement outcomes, including

• Timing Your Retirement

• Optimizing Social Security

• Navigating Medicare

• Tapping Home Equity

• Building Savings

• Financing long-term care needs

Tuition for the event is $45, which includes a copy of Retirement Reboot. Bookends University is sponsored by Bookends & Beginnings, my favorite independent bookstore. You can pick up your copy at the store if you’re local, or have it mailed to you.

What I’m reading

The 4% drawdown strategy is staging a comeback . . . Homelessness worsens among older adults . . . New legislation would improve access to retirement savings plans . . . Misinformation about defined benefit pensions persists . . . House GOP budget framework sets 70 as the new full retirement age for Social Security.