We can be easily distracted by the bright shiny objects of retirement planning which is why it is important to master the fundamentals first. Understanding the fundamentals of retirement planning will help you to create a solid foundation so that you can cope with all of the uncertainty that retirement brings. 

Here on the Retirement Answer Man show, I typically dive into the foundational concepts of retirement planning in bits and pieces by answering questions. However, I haven’t taken a deep dive into teaching the fundamentals here on the show.

Over the course of this 5 week segment, we will start at the beginning and explore the fundamentals of retirement planning in greater detail so that you gain a working knowledge that will give you the confidence to execute your plan. If you have been wondering what Agile Retirement Management is this is the perfect time to press play.

Areas where traditional retirement planning is lacking

There are so many uncertainties surrounding retirement, but most people are worried about just one thing: running out of money.

Traditional retirement planning methods help people build a financial plan to ensure that they don’t run out of money. In conventional planning, retirement becomes a one-dimensional math problem to be solved with investment products. Retirees are asked to place all their trust in the numbers of long-term returns and hope that all will be well.

These planning methods focus solely on the financial future and without considering the person’s life goals. While it is important to plan for the future, life exists now. Retirement should be about living life to the fullest extent that you can. An agile approach to retirement helps you balance the future while living a great life today.

What is an agile approach to retirement?

I designed the agile approach to retirement planning by using a project management methodology. Agile retirement management focuses on achieving an objective by focusing on one thing at a time without trying to figure everything out all at once. With this approach, people are able to quickly iterate as needed as their situation changes. 

The key to an agile methodology lies in understanding the fundamentals of retirement planning so that you can increase your agency and control the controllables. This ensures that you can refine your goals and dreams based on what you can control. 

The principles of an agile approach to retirement planning

An agile approach accepts that you can’t figure out everything. There is no way to predict what will happen with inflation, markets, or even your life in the future. This is why it is important to try not to dial in exactly what will happen 20 years from now. By staying agile, you’ll be able to quickly respond to any shifts in life or the markets and consider how to improve your reactions.

These are the principles to developing an agile approach to retirement: 

Collaboration - It’s important to collaborate rather than delegating someone to plan your retirement. Use your strengths to inform your decision-making. Being creative together allows you to discover joint solutions

Flexibility - You can't figure out everything at once, so value optionality and flexibility.

Prioritize - Try as you might, you can’t do everything at once. With so many levers to pull, it can be easy to focus on the wrong thing. Prioritize to improve focus and find the areas that will make the biggest impact on your life. 

Communication - Even if you do it on your own, you still need to have the right communication. Use a series of little conversations to check in with your plan to make sure that you are on the right track. Take action then review the action once it is complete. Periodically evaluate risks and opportunities in your plan.

Traditional retirement planning doesn't allow you to explore the things that matter in life. You don’t want to miss out on the ride of life, so master the fundamentals of retirement planning. 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

• [2:55] Why it is so important to master the fundamentals of retirement planning
• [9:40] What is an agile approach?
• [11:50] Principles of an agile approach

LISTENER QUESTIONS

• [19:34] Worries about the long term stability of Anne’s annuity
• [23:29] Chen was relieved to hear Dom’s story
• [24:45] A life insurance question
• [26:41] How to determine payout options when the female has the pension

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

• [30:28] Review the controllables that were discussed in your last retirement plan meeting 

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Episode 422 - with Don’s interview

LTCI Partners

Rock Retirement Club

Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Work with Roger

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center