Smart Money With Sam

Most retirees under-spend. Here's where it hurts.

After decades of saving, a lot of retirees arrive at retirement and still can't bring themselves to use what they built. It shows up in three places more than anywhere else.

First, there are trips and experiences that require physical ability. That window closes gradually through your seventies, and most people don't notice until it already has.

Second, there is help at home. Tasks that can be hired out often aren't, because spending money on something you used to do yourself feels wasteful. But retirement time is finite, and the tradeoff is worth a hard look.

Third, there is being the gathering place for the family. Hosting, bringing grandchildren to you, covering family dinners. The years when this is possible and meaningful are limited. Many adult children are financially stretched in ways they don't always say out loud. Stepping into that role is one of the most impactful things retirement savings can fund.

Thirty years of building got you here. Follow for more on how to actually use it well.

All content presented is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to sell securities or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. All examples are hypothetical, for illustrative purposes only, and are merely arithmetic calculations. They are not representative of the performance of any type of investment, security, or strategy offered by the firm. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Hypothetical returns do not reflect actual trading and may not be indicative of the performance of any specific investment. They are based on assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or applicable to your individual situation. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Foundation Wealth Partners is a financial advisor serving Gen X and older Millennials.

The 4% rule might be misleading you in retirement.

Most people hear "4% rule" and treat it as a safe spending number they can rely on every single year. But the actual research behind it was far more specific, and far more conditional, than that interpretation suggests.

It described a probability under historical market conditions for a defined portfolio over a 30-year window. Change any of those variables and the number changes with them.

What tends to work better in practice is a withdrawal approach built on flexibility. You spend a bit less when markets pull back. You may have room to take more when conditions are favorable. And you revisit the plan on a regular basis to make sure the numbers still make sense given where things actually stand.

The 4% rule is a starting point for a more important conversation, not a substitute for one.

Save this for the next time someone tells you it is either perfectly reliable or completely obsolete.

All content presented is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to sell securities or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. All examples are hypothetical, for illustrative purposes only, and are merely arithmetic calculations. They are not representative of the performance of any type of investment, security, or strategy offered by the firm. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Hypothetical returns do not reflect actual trading and may not be indicative of the performance of any specific investment. They are based on assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or applicable to your individual situation. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Foundation Wealth Partners is a financial advisor serving Gen X and older Millennials.

The numbers say you're ready. Your gut says otherwise.

For people who have spent decades building wealth through discipline and consistency, retirement presents an unexpected challenge that has nothing to do with the size of your portfolio.

The habits that made you a successful saver don't switch off the moment you retire. Drawing down accounts you spent thirty or forty years filling can feel deeply uncomfortable, even when every financial projection says you're in a strong position.

That tension is more common than most people expect, and it's rarely talked about in traditional retirement planning conversations.

The people who make this transition smoothly aren't just better funded. They approach the behavioral side of retirement with the same intention they brought to the accumulation phase.

Watch to find out what that shift involves, and why knowing about it early makes all the difference.

All content presented is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to sell securities or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. All examples are hypothetical, for illustrative purposes only, and are merely arithmetic calculations. They are not representative of the performance of any type of investment, security, or strategy offered by the firm. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Hypothetical returns do not reflect actual trading and may not be indicative of the performance of any specific investment. They are based on assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or applicable to your individual situation. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Foundation Wealth Partners is a financial advisor serving Gen X and older Millennials building toward a confident retirement.

Your advisor's real value isn't the plan. It's what comes after.
https://linktr.ee/smartmoneysam
Early in a client relationship, the work is concrete: pulling accounts together, building the strategy, mapping out the income picture.

But a few years in, something changes.

The plan is working. The portfolio is performing the way it was designed to. The numbers still make sense.

So why do clients keep scheduling check-ins?

It's rarely to ask what to do next. More often, it's to ask one quieter question: are we still okay?

People who spent a lifetime building wealth don't automatically feel at ease spending it, even when every data point says they can. That shift in mindset doesn't come from a financial model. It comes from a trusted relationship built over time.

If your advisor is most present when markets are turbulent and hard to reach when things are calm, it may be worth asking whether the relationship has evolved with your financial life.

If you want a long-term financial advisor relationship and not just a one-time plan, schedule a complimentary call through the link in my bio.

All content presented is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to sell securities or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. All examples are hypothetical, for illustrative purposes only, and are merely arithmetic calculations. They are not representative of the performance of any type of investment, security, or strategy offered by the firm. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Hypothetical returns do not reflect actual trading and may not be indicative of the performance of any specific investment. They are based on assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or applicable to your individual situation. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Foundation Wealth Partners is a financial advisor serving Gen X and older Millennials.

Wanting growth in retirement? You might need something else.

When someone says they want their money to grow, it could mean one of two very different things.

Some people are genuinely behind and need their portfolio to work harder before they retire. Growth is the right goal for them.

But for others, the nest egg is already there. The returns are reasonable. And yet, they still can't bring themselves to spend it. For this group, chasing a higher return isn't going to solve anything.

What they're really looking for is clarity and confidence, a plan that lays out what they've built and what they can actually enjoy without second-guessing every dollar.

We were all taught to save. Very few of us were ever taught how to eventually spend. And that transition, from a lifetime of accumulating to actually using what you've built, is often the most difficult part of retirement. Not because the numbers are wrong, but because the mindset hasn't caught up yet.

Hit follow for more on the psychology of retirement money.

All content presented is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to sell securities or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. All examples are hypothetical, for illustrative purposes only, and are merely arithmetic calculations. They are not representative of the performance of any type of investment, security, or strategy offered by the firm. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Hypothetical returns do not reflect actual trading and may not be indicative of the performance of any specific investment. They are based on assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or applicable to your individual situation. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.