Retirement

An Important Financial Lesson from the Top of Crystal Mountain

In this week’s Matt’s Minutes, Matt and Dylan share a powerful financial lesson from the summit of Crystal Mountain. Just like navigating a foggy ski run, you don’t need to see the entire path ahead—just the next right turn. The same applies to your finances. While no one can predict the future, making thoughtful, strategic decisions today sets you up for success tomorrow.

Click the video above to hear the full message and learn how taking the next best step can keep you on the right financial path.

Are “Rules of Thumb” worth following?

In today’s video, we’re revisiting the 4% rule for retirement—a classic rule of thumb that’s making a comeback! The 4% rule suggests that you can safely withdraw 4% of your retirement savings annually without depleting your nest egg. But is it truly a one-size-fits-all approach? Factors like inflation, risk tolerance, investment performance, and spending behaviors all play a role in determining whether this strategy works for your unique circumstances.

👉 Click play to learn how the 4% rule fits into modern retirement planning and how to tailor it to your financial goals!

This is the article I reference in the video: The 4% Rule for Retirement Is Back

Why Hail Mary Plays Rarely Win the Game in Investing

In this week’s Matt’s Minutes, I share an idea for the first time ever!

I draw a parallel between baseball (Football, not baseball) and investing to highlight an important lesson: It’s rarely the “hail mary pass” at the end of the game that wins the game. If you aren’t sure what I am referring to, allow me to explain.  A hail mary pass is a desperation pass from the QB to no particular person in hopes that one of their own team members secures the ball in the endzone in an attempt to win the game. Sure, every once in a while it works (it worked a couple weeks ago in fact).  Many clients come to me with regrets about not investing in a particular ‘hot’ stock, but the truth is, we don’t rely on high-risk, high-reward strategies.  If football teams relied on the hail mary pass as their strategy to win, their win/loss record would be dismal. In this video, I share a personal story where a hail mary investment in my own personal account was successful, but it didn’t significantly impact my overall portfolio. Click the video above to understand why steady, strategic plays are the real game changers in your financial journey.

Prevention Vs. Cure

In today’s episode of Matt’s Minutes, we dive into the topic of prevention versus cure when it comes to retirement planning. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Our goal is to help you take the necessary steps now to avoid potential financial pitfalls later and ensure your financial security in retirement. Just as in healthcare, where prevention is better than cure, the same principle applies to your financial well-being. Click on the video above to watch the full video.

Struggle Creates Strength

In today’s video, Matt is diving into the concept of transformation through struggle and how it builds strength, drawing inspiration from the remarkable process of metamorphosis. Think about the journey of a caterpillar as it transforms into a butterfly. Similarly, in our own lives, we encounter moments of struggle and challenge. Now, let’s apply this to our finances and investing, such as during a recession or the financial crisis. It’s important to recognize that these struggles are not setbacks; they’re opportunities for growth and transformation. Click above to watch the full video.

The Danger Lies In The Trek Down The Mountain

 In this video Matt is standing on the top of a mountain in Lake Chelan. He’s discussing how hiking a mountain parallels the risks people face once they retire. It’s often been said that people are more likely to be injured or killed descending a mountain than climbing up it. Retirement is no different. Making a mistake with your investments while still working (climbing the mountain), will more than likely not end in calamity. However, making a mistake in retirement (descending the mountain) may not be something that can be recovered from. As a point of reference, Matt isn’t trying to impose fear on those of you that are retired regarding a market downturn. He’s referring to being overly risky when you don’t need to, taking speculative bets with investments that you may not fully understand, panicking and getting out of the market until you feel more comfortable. These are instances that you have control over and avoided with sound guidance.

Here at Ross Financial we specialize in helping people navigate the complexities of retirement. If you know people who are retired or thinking about retiring within the next 5 years, we would love to offer our expertise to them. Feel free to share this video with them.

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