Podcast Episode 369: The Financial Planning Olympics

It’s a gold medal edition of the podcast this week as we take a unique approach to financial planning by drawing parallels with the Summer Olympics. Nicholas J. Colantuono, CFP® joins the show to share insights that can help you navigate your financial journey with the precision and skill of an Olympic athlete.

‘First up is the Inflation Marathon. Just like a marathon, financial planning is a long-term endeavor. You need to structuring your income and planning to keep pace with ever-increasing expenses, especially during retirement. With inflation constantly eroding purchasing power, it’s crucial to have a robust plan that ensures your lifestyle remains comfortable throughout your retirement years.

Next, we tackle the Recession Hurdles. Life is full of unexpected financial challenges, much like hurdles in a race. Always have a plan in place for financial emergencies, whether they are caused by a recession or other unforeseen events.

We then move on to the Hidden Fee Toss. Many investors are unaware of the hidden fees embedded in their financial products. Peeling back the layers of these fees can significantly impact your returns. Using specialized software, Johnson Brunetti helps clients uncover and eliminate these hidden costs, ensuring they keep more of what they earn.

The Portfolio Balance Beam is another critical component of financial planning. Striking the right balance in your investment portfolio is essential, especially in uncertain times. With potential red flags on the horizon, such as geopolitical tensions and upcoming elections, maintaining a balanced portfolio can help mitigate risks and provide a smoother financial journey.

Finally, we explore Synchronized Planning. Just as synchronized swimmers move in perfect harmony, your financial plans should work together seamlessly. The goal is to make sure your income plan, investment plan, tax plan, and estate plan are all aligned. This holistic approach helps ensure that all aspects of your financial life are coordinated and working towards your overall goals.

All of these athletes have a tremendous support team to help them along their journey and each of us is better off with a team to help us navigate our finances. Hopefully, this will give you a different perspective on the Olympics as you watch it this summer.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

• Why a plan has to be built to last for decades rather than years and how you can account for inflation.

• Planning for financial emergencies.

• Ways to identify the hidden fees in your portfolio.

• The foundational elements to building a successful plan.