Retiring seems impossible –

especially if you are a late starter to retirement planning.

The struggle is real …

Back in the good old days, companies provided pensions: you knew your retirement date and how much money you’d be getting – for life!  Today we rely on our own retirement investment accounts (and hopefully get a company match.)

There are more questions than answers:

• How do you know if you are on track to retire?
• Will your money last a lifetime?
• Will you ever be able to retire with what you’ve saved?
• Should you pay off debt, invest, or just spend your money thinking you’ll never be able to retire anyway?

 

Traditional advice doesn’t necessarily apply to you if you are a late starter.

An article that suggests you “save $1 a day by making your own coffee” might help someone in their 20’s – but it’s not enough for you. The obvious advice to “capture your company match” makes you scratch your head and sarcastically say, “Hmm.  Why didn’t I think of that?”

If you are over 50 years old and worry you’ll never retire, you need to do more than grind coffee beans to be successful.  Time is not on your side.

 

You need to make smart money moves to shift the retirement preparedness needle.

The good news is that it can be done. You can make the changes you need to retire even if you haven’t saved a dime.

This is where I come in.

 

Hello there!  I am Nancy and I want to welcome you to  Acres of Acorns.

 

 

As a 30-year Certified Financial Planner (TM) Professional and retirement writer for Forbes.com with over 6 million page views, I’ve helped millions of people with ideas and tips on saving and investing for retirement.  Over the years, I’ve been featured in the Wall St. Journal, Barrons, Investor’s Business Daily, Marketwatch, and other publications.

 

I’ve been a frequent guest on ABC News in Northern California and PBS TV. I hosted a podcast called Your Money Minute that was broadcast to over 300,000 employees of Fortune 500 companies.  

 

By day, I work as a financial planner for high net worth clients.  By night, I write for you.

My blog, Acres of Acorns,  provides practical advice and tips specifically for late starters or those whose retirement plan equals “working!”  While I definitely recommend you find and work with an unbiased financial planner for personalized retirement plan advice, you can use my tips, coaching, and encouragement in conjunction with this advice.

 

Why late starters?

 

It started when I helped a friend.  My good friend from church had a financial setback and had to completely start over at age 50. She was scared she’d never retire and resigned herself to working forever.  

I showed her some simple ways to save more, reduce expenses, pay off debt, and bring in extra income. We set her up with a “spending account” to save up for her bucket list items.  She was able to enjoy her life and save for retirement at the same time.

So I wrote a column on Forbes.com with her in mind called  7 Ways To Prepare For Retirement If You Are 50 And Haven’t Started Saving.

To my surprise, the blog went viral!   I realized my friend wasn’t alone. Millions of people in the U.S are worried they will never retire.

 

I decided to write Acres of Acorns – a blog for late starters to retirement planning – people who are:

 

• starting over

• need to catch-up

• have had setbacks or

• are simply worried they will never retire.

Retirement catch up takes strategy and planning, especially for late starters.  At Acres of Acorns, I share ideas and practical tips for people over 50 who are late starters.  Retirement is possible without having to go into “frugal mode” or living in a teeny tiny house.

Why?

Managing your finances with many competing goals is tough.  

And, it is tougher when the advice you hear and read doesn’t apply to you.

• Although it won’t be easy, I believe you can get on track for retirement even if you are starting late.
• I want to share the knowledge I have gained over the years.
• You need encouragement, tips, and challenges to help you along the way.  
• I know the journey can be overwhelming, so I want to break it down for you in actionable steps.
• All my life, I’ve loved helping people organize their finances, meet their financial goals and enjoy their lives at the same time.  I am doing it, too! I truly feel that is why I am here – to help you go from money stressed to money strong.

 

You just need to maximize your resources, the ‘Acres of Acorns’ around you.

I am with you every step of the way, too. Even though I have been a good saver and investor, I’ve had my own financial setbacks.  The financial crisis hit my husband and me hard in 2008-2009, both in our 401(k)’s and in our real estate investments.

Our home in Sacramento dropped 50% in value during the financial crisis.  We felt shattered. We’d hoped to sell it for a nice profit to fund our early retirement to live in our condo in Utah.

Not so.

But we can regroup, plan and move forward in retirement planning.  

After much thought and discussion, we went ahead and relocated to our dream retirement spot. We have been fortunate: my husband retired and works part-time as a substitute teacher, and I am working at a great job that I love in Salt Lake City.

We downsized when we moved to our condo and then a few years later, a new townhome.  It’s cheaper to live in a smaller space! And we moved to a state with a lower cost of living – Utah.   The state income tax is much lower and property taxes are cut in half.  It’s cheaper to live here.

 

 

The great news is I live where I can hike and ski within 10 minutes of my home.  Sometimes we even see moose with our binoculars off our deck.  

I learned that even with setbacks, we could create the retirement about which we had dreamed.

So can you!

Sign up for my regular updates where I share practical financial tips, and strategies for retiring even if you are a late starter.

 

Follow me on my Facebook page where I share curated content for late starters and monthly financial challenges. Check out my Pinterest Board for everything – healthy, wealthy and wise for late starters.

And let me know- what questions do you have that I may be able to answer on the blog!  I’d love to hear from you. 

Disclosures:

To be clear: The advice provided is not personalized investment advice, may not be suitable for your individual situation, are not guarantees of future performance, and may differ materially from actual events that occur.

Please note – Nancy Anderson is a Regional Director of Financial Planning with Key Private Bank. The views expressed by Nancy are her personal opinions and not those of Key Private Bank. Key Private Bank shall not be liable for any claims or losses of any nature, including, but limited to, lost profits, punitive or consequential damages.