September 6, 2025 • 27 mins
This week on Safe Money Strategies, Kelly Kelly and her son William explore how simple brain-boosting habits can strengthen both your outlook and your future. From small daily choices to long-term planning, the conversation sets the tone for a show that’s about more than numbers - it’s about living with clarity and purpose. The Kelly Financial Services team of fiduciary advisors then turns to timely financial concerns: how to turn confusion into confidence, protect emergency cash, and create reliable streams of retirement income. They also take on the fears many families share about money, offering practical steps for reducing anxiety and replacing uncertainty with peace of mind. For more than 22 years, Kelly Financial has guided New England families through retirement with trusted strategies and a personal touch. This week’s program blends family conversation with professional insight, reminding listeners that protecting the life you’ve built means preparing wisely for tomorrow while cherishing the people you love today.
Make Safe Money Strategies part of your Saturday night tradition. Have questions or want to schedule a complimentary consultation? Call 888-800-1881 or email kelly@kellyfinancial.org
Make Safe Money Strategies part of your Saturday night tradition. Have questions or want to schedule a complimentary consultation? Call 888-800-1881 or email kelly@kellyfinancial.org
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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 Kelly Financial dot org.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hello.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
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.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
How are you doing tonight, Hi, Greg, I'm doing great.
Thanks for asking. I am proud to say I am
now a mother to a little puppy named Mally. We've
had our first week together and it's just it's gone great.
She's such a sweetheart and has such a bubbly, fun
loving personality.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
She is adorable and I'm happy that I got to
meet her on Thursday. Office dogs are seriously the best.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
They should be a requirement in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Tonight we're diving into something that everybody has, and not
everyone likes to talk about their financial fears.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I don't think I've ever met someone who doesn't have
at least one money worry. It might be a retirement,
it might be the stock market, or even just the
idea of debt piling up.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Let's start with the biggest one. We hear all the time,
will I run out of money in retirement? That fear
keeps a lot of people up at night, and honestly,
with folks living longer and health care costs going up,
it's not unreasonable exactly.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Retirement these days can last twenty five or even thirty years.
That's a long time to stretch your savings, and it's
natural to wonder if it's enough. The fear is real,
but it's also manageable with the right plan. Another common
one is fear of the stock market.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
We've had clients tell us Greg, I don't want to
retire and watch my portfolio tank the very next year.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
And I get that.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
We've all seen those headlines, right.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
And Debt is another fear that weighs heavily. Whether it's
credit cards, student loans, or even a mortgage. People worry
that they'll never dig themselves out, and that can feel overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
But here's the thing. Fear itself isn't always bad. It's
like your financial smoke alarm. It's there to alert you
that something needs attention.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I love that analogy. The trouble comes when the alarm
is going off constantly. That's when people feel paralyzed. And
don't take action. That's where planning comes in. It quiets
the alarm because you've got a clear path forward.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So let's talk solutions for the retirement fear running out
of money. What we should do is build income for
life projections. That essentially is a roadmap showing you how
much income you can expect year after year, adjusted for inflation.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
And when people actually see those numbers in black and white,
the fear usually softens. They realize that they might be
in better shape than they thought. And if there's a gap,
well then you know what adjustments you need to make
now before it's too late.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
On the stock market side, the best antidote for fear
is diversification. If all your eggs are in one basket,
of course you're nervous. But if you've got a mix
of stocks, bonds, and maybe some guaranteed income products, suddenly
you're not watching CNBC every night in panic mode.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
And debt fears, that comes down to strategy, snowball versus avalanche,
payoff methods, refinancing options, even just automating your payments. It's
amazing how small consistent steps can chip away at what
feels like a mountain.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
You know, I think about that client we saw a
few years ago was losing sleep over whether she could
afford to keep traveling in retirement. She was picturing herself
stuck at home clipping coupons forever.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Oh yes, I remember her too, And once we ran
her numbers, she realized she could not only afford travel,
but she also had enough cushion to take her grandkids
to Disney every couple of years. That fear turned into excitement.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
That's the perfect example. Knowledge replaces fear with confidence. Absolutely,
And I'll say this to our listeners. If you've got
financial fears, whether it's retirement, markets, debt, or just that
little nagging voice that says, am I doing enough? Know
that you're not alone. And more importantly, don't let fear
paralyze you. Work with a professional, put a plan in place,
(03:47):
and give yourself permission to sleep better at night.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
That's exactly what we do every day at Kelly Financial
Help Families replace financial fear with financial freedom.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Nicely said. And on that note, that wraps it up
for tonight. Enjoy the rest of your weekend with Melly.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Thank you, Greg, I will and I'll see you next week.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Safe Money Strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team called
Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred and twenty and one,
or go to Kelly Financial dot org. That's Kelly at
Kelly Financial dot org. Welcome back to safe Money Strategies.
Whether you've been with us since the start of this
evening's program or you're just tuning in, We're.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Glad you're here.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
I'm William Kelly Jr. Alongside my mom and our CEO,
Kelly Kelly. Together we've been talking about ways to protect
your savings and enrich your retirement.
Speaker 6 (04:37):
It's always great to be back with you, William and
with our listeners every Saturday at Kelly Financial. We believe
in two powerful principles, family values and financial knowledge.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Earlier we touched on habits that help retiree stay sharp.
Now we want to look at the real life benefits
of lifelong learning, why it matters, and how it can
transform not only your retirement years, but your health, your relationships,
and even your outlook on life.
Speaker 6 (05:07):
That's right, William. Lifelong learning isn't just about classrooms or textbooks.
It's the ongoing pursuit of knowledge and skills, things that
spark curiosity and bring joy for retirees. This can mean
anything from trying out new recipes to learning photography to
(05:28):
attending a local history lecture. Every new experience keeps the mind.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Active, and it's not about credentials, it's about curiosity. Every
new skill adds another layer of engagement and purpose to
your life.
Speaker 6 (05:44):
Some people return to school, others take certificate courses or
online classes, but informal learning counts to community workshops, faith
based groups, book clubs, or even mentoring the next generation.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
And mentoring is powerful. Teaching reinforces what you know while
giving you the joy of helping someone else grow exactly.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
Learning doesn't just expand your knowledge, It strengthens your social connections.
It gives you a reason to get up, get out,
and be part of something bigger than yourself.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Plus, there are real health benefits. Studies show lifelong learning
improves memory, focus, and creativity. It helps keep your mind adaptable,
something that matters as the world changes around us.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
And it goes even deeper than that. Research shows that
when you challenge your brain with new learning, you actually
build what's called cognitive reserve. That's a buffer that helps
protect against memory loss and conditions like Alzheimer's. The brain
works like a muscle. The more you use it, the
(06:57):
stronger and more resilient it becomes.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
That's powerful. Just like exercising your body, you have to
exercise your mind, and when you do, you're protecting not
just your knowledge, but your independence and your confidence in
daily life.
Speaker 6 (07:14):
Absolutely, many retirees tell us that setting small learning goals
prevents boredom and brings rhythm back into their weeks. And
when you stay mentally engaged, you often remain physically independent
longer too.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
Lifelong learning is really an investment in well being, just
like financial planning, except this time you're investing in your mind,
in your spirit.
Speaker 6 (07:41):
And those two go hand in hand. A strong financial
foundation gives you the freedom to explore, to travel, to
take classes, or just to pick up a new hobby
without worry.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
We can't forget the emotional benefits either. Lifelong learning combats
isolation and creates community.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
Right, and when you join a group, attend a class,
or even learn something new with a friend, you create
bonds that keep loneliness at bay and strengthen your sense
of belonging.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
That sense of belonging is crucial. Retirement is a big
life transition, and without something meaningful, to step into. It's
easy to feel a drift, but learning provides identity. You're
not just retired. You're a student, a mentor a creator exactly.
Speaker 6 (08:30):
And when your identity is strong, your emotional health benefits,
and that in turn supports your physical and mental health.
Is all connected, you.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Know, Mom, I think about Dad here too.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
Yes, William, your dad was such an example of lifelong learning.
He was endlessly curious. You never know what he'd get
focused on next. It might be sparked by a conversation
with a client, something he read, or even just an
idea that popped into his head, and once it caught
his attention, he would dive in. He'd do the research,
(09:07):
turn it over in his mind, and before long he
was weaving that knowledge into daily life. His mind was
always moving, always searching, and I think that curiosity kept
him sharp, kept him young.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
I remember that, and it's such a good reminder for
all of us. You don't have to be in a
classroom to keep being a lifelong learner. You just need
a willingness to keep asking questions and exploring.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
That's right, and that mindset is something anyone can adopt
at any age.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
Of course, balance is key Lifelong learning is most powerful
when it's part of a bigger picture, alongside exercise, good nutrition, rest,
social tize and mindfulness.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
Exactly, if you only focus on study and neglect your body,
you'll feel it. And if you're always busy socially but
don't give yourself quiet time, you'll feel that too. Balance
makes learning joyful and sustainable.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
At the end of the day, lifelong learning deserves a
spot at the center of retirement planning. A good plan
doesn't just cover expenses, it creates space for enrichment.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
That's why it Kelly Financial. Our advisors look beyond the
numbers will help you think about how your retirement budget
can support not just your basic needs, but your goals
for learning, travel, hobbies, and new experiences.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
If you're serious about weaving lifelong learning into your retirement,
you'll want tools that support both your mind and your money.
Speaker 6 (10:45):
That's why we're offering our free investor guide Six Secrets
to a Happy Retirement. It includes strategies that go beyond finances,
ways to stay curious, engaged, and fulfilled in this stage
of live.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
To get your copy and schedule complimentary consultation with a
Kelly Financial advisor, call eighty eight eight hundred one eight
eight one. You can also email us at Kelly at
Kelly Financial dot org.
Speaker 6 (11:13):
Retirement is more than a financial destination, is a new
chapter for growth, purpose and discovery, and.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
That's what lifelong learning is all about.
Speaker 6 (11:24):
Well, Paul's here, but don't go anywhere. Stay tuned. More
great voices and insights are coming up on safe money strategies.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
You're listening to Safe Money Strategies heard right here on
WBZ News Radio every Saturday evening and streaming anytime on
the iheartapp. We'll be back with more after this.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Safe Money Strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team. Call
Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred twenty one or
go to Kelly Financial dot org. That's Kelly at Kelly Financial.
Speaker 7 (12:06):
We're back Mike Ducett, chief operating Officer at Kelly Financial Services,
and I'm joined by Greg Workman, one of the trusted
financial advisors on our staff. Greg, coming into the break,
we introduced a unique conservative investment solution that targets a
baseline yield of five to seven percent, designed to keep
your money working without sacrificing too much safety. That type
(12:30):
of solution is music to the airs. Of conservative minded
investors that want to maximize yield on their cash stash
in the face of highly probable na term FED cuts,
which is sure to make CDs and high yield savings
accounts less attractive. Greg, what does the investment look like,
(12:50):
what makes it unique, and how has it performed this year?
Speaker 8 (12:54):
As with all of our investment allocations, our approach to
portfolio construction arts with a goal, because as you progress
through different phases of life, so should your portfolio.
Speaker 7 (13:07):
Great point, take two investors, each with a twenty year timeline.
One is working instill in accumulation mode, so they're stalking
way money as the paychecks keep coming in, and the
other just stepped into retirement and is beginning to draw
down their portfolio.
Speaker 8 (13:24):
In accumulation mode, you're better off stocking up on equities
or stocks. In distribution mode, the winning investment strategy is
the one that drives steady income.
Speaker 7 (13:36):
Let's use an analogy that drives the point home to
fund cash flow needs in retirement. Would you rather buy
vacant land and sell off parcels until you run out
of land, or would you rather buy an apartment building
and live off regular, steady and predictable rent checks.
Speaker 8 (13:54):
An investment portfolio that drives income through regular dividend distribution
is the equivalent of owning the apartment building. In our
income offering, most all of the dividends are paid on
a monthly basis.
Speaker 7 (14:09):
The term mailbox money is often used to describe dividends
because they represent a passive income stream for investors, much
like receiving a regular check in the mail. Markets go
up and markets go down, but those dividend dollars keep
rolling in no matter what direction the market travels. Greg
shed some light on our income solution.
Speaker 8 (14:30):
First off, Kelly Financial is a fiduciary. Why is that
important to our clients? Because we're not tied or obligated
to work with any single vendor or group of vendors
due to proprietary relationships. In fact, we have many relationships
with large institutional partners, some of which are household names
(14:53):
and some are specialists and smaller boutique firms. We leverage
those relationships to structure investments portfolios that maximize returns for
our clients.
Speaker 7 (15:04):
The current iteration of our income portfolio contains a diversified
mix of seventeen to eighteen exchange traded funds or ETFs
that are selected not only for the overall quality, but
for the unique ability to drive above average dividend yields.
Speaker 8 (15:18):
In ETF, or exchange traded fund, is a basket of
investments like stocks or bonds that trades on the stock exchange.
When those underlying investments pay income or dividends, the ETF
collects it and passes it on to investors as dividend distributions.
Suppose you own one hundred shares of a popular ETF
(15:41):
like n S and P five hundred index. The ETF
collects dividends from companies like Apple, Coca Cola, and Johnson
and Johnson. At the end of the quarter, the ETF
pays you fifty cents per share. You receive fifty dollars
in dividends. Pretty easy, pretty straightforward, which our clients appreciate.
Speaker 7 (16:01):
We've had very positive feedback from our clients. They love
the fact that not only is the income strategy predictable,
but it is conservative in nature. For example, this year,
when the SMP five hundred was down nineteen percent from
its high, our conservative income portfolio is down approximately just
two percent.
Speaker 8 (16:19):
Markets are volatile. We know they go up and they
go down. In fact, ten percent drops are common. They
happen more often than they don't. Since nineteen eighty, the
S and P five hundred has averaged an intra year
drop of fourteen percent each year. According to a study
by JP.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
Morgan and that volatility can be the enemy of regular
withdrawals in our industry. It has a name dollar cost ravaging,
which refers to what happens when lower yielding assets may
require selling principle when the market moves against you.
Speaker 8 (16:53):
That is an excellent point, Mike, to revisit the vacant
land versus the apartment example you offered earlier. Imagine having
to sell off vacant land when the real estate market
is down and no one wants to buy it. That
could be a losing formula unless the market rebounds in
your favor and quickly markets go down. It's a fact.
(17:14):
If you're relying on your nest egg for monthly income
and your allocation is a traditional, conservative, moderate, or growth
oriented mix of investments, then pulling out funds when the
market is down can feel like your money is taking
five steps back to take one step forward. That in
itself can be unsettling, to say the least.
Speaker 7 (17:34):
Most of us have worked hard to save a nest
egg for a reason. In the absence of a good
sized pension payment to complement Social Security, most of us
fund the gap with regular distributions from that IRA four
oh one K or four or three B account. If
you have the same stale allocation in place, the timing
of stock market volatility can be a significant factor impacting
(17:57):
the success of your retirement distribution strategy.
Speaker 8 (18:00):
At its most extreme, significant could mean the difference between
running out of money and retirement or having a meaningful
legacy for your children and grandchildren.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
Our portfolio target's a regular dividend of five to six
percent and a total return of six to eight percent
year in and year out. In the best part, we're
doing it with minimal ups and downs along the way,
which allows our clients to sleep well at night knowing
they're taking a small fraction of the risk of the
overall SMP five hundred.
Speaker 8 (18:30):
A distribution strategy in retirement is just as important as
the saving strategy you followed while you were working. Saving
is about building the nest egg. Retirement is about turning
that nest egg into a steady paycheck.
Speaker 7 (18:44):
It's what we do every day at Kelly Financial our
clients know where their retirement paychecks come from, and that
is peace of mind.
Speaker 8 (18:51):
This confidence allows them to focus on enjoying retirement instead
of worrying about money.
Speaker 7 (18:57):
If you'd like to learn more, give us a call
at eighty eight eight eight hundred eighteen eighty one or
visit us online at Kelly Financial dot org. We'd love
to hear your questions and help you find the confidence
you deserve. Thank you for joining us on this week's
installment of safe money Strategies.
Speaker 8 (19:12):
With that I'm Mike Ducett and I'm Greg Workman.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Be sure to join us next week for more safe
money strategies.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Discover safe money strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team.
Call Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred one eighty
one or visit Kellyfinancial dot org.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
Each week, we like to close our show with the
wit and wisdom of Bill Kelly. Today, Bill takes us
back to his childhood when Thursday nights meant grocery trips,
chicken money, and long talks with his grandfather Tim Murphy.
You'll hear about the lessons learned at the family dinner table,
(19:56):
the laughter of old television shows, and the values passed
down through stories, songs, and even tap dancing in the
living room. It's a heartfelt reminder of family, of tradition
and the bonds that keep us young. Here's Bill Kelly.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Now, as time went on, I got older, sorry to
have a paper route, I caddied, I washed dishes, I
cooked in a restaurant on Saturdays at a golf course.
And as I got older, so did my grandfather. It
was a fact that I wouldn't say depressed me, but
I knew, you know, my grandfather was much older than
(20:38):
my parents, and I knew that, you know, he was
sixty one years older than me, so naturally that meant
I was going to someday witness his demise. But on
those trips back from the grocery store, when we would
trade in the eggs, my grandfather had a running joke
with me. He would buy the food, fill up the
(20:59):
station wagon. He would put a site of money to
pay the feed bill. He would hand me an envelope
with whatever money was left over, and he would say,
give this to your mother, who was naturally driving the
Chevy station wagon. And I used to feel very proud,
as if he and I had made this money by
(21:21):
raising these chickens, and I could, in fact hand my
mother the fruits of our labor, so she could run
the house, and that was fun. And we would stop
at Industrial National Bank, which was laid a fleet and
now Bank of America on our way home, and my
grandfather would deposit money into a savings account he had there.
(21:43):
So that was how it went on Thursdays. And as
I grew older and into high school, we would have
less and less time to spend together. I certainly couldn't
help anymore with the chickens. My grandfather approached his ai
and we would sit on Thursday nights watch television. We
(22:04):
would have a great deal of fun doing that. We
loved the old Dean Martin show. There was a show
about a detective called Harry Oh. We used to like
to watch Red Skeleton on Tuesday nights, and it was
pretty good television. But along the way in doing that,
we could talk with each other about pressing problems in
(22:25):
my life and things that were on our minds. So
I was very fortunate to have that wealth of experience
which my grandfather had, and he was happy to relay
onto me the important things in life, and the subject
of nursing homes used to come up quite a bit,
probably once or twice a year, and my grandfather always
(22:49):
said he definitely could never deal with a nursing home.
But we had a very large family twenty two cousins,
so that meant two grandchildren for my grandfather, and that
meant there was always something going on. A christening, a
first communion, a confirmation, birthdays, all kinds of Christmas dinners,
(23:14):
Easter dinners. There's always something happening, and there was always
something to keep our eye on the growth of our family,
the progress that people made, and how proud everyone was
about what they were doing, their work, their schooling. So
it definitely kept my grandfather young in doing this because
(23:35):
having to be involved with so many young people, especially
when the great grandchildren started to come along, that was
pretty exciting. So between the weddings and the christenings and
the birthdays and all of the holidays, it was a
terrific time. Every Saint Patrick's Day, of course, was a
(23:57):
huge holiday in my family life. And we of course
Saturday Sundays with Church Day, Saturday Night was beans and
Frank's Lawrence Welk, so our lives were pretty much planned.
But I think the fact that my grandfather did much
of the cooking, a lot of the laundry, and much
(24:17):
of the mentoring in our family kept him very young,
even though it was chaotic. I'm sure I cannot imagine
ten people sitting down at a dinner table at night,
but they say after the first six it doesn't really matter.
To make a dinner for ten people every day of
the week, and on Sundays, my mom used to always
(24:37):
invite one of my aunts or uncles, so we had
a huge dinner table in our house. I still have
the head chair where my grandfather sat. It's a beautiful
mahogany chair. You can see it in my office when
you come in to visit with me. And I have
that chair where he used to sit with me. It
(24:58):
was in front of a picture window looking over about
fifteen acres of the farm with a road or a
lane that led down to the main road. And my grandfather,
Tim Murphy would sit in that chair with me for
hour upon hour upon hour. He would tell me poems,
he would sing me songs, he would tell me stories.
(25:20):
Sometimes he'd sit me in this chair. He'd get up
and tap dance and sing some of the old vaudeville songs,
and it was fun. The poems were the Village Smitty
and you know, the Village Blacksmith and those types of poems.
He could do patriotic songs, he could sing George M.
Cohen songs, and he knew a lot of things about life.
(25:43):
But he was sure of one thing, and that one
thing he was sure about was he didn't want to
be confined to a nursing home. Ever. He was a
big man, about six foot to two hundred and twenty
pounds and the strongest human being I've ever known. And
my son, William has a lot of characteristics of my
(26:06):
grandfather Murphy. They're very similar in their attitudes about a
lot of things in they're both. My son's going to
be a very big man too, his chest as huge
as hands and feet. Everyone remarks about how big they are.
So we were very close and the things that we
did together were both fun and enriching, and it was
(26:28):
a great way to grow up for a young child.
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. All opinions expressed
(26:53):
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 source
is deemed to be reliable, but their accuracy and completeness
cannot be guaranteed. 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.
Discover safe money strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team.
Called Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred one to
eighty one, or visit Kelly Financial dot org.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hello.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
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.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
How are you doing tonight, Hi, Greg, I'm doing great.
Thanks for asking. I am proud to say I am
now a mother to a little puppy named Mally. We've
had our first week together and it's just it's gone great.
She's such a sweetheart and has such a bubbly, fun
loving personality.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
She is adorable and I'm happy that I got to
meet her on Thursday. Office dogs are seriously the best.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
They should be a requirement in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Tonight we're diving into something that everybody has, and not
everyone likes to talk about their financial fears.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I don't think I've ever met someone who doesn't have
at least one money worry. It might be a retirement,
it might be the stock market, or even just the
idea of debt piling up.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Let's start with the biggest one. We hear all the time,
will I run out of money in retirement? That fear
keeps a lot of people up at night, and honestly,
with folks living longer and health care costs going up,
it's not unreasonable exactly.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Retirement these days can last twenty five or even thirty years.
That's a long time to stretch your savings, and it's
natural to wonder if it's enough. The fear is real,
but it's also manageable with the right plan. Another common
one is fear of the stock market.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
We've had clients tell us Greg, I don't want to
retire and watch my portfolio tank the very next year.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
And I get that.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
We've all seen those headlines, right.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
And Debt is another fear that weighs heavily. Whether it's
credit cards, student loans, or even a mortgage. People worry
that they'll never dig themselves out, and that can feel overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
But here's the thing. Fear itself isn't always bad. It's
like your financial smoke alarm. It's there to alert you
that something needs attention.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I love that analogy. The trouble comes when the alarm
is going off constantly. That's when people feel paralyzed. And
don't take action. That's where planning comes in. It quiets
the alarm because you've got a clear path forward.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So let's talk solutions for the retirement fear running out
of money. What we should do is build income for
life projections. That essentially is a roadmap showing you how
much income you can expect year after year, adjusted for inflation.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
And when people actually see those numbers in black and white,
the fear usually softens. They realize that they might be
in better shape than they thought. And if there's a gap,
well then you know what adjustments you need to make
now before it's too late.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
On the stock market side, the best antidote for fear
is diversification. If all your eggs are in one basket,
of course you're nervous. But if you've got a mix
of stocks, bonds, and maybe some guaranteed income products, suddenly
you're not watching CNBC every night in panic mode.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
And debt fears, that comes down to strategy, snowball versus avalanche,
payoff methods, refinancing options, even just automating your payments. It's
amazing how small consistent steps can chip away at what
feels like a mountain.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
You know, I think about that client we saw a
few years ago was losing sleep over whether she could
afford to keep traveling in retirement. She was picturing herself
stuck at home clipping coupons forever.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Oh yes, I remember her too, And once we ran
her numbers, she realized she could not only afford travel,
but she also had enough cushion to take her grandkids
to Disney every couple of years. That fear turned into excitement.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
That's the perfect example. Knowledge replaces fear with confidence. Absolutely,
And I'll say this to our listeners. If you've got
financial fears, whether it's retirement, markets, debt, or just that
little nagging voice that says, am I doing enough? Know
that you're not alone. And more importantly, don't let fear
paralyze you. Work with a professional, put a plan in place,
(03:47):
and give yourself permission to sleep better at night.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
That's exactly what we do every day at Kelly Financial
Help Families replace financial fear with financial freedom.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Nicely said. And on that note, that wraps it up
for tonight. Enjoy the rest of your weekend with Melly.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Thank you, Greg, I will and I'll see you next week.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Safe Money Strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team called
Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred and twenty and one,
or go to Kelly Financial dot org. That's Kelly at
Kelly Financial dot org. Welcome back to safe Money Strategies.
Whether you've been with us since the start of this
evening's program or you're just tuning in, We're.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Glad you're here.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
I'm William Kelly Jr. Alongside my mom and our CEO,
Kelly Kelly. Together we've been talking about ways to protect
your savings and enrich your retirement.
Speaker 6 (04:37):
It's always great to be back with you, William and
with our listeners every Saturday at Kelly Financial. We believe
in two powerful principles, family values and financial knowledge.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Earlier we touched on habits that help retiree stay sharp.
Now we want to look at the real life benefits
of lifelong learning, why it matters, and how it can
transform not only your retirement years, but your health, your relationships,
and even your outlook on life.
Speaker 6 (05:07):
That's right, William. Lifelong learning isn't just about classrooms or textbooks.
It's the ongoing pursuit of knowledge and skills, things that
spark curiosity and bring joy for retirees. This can mean
anything from trying out new recipes to learning photography to
(05:28):
attending a local history lecture. Every new experience keeps the mind.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Active, and it's not about credentials, it's about curiosity. Every
new skill adds another layer of engagement and purpose to
your life.
Speaker 6 (05:44):
Some people return to school, others take certificate courses or
online classes, but informal learning counts to community workshops, faith
based groups, book clubs, or even mentoring the next generation.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
And mentoring is powerful. Teaching reinforces what you know while
giving you the joy of helping someone else grow exactly.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
Learning doesn't just expand your knowledge, It strengthens your social connections.
It gives you a reason to get up, get out,
and be part of something bigger than yourself.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Plus, there are real health benefits. Studies show lifelong learning
improves memory, focus, and creativity. It helps keep your mind adaptable,
something that matters as the world changes around us.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
And it goes even deeper than that. Research shows that
when you challenge your brain with new learning, you actually
build what's called cognitive reserve. That's a buffer that helps
protect against memory loss and conditions like Alzheimer's. The brain
works like a muscle. The more you use it, the
(06:57):
stronger and more resilient it becomes.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
That's powerful. Just like exercising your body, you have to
exercise your mind, and when you do, you're protecting not
just your knowledge, but your independence and your confidence in
daily life.
Speaker 6 (07:14):
Absolutely, many retirees tell us that setting small learning goals
prevents boredom and brings rhythm back into their weeks. And
when you stay mentally engaged, you often remain physically independent
longer too.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
Lifelong learning is really an investment in well being, just
like financial planning, except this time you're investing in your mind,
in your spirit.
Speaker 6 (07:41):
And those two go hand in hand. A strong financial
foundation gives you the freedom to explore, to travel, to
take classes, or just to pick up a new hobby
without worry.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
We can't forget the emotional benefits either. Lifelong learning combats
isolation and creates community.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
Right, and when you join a group, attend a class,
or even learn something new with a friend, you create
bonds that keep loneliness at bay and strengthen your sense
of belonging.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
That sense of belonging is crucial. Retirement is a big
life transition, and without something meaningful, to step into. It's
easy to feel a drift, but learning provides identity. You're
not just retired. You're a student, a mentor a creator exactly.
Speaker 6 (08:30):
And when your identity is strong, your emotional health benefits,
and that in turn supports your physical and mental health.
Is all connected, you.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Know, Mom, I think about Dad here too.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
Yes, William, your dad was such an example of lifelong learning.
He was endlessly curious. You never know what he'd get
focused on next. It might be sparked by a conversation
with a client, something he read, or even just an
idea that popped into his head, and once it caught
his attention, he would dive in. He'd do the research,
(09:07):
turn it over in his mind, and before long he
was weaving that knowledge into daily life. His mind was
always moving, always searching, and I think that curiosity kept
him sharp, kept him young.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
I remember that, and it's such a good reminder for
all of us. You don't have to be in a
classroom to keep being a lifelong learner. You just need
a willingness to keep asking questions and exploring.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
That's right, and that mindset is something anyone can adopt
at any age.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
Of course, balance is key Lifelong learning is most powerful
when it's part of a bigger picture, alongside exercise, good nutrition, rest,
social tize and mindfulness.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
Exactly, if you only focus on study and neglect your body,
you'll feel it. And if you're always busy socially but
don't give yourself quiet time, you'll feel that too. Balance
makes learning joyful and sustainable.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
At the end of the day, lifelong learning deserves a
spot at the center of retirement planning. A good plan
doesn't just cover expenses, it creates space for enrichment.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
That's why it Kelly Financial. Our advisors look beyond the
numbers will help you think about how your retirement budget
can support not just your basic needs, but your goals
for learning, travel, hobbies, and new experiences.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
If you're serious about weaving lifelong learning into your retirement,
you'll want tools that support both your mind and your money.
Speaker 6 (10:45):
That's why we're offering our free investor guide Six Secrets
to a Happy Retirement. It includes strategies that go beyond finances,
ways to stay curious, engaged, and fulfilled in this stage
of live.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
To get your copy and schedule complimentary consultation with a
Kelly Financial advisor, call eighty eight eight hundred one eight
eight one. You can also email us at Kelly at
Kelly Financial dot org.
Speaker 6 (11:13):
Retirement is more than a financial destination, is a new
chapter for growth, purpose and discovery, and.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
That's what lifelong learning is all about.
Speaker 6 (11:24):
Well, Paul's here, but don't go anywhere. Stay tuned. More
great voices and insights are coming up on safe money strategies.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
You're listening to Safe Money Strategies heard right here on
WBZ News Radio every Saturday evening and streaming anytime on
the iheartapp. We'll be back with more after this.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Safe Money Strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team. Call
Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred twenty one or
go to Kelly Financial dot org. That's Kelly at Kelly Financial.
Speaker 7 (12:06):
We're back Mike Ducett, chief operating Officer at Kelly Financial Services,
and I'm joined by Greg Workman, one of the trusted
financial advisors on our staff. Greg, coming into the break,
we introduced a unique conservative investment solution that targets a
baseline yield of five to seven percent, designed to keep
your money working without sacrificing too much safety. That type
(12:30):
of solution is music to the airs. Of conservative minded
investors that want to maximize yield on their cash stash
in the face of highly probable na term FED cuts,
which is sure to make CDs and high yield savings
accounts less attractive. Greg, what does the investment look like,
(12:50):
what makes it unique, and how has it performed this year?
Speaker 8 (12:54):
As with all of our investment allocations, our approach to
portfolio construction arts with a goal, because as you progress
through different phases of life, so should your portfolio.
Speaker 7 (13:07):
Great point, take two investors, each with a twenty year timeline.
One is working instill in accumulation mode, so they're stalking
way money as the paychecks keep coming in, and the
other just stepped into retirement and is beginning to draw
down their portfolio.
Speaker 8 (13:24):
In accumulation mode, you're better off stocking up on equities
or stocks. In distribution mode, the winning investment strategy is
the one that drives steady income.
Speaker 7 (13:36):
Let's use an analogy that drives the point home to
fund cash flow needs in retirement. Would you rather buy
vacant land and sell off parcels until you run out
of land, or would you rather buy an apartment building
and live off regular, steady and predictable rent checks.
Speaker 8 (13:54):
An investment portfolio that drives income through regular dividend distribution
is the equivalent of owning the apartment building. In our
income offering, most all of the dividends are paid on
a monthly basis.
Speaker 7 (14:09):
The term mailbox money is often used to describe dividends
because they represent a passive income stream for investors, much
like receiving a regular check in the mail. Markets go
up and markets go down, but those dividend dollars keep
rolling in no matter what direction the market travels. Greg
shed some light on our income solution.
Speaker 8 (14:30):
First off, Kelly Financial is a fiduciary. Why is that
important to our clients? Because we're not tied or obligated
to work with any single vendor or group of vendors
due to proprietary relationships. In fact, we have many relationships
with large institutional partners, some of which are household names
(14:53):
and some are specialists and smaller boutique firms. We leverage
those relationships to structure investments portfolios that maximize returns for
our clients.
Speaker 7 (15:04):
The current iteration of our income portfolio contains a diversified
mix of seventeen to eighteen exchange traded funds or ETFs
that are selected not only for the overall quality, but
for the unique ability to drive above average dividend yields.
Speaker 8 (15:18):
In ETF, or exchange traded fund, is a basket of
investments like stocks or bonds that trades on the stock exchange.
When those underlying investments pay income or dividends, the ETF
collects it and passes it on to investors as dividend distributions.
Suppose you own one hundred shares of a popular ETF
(15:41):
like n S and P five hundred index. The ETF
collects dividends from companies like Apple, Coca Cola, and Johnson
and Johnson. At the end of the quarter, the ETF
pays you fifty cents per share. You receive fifty dollars
in dividends. Pretty easy, pretty straightforward, which our clients appreciate.
Speaker 7 (16:01):
We've had very positive feedback from our clients. They love
the fact that not only is the income strategy predictable,
but it is conservative in nature. For example, this year,
when the SMP five hundred was down nineteen percent from
its high, our conservative income portfolio is down approximately just
two percent.
Speaker 8 (16:19):
Markets are volatile. We know they go up and they
go down. In fact, ten percent drops are common. They
happen more often than they don't. Since nineteen eighty, the
S and P five hundred has averaged an intra year
drop of fourteen percent each year. According to a study
by JP.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
Morgan and that volatility can be the enemy of regular
withdrawals in our industry. It has a name dollar cost ravaging,
which refers to what happens when lower yielding assets may
require selling principle when the market moves against you.
Speaker 8 (16:53):
That is an excellent point, Mike, to revisit the vacant
land versus the apartment example you offered earlier. Imagine having
to sell off vacant land when the real estate market
is down and no one wants to buy it. That
could be a losing formula unless the market rebounds in
your favor and quickly markets go down. It's a fact.
(17:14):
If you're relying on your nest egg for monthly income
and your allocation is a traditional, conservative, moderate, or growth
oriented mix of investments, then pulling out funds when the
market is down can feel like your money is taking
five steps back to take one step forward. That in
itself can be unsettling, to say the least.
Speaker 7 (17:34):
Most of us have worked hard to save a nest
egg for a reason. In the absence of a good
sized pension payment to complement Social Security, most of us
fund the gap with regular distributions from that IRA four
oh one K or four or three B account. If
you have the same stale allocation in place, the timing
of stock market volatility can be a significant factor impacting
(17:57):
the success of your retirement distribution strategy.
Speaker 8 (18:00):
At its most extreme, significant could mean the difference between
running out of money and retirement or having a meaningful
legacy for your children and grandchildren.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
Our portfolio target's a regular dividend of five to six
percent and a total return of six to eight percent
year in and year out. In the best part, we're
doing it with minimal ups and downs along the way,
which allows our clients to sleep well at night knowing
they're taking a small fraction of the risk of the
overall SMP five hundred.
Speaker 8 (18:30):
A distribution strategy in retirement is just as important as
the saving strategy you followed while you were working. Saving
is about building the nest egg. Retirement is about turning
that nest egg into a steady paycheck.
Speaker 7 (18:44):
It's what we do every day at Kelly Financial our
clients know where their retirement paychecks come from, and that
is peace of mind.
Speaker 8 (18:51):
This confidence allows them to focus on enjoying retirement instead
of worrying about money.
Speaker 7 (18:57):
If you'd like to learn more, give us a call
at eighty eight eight eight hundred eighteen eighty one or
visit us online at Kelly Financial dot org. We'd love
to hear your questions and help you find the confidence
you deserve. Thank you for joining us on this week's
installment of safe money Strategies.
Speaker 8 (19:12):
With that I'm Mike Ducett and I'm Greg Workman.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Be sure to join us next week for more safe
money strategies.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Discover safe money strategies with Kelly Kelly and her team.
Call Kelly Financial at eighty eight eight hundred one eighty
one or visit Kellyfinancial dot org.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
Each week, we like to close our show with the
wit and wisdom of Bill Kelly. Today, Bill takes us
back to his childhood when Thursday nights meant grocery trips,
chicken money, and long talks with his grandfather Tim Murphy.
You'll hear about the lessons learned at the family dinner table,
(19:56):
the laughter of old television shows, and the values passed
down through stories, songs, and even tap dancing in the
living room. It's a heartfelt reminder of family, of tradition
and the bonds that keep us young. Here's Bill Kelly.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Now, as time went on, I got older, sorry to
have a paper route, I caddied, I washed dishes, I
cooked in a restaurant on Saturdays at a golf course.
And as I got older, so did my grandfather. It
was a fact that I wouldn't say depressed me, but
I knew, you know, my grandfather was much older than
(20:38):
my parents, and I knew that, you know, he was
sixty one years older than me, so naturally that meant
I was going to someday witness his demise. But on
those trips back from the grocery store, when we would
trade in the eggs, my grandfather had a running joke
with me. He would buy the food, fill up the
(20:59):
station wagon. He would put a site of money to
pay the feed bill. He would hand me an envelope
with whatever money was left over, and he would say,
give this to your mother, who was naturally driving the
Chevy station wagon. And I used to feel very proud,
as if he and I had made this money by
(21:21):
raising these chickens, and I could, in fact hand my
mother the fruits of our labor, so she could run
the house, and that was fun. And we would stop
at Industrial National Bank, which was laid a fleet and
now Bank of America on our way home, and my
grandfather would deposit money into a savings account he had there.
(21:43):
So that was how it went on Thursdays. And as
I grew older and into high school, we would have
less and less time to spend together. I certainly couldn't
help anymore with the chickens. My grandfather approached his ai
and we would sit on Thursday nights watch television. We
(22:04):
would have a great deal of fun doing that. We
loved the old Dean Martin show. There was a show
about a detective called Harry Oh. We used to like
to watch Red Skeleton on Tuesday nights, and it was
pretty good television. But along the way in doing that,
we could talk with each other about pressing problems in
(22:25):
my life and things that were on our minds. So
I was very fortunate to have that wealth of experience
which my grandfather had, and he was happy to relay
onto me the important things in life, and the subject
of nursing homes used to come up quite a bit,
probably once or twice a year, and my grandfather always
(22:49):
said he definitely could never deal with a nursing home.
But we had a very large family twenty two cousins,
so that meant two grandchildren for my grandfather, and that
meant there was always something going on. A christening, a
first communion, a confirmation, birthdays, all kinds of Christmas dinners,
(23:14):
Easter dinners. There's always something happening, and there was always
something to keep our eye on the growth of our family,
the progress that people made, and how proud everyone was
about what they were doing, their work, their schooling. So
it definitely kept my grandfather young in doing this because
(23:35):
having to be involved with so many young people, especially
when the great grandchildren started to come along, that was
pretty exciting. So between the weddings and the christenings and
the birthdays and all of the holidays, it was a
terrific time. Every Saint Patrick's Day, of course, was a
(23:57):
huge holiday in my family life. And we of course
Saturday Sundays with Church Day, Saturday Night was beans and
Frank's Lawrence Welk, so our lives were pretty much planned.
But I think the fact that my grandfather did much
of the cooking, a lot of the laundry, and much
(24:17):
of the mentoring in our family kept him very young,
even though it was chaotic. I'm sure I cannot imagine
ten people sitting down at a dinner table at night,
but they say after the first six it doesn't really matter.
To make a dinner for ten people every day of
the week, and on Sundays, my mom used to always
(24:37):
invite one of my aunts or uncles, so we had
a huge dinner table in our house. I still have
the head chair where my grandfather sat. It's a beautiful
mahogany chair. You can see it in my office when
you come in to visit with me. And I have
that chair where he used to sit with me. It
(24:58):
was in front of a picture window looking over about
fifteen acres of the farm with a road or a
lane that led down to the main road. And my grandfather,
Tim Murphy would sit in that chair with me for
hour upon hour upon hour. He would tell me poems,
he would sing me songs, he would tell me stories.
(25:20):
Sometimes he'd sit me in this chair. He'd get up
and tap dance and sing some of the old vaudeville songs,
and it was fun. The poems were the Village Smitty
and you know, the Village Blacksmith and those types of poems.
He could do patriotic songs, he could sing George M.
Cohen songs, and he knew a lot of things about life.
(25:43):
But he was sure of one thing, and that one
thing he was sure about was he didn't want to
be confined to a nursing home. Ever. He was a
big man, about six foot to two hundred and twenty
pounds and the strongest human being I've ever known. And
my son, William has a lot of characteristics of my
(26:06):
grandfather Murphy. They're very similar in their attitudes about a
lot of things in they're both. My son's going to
be a very big man too, his chest as huge
as hands and feet. Everyone remarks about how big they are.
So we were very close and the things that we
did together were both fun and enriching, and it was
(26:28):
a great way to grow up for a young child.
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. All opinions expressed
(26:53):
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 source
is deemed to be reliable, but their accuracy and completeness
cannot be guaranteed. 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.
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