Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Discover safe money strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team
called Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred one to
eighty one, or visit Kellyfinancial dot org.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good evening. This is Greg Murray, Senior vice president and
chief Compliance Officer at Kelly Financial Services. Joining me this
evening is Mary Madeline Kelly, one of our wealth advisors.
How are you doing tonight?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Good evening, Greg, I am doing great, Thanks for asking.
My half marathon is one week out and I am
getting excited, but also a little nervous. I've been on
a training program for the past three months, so I
feel confident, but it's still a daunting task to go
out and run thirteen point one miles, especially in this
heat we've been having.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
I'm impressed with the training you've already been doing, and
I'm happy to see you so passionate about something, especially
something as healthy as Ronnick.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Thank you. I took a two year long hiatus since
my last half, so it's been fun getting back into it.
I'm also excited about this ya Evening's topic because it's
one that comes up constantly with our clients, especially those
nearing or already in retirement. We're talking about the four
percent rule, that long standing rule of thumb for how
much you can withdraw from your retirement accounts each year,
(01:14):
and more importantly, is it still reliable.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
That's a big question for anyone unfamiliar. The four percent
rule comes from a study done in the nineteen nineties.
They i deal was simple. If you widraw four percent
of your retirement portfolio in your first year and adjust
that number for inflation each year after, you'd have a
high chance of your money outlasting thirty years.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Right. It was based on historical data assuming a sixty
to forty portfolio, which is sixty percent stocks forty percent bonds,
and it became kind of the gold standard for retirement planning.
But here's the thing. Markets have changed. Bond yields were
ultraed low for years, inflation recently spiked, and people are living.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Longer exactly, so relying on the old four percent rule
could be risky if you're not factoring in today's environment.
Some recent studies have actually suggested three two point three percent,
or even as low as three percent might be safer
if you want to reduce the risk about living your money.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
But here's the good news. We've been in a period
of high interest rates, which can help, and market returns
have generally rebounded in the past year. So it's not
that the four percent rule is dead. It just needs
more of a starting point than a hard rule.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
That's right. We like to say the safe which all
rate is personal. It depends on several key factors. Your
retirement timeline, are you planning twenty or forty years, your
portfolio allocation, your spending needs, and your risk tolerance. Let's
give a quick example. Let's say you've saved one million
dollars for retirement. Under the original four percent rule, you
would withdraw forty thousand dollars in year one and adjust
(02:42):
it for inflation each year. But if you're younger, say
retiring at sixty two instead of seventy, you might want
to reduce that number two around thirty thousand dollars or
thirty five thousand dollars, just to give your portfolio more runway.
And if you're retiring later or have guaranteed income sources
like a pension or annuity, you might have more flexibility
to stick closer to that four percent range or even
(03:04):
go a little higher, depending on your needs.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Another thing to think about is dynamic spending. The four
percent rule assumes you spend the same amount each year,
but that's rarely how real life works. Retirees tend to
spend more in their early years on travel, grandkits, hobbies,
and then slow down later on.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Which means building a flexible withdrawal plan can be more
realistic than trying to follow a rigid rule. We can
actually map out higher spending early on, followed by smaller
increases or even declines in later years.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
And don't forget about taxes. If your withdrawals are coming
from a traditional IRA or four oh one K, you'll
owe ordinary income tax that needs to be factored in.
A four percent grows withdrawal might not mean four percent
in your pocket.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
That's why working with it an advisor can be helpful.
We can simulate different withdrawal rates under different market conditions,
tax scenarios, and lifestyle changes.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
So for listeners wondering what to take away from this,
don't treat the four percent rule as gospel. Use it
as a benchmark, not a blueprint. In factor in your
age investment strategy, income sources and flexibility.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And remember safe withdrawal rates are not static. They can
shift with inflation, interest rates and market cycles. It's something
you should revisit every year, not just once at retirement.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Well said, if you're not sure whether your plan is
on track, or if you've never actually run the numbers,
we'd love to help you stress test your withdrawal strategy
and make sure your money lasts as long as you
do well.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
That wraps up this evening's discussion on the evolving four
percent rule. Thank you all for listening, and we will
be back next week.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Thank you, Greg and Joy the rest of your weekend.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Discover safe money strategies with Kelly. Kelly and her team
called Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred one eighty
one or visit Kelly Financial dot orger.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I believe that this nation should commit it so achieving
the goal of landing a man on the Moon and
returning him safely to the Earth.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
Six five four three two one zero all engine.
Speaker 6 (05:07):
Run, Look, look, go to follow up.
Speaker 7 (05:10):
Remember those Apollo Moon missions one of America's greatest adventures
and achievements too. The nation set a goal and then
realized it. What are your goals? At Kelly Financial Services,
We've got the right team and technology to help launch
your retirement planning. Let us help you set and reach
(05:31):
your goals for your greatest adventure and achievement. Call us
at eight eight eight eight hundred and eighteen eighty one
or visit us at Kellyfinancial dot org. Where do you
want to land within Tanglalitybavier have landed. We are Kelly
Financial Services. Come retire with us.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
And we're back. It's me again, William Kelly Junior, and
welcome to the Safe Money Strat Show Saturday night edition
here on WBZ. And I'm not flying solo. I've got
a pretty amazing co host. She's the CEO of Kelly
Financial Services, where our family and team have helped thousands
of families plan for retirement. And yes, she also happens
to be my mom, Kelly Kelly everyone that never gets old.
Speaker 6 (06:18):
William, thank you. I'm thrilled to be here tonight. Into
all our new listeners tuning in, Welcome. I'm Kelly Kelly
and at Kelly Financial We've spent twenty two years helping
individuals and families prepare wisely and confidently for retirement. We're
a family business with two offices right here in Massachusetts,
(06:42):
and we focus on conservative planning, customized strategies and building
trust with every family we work with.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
And that trust starts with conversations just like the one
we're having tonight. This evening, we're tackling a topic that
doesn't always get enough attention, especially in retirement.
Speaker 6 (06:59):
Emergency Right, emergency savings might sound like something for young
professionals or growing families, but honestly is just as important,
if not more important, for retirees.
Speaker 8 (07:13):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Emergencies don't pause just because you're no longer working. If anything,
retirement can magnify how serious a financial emergency really is.
Speaker 6 (07:21):
That's why we want to clear up a common myth
that retirees don't need emergency savings. In truth, they absolutely do.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Really, even if someone has their Social Security and maybe
some investment income coming in.
Speaker 6 (07:35):
Yes, really, here's why retirees often have fewer ways to
generate new income when something unexpected happens, and pulling from
retirement accounts at the wrong time, like during a market downturn,
can trigger taxes or even strength the nest egg faster
than planned. Emergency savings serve as a buffer, It protects
(07:59):
the long term ter plan.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
So how much should someone have saved for emergencies and retirement?
Is it still three to six months rule of thumb.
Speaker 6 (08:06):
That's a starting point, but it depends. If your steady
retirement income, Social Security, a pension annuity, or distributions comfortably
covers your monthly essentials, then three to six months of
expenses in a liquid savings account might be enough. But
(08:27):
if you're just getting by, or if most of your
income depends on the market, you may want closer to
nine to twelve months saved.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
That makes sense. You don't want to be in a
situation where you're forced to sell investments at a loss
just to fix the leaky.
Speaker 6 (08:42):
Roof, exactly, And that brings us to the types of
expenses that tend to catch retirees off guard. First, home
and auto repairs. Just because you're retired doesn't mean your
roof won't leak or your car won't need a new transmission.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
And those aren't cheap fixes.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
Then there's healthcare. Even with Medicare, out of pocket costs
can add up very quickly. Copays, dental, vision prescriptions, and
procedures that are not covered.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Didn't I see a study that estimated a sixty five
year old couple retiring in twenty twenty three, we'd need
more than three hundred thousand dollars just for healthcare and retirement.
Speaker 6 (09:21):
Yes, and that number doesn't even include long term care costs.
Medical expenses are one of the biggest risks to a
retirement plan. That's why having emergency savings can offer peace
of mind. It helps retirees avoid turning to high interest
credit cards or personal loans.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And no one wants to be adding debt and retirement,
especially on fixed income.
Speaker 6 (09:45):
Right, is not just a numbers issue. Is emotional too.
Not having enough cash on hand can cause so much stress, fear,
and that lingering anxiety of will I run out of money.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
That's why Kelly Financial our team doesn't just talk investments.
We help build complete retirement strategies, including that emergency cushion.
Speaker 6 (10:06):
Yes, because life doesn't go according to plan. Our team
sits down with each client and helps map out a
personalized approach, one that considers the expected and the unexpected.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
It's not just about spreadsheets. It's about your life, your lifestyle,
your goals, your what ifs.
Speaker 6 (10:26):
That's right, whether it's helping a grandchild through college, a
sudden move, or an unexpected surgery, we plan for those
moments so that retirement stays on track.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
So If Tonight's conversation hit home for you, we've got
a resource to help. It's a free guide called the
five Retirement Planning Missteps to Dodge.
Speaker 6 (10:46):
Yes, this guide walks you through some of the biggest
financial mistakes we've seen, including underestimating health care costs, ignoring inflation,
and not preparing for emergencies. Say simple, no nonsense read
that could save you a lot of stress down the road.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And it's available at no cost. To get your free
copy and schedule complimentary appointment with one of our fiduciary advisors,
just give us a call at eighty eight eight eight
hundred and twenty eight eighty one or email us at
Kelly at Kellyfinancial dot org.
Speaker 6 (11:19):
That's right, We're here to help you prepare wisely so
you can enjoy retirement with confidence no matter what life
throws your way.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Thanks for spending part of your Saturday evening with us.
You've been listening to Safe Money Strategies heard right here
on WBZ and streaming live on the iHeart app.
Speaker 6 (11:35):
Do stay with us. More to come after this short break.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Safe Money Strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team Call
Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred and twenty eight one,
or go to Kelly Financial dot org. That's Kelly at
Kelly Financial dot org.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
I'm John Boudris, and welcome to a new edition of
Kelly Financial's What would Bill Say? The Wit and wisdom
of the Late Bill Kelly. Today we'll address fact from fiction.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
You can always make money if you haven't if you
lose it all. It's very difficult to do that. So
you have to have a plan. If the market goes
up quite a bit or down quite a bit, you
have to be ready. And how do you sort fact
from fiction?
Speaker 7 (12:23):
Download Kelly Financial's Consumer Guide, simply called the Value of
an Objective Opinion. With so much at stake with your
retirement future, you don't just want any financial advice, but
objective financial advice. And as a fiduciary, Kelly Financial puts
your interests above all else. Go to Kellyfinancial dot org
(12:45):
or call eight eight eight eight hundred and eighteen eighty
one to get the guide.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Ladies and gentlemen, sort fact from fiction.
Speaker 7 (12:52):
We are Kelly Financial Services. Come retire with us.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
We're back. You're listening to Kelly Financial Safe Money Strategies.
A Mike Ducett, Chief Operating officer at Kelly Financial Services,
and I am joined by one of the trusted investment
advisors on our staff, Greg Workman. Our goal on this
and every radio broadcast is to help you make smart
decisions with your money, Mike.
Speaker 8 (13:18):
In the past, we've met with many investors who just
simply did not understand the seasonality of their investments. Think
of a farmer with an apple orchard. Every portfolio goes
through cycles or seasons. There will be times of new
buds and the opportunities will appear, times of growth. There'll
be times when we harvest from that growth, and quite frankly,
(13:41):
there will be times when the trees will look a
little bit barren, and that's the equivalent of the winter season.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
I've seen too many people who want to uproot that
tree in the middle of the winter. These people never
prosper with the little patience they would have seen the
seasons change in new growth appair. These things are cyclical.
Speaker 8 (13:59):
We view you your investment portfolio as a valuable growing tree.
Our job is to know when to water it or
buy new investments, when to harvest it or sell holdings,
when to fertilize it, when to prune it by harvesting
gains from the investments moving in the right direction.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
With patients and care, we know your investments will grow
strong and fruitful, just like a farmer caring for an
apple orchard year in and year out.
Speaker 8 (14:24):
Investing is like farming. You don't plant seeds and expect
a harvest the very next day. It takes time, care,
and trust in the process. In patient farmers don't eat,
and they aren't very profitable.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Here's another powerful analogy that demonstrates the value of patients
when investing. Picture yourself climbing a mountain with a yo
yo in your hand. If you focus only on the
ups and downs of the yo yo, you sure to
miss the fact that you're steadily climbing higher.
Speaker 8 (14:53):
The takeaway when you're investing for the long run, keep
your eyes on the prize and tune out the noise.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Proof is in the pudding. Can back this up with
the numbers. The stock market tends to follow long term
growth in corporate profits, which grows at an average rate
of seven to eight percent for the S and P
five hundred. That means you'll double your money in approximately
nine to ten years. If you place your chips on
the S and P five hundred.
Speaker 8 (15:17):
There you go. The rule of seventy two.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
Right on the rule of seventy two is a quick
and easy way to estimate how long it will take
for an investment to double. Based on a fixed annual
rate of return, Divide seventy two by the annual interest rate,
and the result is the number of years it takes
to double your money.
Speaker 8 (15:34):
The rule of seventy two is a great way to
see how time and interest work together. The higher the return,
the faster your money doubles.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
We put it to the test to see what ten
thousand invested ten years ago in the S and P
five hundred would be worth today.
Speaker 8 (15:49):
When buying an S and P five hundred index fund,
you're essentially purchasing a small portion of the largest publicly
traded companies in the US. This provides broad diversification US
various sectors of the American economy, from utilities to technology.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
The investment we used is an SMP five hundred exchange
traded fund that seeks to provide investment results that before expenses,
correspond generally to the price in yeald performance of the
S and P five hundred. The Spider SMP five hundred
ETF trust ticker symbol SPY.
Speaker 8 (16:22):
Otherwise known as the Spy. It closed at a closing
value of two ten fifty on July tenth of twenty fifteen.
On July tenth of twenty twenty five, ten years later,
it had a closing value of six hundred, twenty six
dollars and sixty nine cents. So your initial ten thousand
would have grown to approximately thirty thousand, five hundred, and
(16:45):
it did far more than double while it earned dividends
along the way, which boosted your total return.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Time is one of the most powerful forces in investing.
Time enables compound growth, reduces risk, and rewards the discipline
reques to stay the course when the market moves against you. Great,
we're nearing the end of our time. Before we go,
I wanted you to share that financial planning case you're
working on.
Speaker 8 (17:09):
Absolutely. We have a client that our office has been
working with since twenty fifteen. This couple recently retired in
the first half of this year, moved to Florida to
be closer to family, and started renting a small condo.
In short order, they heard about a home for sale
through a friend and contacted me seeking some advice as
(17:30):
to how to best approach the financial aspects of the decision.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Downsizing and moving during retirement is quite common. A Merrow
Lynch survey found thirty seven percent of retirees aged fifty
plus have moved during retirement. So how did this play out?
Speaker 8 (17:47):
The couple made the decision to fund the purchase with
a conventional mortgage, which meant a sizable down payment. Unfortunately,
this couple had the bulk of their assets in qualified
accounts qualified as synonymous with retirement. I'm talking about accounts
like iras in four oh one case.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
Since they worked part of the year, taking money from
a pre tax account could create a bigger than expected
tax bill. Was that the issue?
Speaker 8 (18:13):
You nailed it. We modeled some scenarios in our planning
software and helped guide this couple to the best solution
for them. Split the pretax withdrawal between twenty twenty five
and twenty twenty six to minimize the tax burden. They
will have to locate another property to purchase, but they
were very happy to make that trade off, knowing that
(18:36):
they were going to give away a much smaller chunk
of their nest egg to Uncle Sam.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
At Kelly Financial, we help hardworking people make smart, confident
decisions with their money. No jargon, no sales pitch, just
straight answers and a truly personalized plan built around the
things most important to you that delivers peace of mind.
Speaker 8 (18:54):
We're a fiduciary and our advisors are salaried, which means
industry commision never get in the way of the right
investment advice for you.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Phone numbers eight eight eight eight hundred, eighteen eighty one.
We love meeting our listeners and we look forward to
speaking with you. If you have a topic that you'd
like to learn more about, or you have a financial
question you'd like us to address on the radio show,
please reach out, give us a call at eight eight
eight eight hundred eighteen eighty one.
Speaker 8 (19:21):
Or contact us through our website at Kellyfinancial dot org.
We thank you for joining us on today's program, and
we hope you're enjoying the summer season with friends and family.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
With that.
Speaker 8 (19:34):
I'm Greg Workman.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
And I Mike do Sat. Join us next week for
more safe money strategies.
Speaker 6 (19:39):
I'm Kelly Kelly from Kelly Financial. Whether you're in your forties, fifties,
or sixties, financial advice is important when it comes to
preserving your nest Egg. We have a free investor guide
called designing your Fiscal House to Weather the Elements, which
highlights the steps needed to build a balanced portfolio. For
the guide, call eight eight eight eight hundred eighteen eighty
(20:02):
one or email Kelly at Kellyfinancial dot org. We're Kelly Financial.
Come retire with.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Us, discover safe money strategies with Kelly Kelly and herteam.
Call Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred one eighty
one or visit Kellyfinancial dot org.
Speaker 6 (20:27):
Before we say goodnight, I want to share something very special,
a voice and message that means the world to me
and to so many of our longtime listeners. Bill Kelly,
my husband and co founder of Kelly Financial, recorded this
reflection on marriage back in twenty seventeen. It's honest and
(20:49):
is full of the kind of wisdom that comes from living, loving,
and building something together. With our anniversary approaching, I wanted
to share it not as something sad, but as a
tribute to what a beautiful thing marriage really is. I
think of my own parents married for sixty years. I
think of my dad today carrying on with strength and grace,
(21:13):
and I think of all the couples we meet in
our offices, holding hands, showing up for each other. So
here's Bill with a message about love, learning and the
gift of finding someone who helps you live fully.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
You know, marriage is a great thing. I see people
who come to visit with us in our offices in Braintree, Burlington,
and the joy of seeing people in a beautiful marriage
with a family surrounding them is amazing. It's an amazing gift.
It's an amazing enrichment in life. I remember coming in
my back door once in Burlington. I have a private
(21:56):
entrance at the back of my office, which I'm very
fortunate to have, and there was a couple sitting on
a little bench there, and they were well into their eighties.
He was feeding his wife a muffin, a blueberry muffin,
bit by bit, and she was eating it almost like
a little bird, and they were talking, they were giggling,
and I walked by them. I was on my way,
of course, to an important meeting as usual, Kelly right,
and I just turned my head. I said, wow, first date.
(22:18):
And he looked at me. He said, well, we're just
getting to know each other, he said, and he said,
we're learning every day a little bit more isn't that
beautiful ladies and gentlemen, isn't that amazing? And they get up,
they were holding hands, they walked in and they were
actually coming to visit with us. So it was like
a double surprise, come to find out. So what's the
beauty in having someone in your life you love? Well,
(22:39):
it's an amazing thing for me. You know, my wife,
Kelly is a beautiful woman in many ways. I mean,
she was a stunningly beautiful woman on the night I
met her, took my breath away. But I think I
also saw something inside of her. I saw something within
her spirit. I instantly recognized it, and I think that's
what attracted Kelly to me. I think that's what her
(23:00):
think there might be something different in this guy, I
might want to see him again, because I never thought
she would. And as we grew closer and through our
married years, it's been true what a beautiful person my
wife is in all the inobvious ways, her imagination, her determination,
her support of me when we had very little, not
(23:20):
very many complaints, her ability, her spirit. These are things
that sort of a blessing in my life. And I
hope all of you have had a chance to experience
something even remotely like that, because it's very beautiful. And
Kelly is a stalwart. She's the strongest woman, the strongest
person I've ever met, and she navigates through life and
does thousands of things every week to support our business, venture,
(23:44):
our family, our future. And I'm sort of the imagineer.
I'm like the imagining guy, and she's the person on
the ground making sure that my teather doesn't break and
I go sailing off into the universe somewhere with the
next big idea. Well, my idea is sometimes take fruit
and sometimes they take hold. And we've been very blessed
(24:05):
with that. But I've had a lot of freedom. But
the most I can say, well, the most important thing
I can tell you is how blessed I've been in
my life to have someone in my life like my
wife Kelly, and how much I admire her, not just
for always being there, but for understanding a lot of
complex things that go on when you're building a company
or you're building out a vision that was sort of
(24:27):
written on a piece of paper. And Kelly's always been
there for me. And it's tough, it's tough sometimes, and
I learned to love through Kelly. With a family of
ten people and everybody in a hurry, and no one
really able to share much time with each other. With
all the things that went on in my family, I
was probably ill fit for marriage or even to be
a partner because I didn't know how to be with somebody.
(24:49):
I didn't know how to spend time with someone because
we were always on the go, always doing something, and
just enjoying being with someone was something that I did
not know how to do. And over the years I've
learned to do that with Kelly, my wife. I hope
someday you have that feeling or have had it many
of you. What's very easy for you to do generally
is very difficult for me, And what's very difficult for
(25:10):
you to do as you listen to me, it's very
simple to me. So with my boldness, I've been able
to make a path, make my way in life. But
there's a limitation because I've just learned that being bold
what was the way to do everything, and it's not.
It's hard to be understanding when you're always bold, so
I had to temper that. I was very fortunate to
(25:32):
meet Kelly, and I was very fortunate that she became
interested in me. I always wondered, am I going to
live before I die? Am I going to die before
I live? That was what I wondered. But because I
never thought I lived, I always thought I was just
getting started. I'm getting started. I'm getting started. And then
when I met my wife Kelly, guess what I found out?
I'm living and I'm okay with doing it. And it's
(25:54):
okay because I think when you admit that you're living,
guess what else you have to admit? You have to
stop racing and you have to say I'm living, but
I'm also on my way to dying. So we like
to ignore that second part, don't we.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
I do.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
So I've been very lucky. I think you know I
love Kelly Kelly. If you're listening, I love you from
the bottom of my heart. Anyway possible, I always will,
I always have, and I do right now.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Discover safe money strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team
called Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred one eighty
one or visit Kelly Financial dot org.
Speaker 8 (26:52):
All opinions expressed by the host guests for employees of
Kelly Financial Services are solely their own and do not
reflect the opinions of Kelly Financial Services. Information has been
obtained from sources deemed to be reliable, but their accuracy
and completeness cannot be guaranteed.
Speaker 7 (27:03):
The information provided is general in nature and is not
intended to be specific investment, tax, or legal advice. It
is always advisable to consult a professional before making a
financial decision.