22 Years of Brutally Honest Retirement Advice in 22 minutes

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3) Please note that some people call themselves "fee-based". This is NOT the same as fee-only. Fee-only advisers have committed to being fiduciary to you 100% of the time.
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⚠️ Azul's "Scammer" Warning ➡ PLEASE READ! ⚠️
Be careful of scammers. In the comments section, I will NEVER ask you to contact me, offer any investment products, recommend a stock broker, or anything similar. Some scam bot commenters 'ask' for investment help, and later, other comment bots reply with "how great X idea/investment/person is" in the replies. These are scam threads. Do not fall for them.

🚨 Azul's VIDEOS ARE NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE (Disclaimer) 🚨

The decisions on how to invest, when to retire, and other financial planning topics are some of the most important financial decisions you will make in your life. I urge you to seek professional financial advice as you make this decision. Ideally, from a financial adviser, AND a CPA AND an attorney. Having the perspective of all three professions will help you make the right decision for you and your family.

This information is being presented without consideration of the investment objectives, risk tolerance, or financial circumstances of any specific investor and may NOT be suitable for all investors.

This information is NOT intended to, and should NOT, form a primary basis for any investment decision that you may make. Always consult your own legal, tax, and/or investment advisor before making any investment/tax/estate/financial planning considerations or decisions.

Spoiler Alert: There are no "get rich" programs. Rather, just basic blocking & tackling and putting in time and care. Do your homework, choose wisely and (IMHO) work with experienced professionals who are fiduciary to you 100% of the time.

*235 {Nusrat}[NE] 22 Years of Brutally Honest Retirement Advice in 22 minutes

[LyndsayHelbing]

Thank you for your honesty and transparency. It's refreshing to see someone acknowledging the harsh reality of rising prices, which are leaving many of us feeling battered and bruised. While I'm grateful to be in a position to absorb these costs with a savings of $785K, my heart goes out to those who are struggling to make ends meet and can't afford their basic necessities. It's a stark reminder of the growing wealth gap and the need for collective action to support those who are truly suffering.

[Helen_white]

High prices for everything have severely affected my plan. I'm concerned if people who went through the 2008 financial crisis had an easier time than I am having now. The stock market is worrying me as my income has decreased, and I fear I won't have enough savings for retirement since I can't contribute as much as before.

[DianeKKnutson]

Thank you for your video, you know.. I can’t recommend Shellane Maxwell enough! When I first approached her, I was overwhelmed about retirement planning…Thanks to her guidance, I was able to restructure my investments and focus on high-yield options. Within just a year, my retirement fund grew by 25%!

[briand]

Our socio-economic condition in the US is a dumpster fire. We're taking SS at 62. I have zero faith in anything the federal government does helping out the middle class man or woman. We're being slow boiled (like the frog) into insolvency.

[reynoldslacybrleroymeuschke]

!!I just switched up my Roth IRA to 50% SCHD, 25% SCHX, 25% SCHG, and my Roth 401k is 70% vanguard S&P 500 index, 20% vanguard growth index, and 10% vanguard international index. Seeking best possible ways to grow $350k into $2m+ before retirement

[whenbirdiesfly]

Great eye opening video!

Can you do a more in-depth video about the pros and cons of renting or owning a home in retirement? Thanks!

[scottjackson]

Who told us throughout the “saving years” to max our tax advantaged accounts? Get that employer match. Shield your contributions from immediate taxation. Just pile up the savings and multiply your salary to gauge success. Now - after it’s too late for many of us to do Roth conversations - the savvy planner mantra is to distribute retirement assets strategically over 3 buckets. Where was all the prescient advice when such behaviors were actionable?

[tatianastarcic]

I need a way to draw up a plan to set up for retirement while still earning passive income to meet my day to day need and also get charged lesser taxes even while in a higher tax bracket. i want to invest around $250K savings.

[casienwhey]

Zul, the best thing you can do in your older years is exercise and diet. Those are two things within your control.

[shubsferret]

can you talk a bit about what type of health insurances that are available for early (pre 65) retires

[fictitiousnightmares]

Good video, although timestamps for the tips/advice would be nice.

[donaldmiller]

Good advice to prepare yourself...don't however plan that when you retire things will be stable. The last five years since I retired have demonstrated this, even with what I consider a stable investment of 50% bonds and 50% stocks it has yo-yoed up in value and down and back up (20%)..agree though enjoy those early years while in good shape.

[reesesha]

If you want great healthcare, PPO, choice of top Drs and hospitals like Cleveland Clinic, self-pay is outrageous! Preventative and Longevity Drs. expensive. Experts on you tube is like gold - from Healthcare to finance. Thank you Azul.

[jamoscatelli]

A ROTH is a tax me NOW account, not tax me never. An HSA can be a tax me never account.

[mchristr]

My dad almost made it to 80 with liver disease. My mom is 93 and never exercised. My grandparents--all born in the 1890s--made it into their 80s. I eat right and love to exercise. You'd better believe I've got my money invested to last me in to my 90s. After I hit 100 I probably won't care as long as I've got 3 hots and a cot.

[SHANECatLovinActivistHistorian]

why do we live in a world where people who save some money have to basically bet the money at the wall street/govment casino and hope it works out? Why isnt saving in itself good enough. Something is wrong with this system we are living under. Something unethical and shady is going on in the world we live in where working class people have to work for decades and yet still must gamble with the little bit of money they put back by throwing that money into a tank full of suit and tie wearing sharks and hope they dont get eaten by those sharks.

[KH-vwyl]

Great honest advice from someone who as gone before. Thank you for opening up and continuing to provide solid information. I am continually surprised about the cost of health care as a rising expense for my retirement years and appreciate you highlighting that issue.

[christopherlynch]

If you win $100M you instantly have a new career, managing that money!

[karenbenning]

Great video! Another way to ride out a stock market crash is to have more in cash than most financial advisors like. I am 76 years old and I just have never liked bonds or annuities. My stock portfolio is 100% in blue chip stocks and large cap ETF's. But that is only 1/3 of my assets. 2/3rd's invested in banks and credit unions. This lets me sleep very well at night. My only concern every year is where do I invest my RMD as I do not need the funds. Have heard that the next decade will see the market very stagnate w maybe only 3% growth. I wonder if u have a video or would consider doing a video on investing RMD's?

[castlerc]

Great videos, I really like the way you include everyone, because everyone is so incredibly different. I’m retired, well semi retired at 55 but yeah it’s hard to wrap your head around why people don’t retire or at least start enjoying their life sooner rather than later. When you’ve saved your whole life to retire, it’s difficult to start spending money, so I’m glad you mentioned that I recently just bought a boat and a slip at a yacht club, and I almost threw up thinking about the money I was spending on it, but I think it’s probably the best decision I’ve ever made, sometimes you just have to get out of your comfort zone. I’ve been incredibly frugal my whole life, I just had to realize we don’t live for ever. So thanks for pointing this fact out.