“Like a lot of people, I used to think I knew everything I needed in order to retire successfully – but, it turns out I was wrong.”
John F. Jamison – Founder, Retirement Planning Services of Maine
Not because of anything I did or didn’t do.
However, after experiencing a series of events beyond my control, it became clear I needed to have a far more realistic perspective on retirement and planning for the future.
I was a pilot for Delta Air Lines when the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2005, seriously depleting my 401K.
Faced with the choice of a default endorsement of the company’s plan to raid the retirement savings of thousands of retired pilots or retire myself, I chose to leave a career and profession I’d been proud to have been a part of for nearly three decades. I was in my late 40s at the time.
A few years later stocks fell hard on Wall Street in the crash of 2008 and my retirement savings suffered another severe loss.
Then, it got worse.
The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC), home of my retirement savings since the Delta bankruptcy, warned I could expect future cuts to my pension because they lack the resources to honor their commitments.
I also discovered I now fell under what is known as the Social Security “off-set” provision, which means my benefits, when I elect to begin receiving them, will be significantly less than anticipated.
Clearly, the overall trend I was seeing for my own retirement was anything but encouraging.
Frustrated and angry, I found myself utterly determined to find a way out of the retirement status quo.
I began my search for a strategy that was in no way dependent upon luck or “timing the markets” to succeed in my retirement years. I researched the financial aspects of retirement from every conceivable angle and met to discuss my concerns with a number of financial professionals.
Unfortunately, their solutions were all pretty much the same — offering no real security of assets in my golden years. That’s when I realized in order to find my solution, I would have to create it myself.
That was the path that led me to my current position of retirement educator, planner, and advocate.
I now share what I’ve learned over the years with others to help them to better understand their options and assist in designing a custom retirement plans using some of the most intelligent and reliable means available.
If any part of my story resonates with you and you’re interested in learning more, please consider signing-up to receive a copy of my monthly retirement blog.
Every four weeks I try to give readers something to think about — not just a few pages of happy talk and fluff — but it’s not all doom and gloom, either.
Rather, it’s the kind of straight-talk, data driven commentary I think you’re going to find useful when trying to keep all of today’s biggest retirement concerns in perspective.
You see, I’m committed to helping others see the big picture with as much focus and clarity as possible, and that necessarily means limiting my commentary to the facts.
Facts on the markets, facts on the ever-changing political and economic landscape, and, of course, the mathematical facts of retirement — the kind of information we’re all going to need to get through the coming decades financially unscathed.
Meaning, if you’re the kind of person who thinks having the facts would be useful in helping you to grow, maintain, and provide long-term protection for your wealth, then congratulations, you’re in the right place.
Because money matters — after all, it affects every facet of our lives, and that’s why we need to make plans for our retirement portfolios and individual futures based on the real world, not someone’s opinion.
So, whether you’re recently retired or still have a few years left in the workplace, remember, those armed with the facts always tend to come out on top — because having the facts allows people to stay out in front of the headlines and not make the kind of bad, guess-work financial decisions they might someday regret.
Today’s headlines also offer a reminder of something else — after a lifetime of working hard and playing by the rules, now is not the time to lower your defenses.
To your success,
John
P.S. We’re pleased to offer clients a personalized approach to managing retirement within the safety and security of disciplined, math-based financial programs. An introductory conversation provides us with the opportunity to review and comment on your current plan and demonstrate how we might assist you.
P.P.S. Before you go, be sure to get your complimentary copy of our special report, Retirement 101: The Sequence of Returns Risk, available HERE or from the main menu on our home page.
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