Tag: Retirement
Mastering Financial Literacy in Your Golden Years (Ep. 48)

Mastering Financial Literacy in Your Golden Years (Ep. 48)

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Are you ready to greet retirement with a well-prepared smile?

Welcome to the Relax, It’s Retirement podcast, where we dive into mastering financial literacy in your golden years. This episode, featuring Josh Leonard and Pete Belcastro, zooms in on transitioning into retirement with intent. They explore practical tips for income and budget planning in April’s Financial Literacy Month, highlighting ways to navigate the shift from a steady paycheck to managing retirement funds. Through engaging discussions and real-life examples, you will glean insights into making informed decisions for a fulfilling retirement.

Josh and Pete discuss: 

  • Understanding income and budgeting in retirement
  • Navigating the transition from receiving regular paychecks to retirement income planning
  • Strategies for managing expenses and creating effective budgets
  • Addressing the impact of healthcare expenses during retirement
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

Connect with Pete Belcastro: 

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Retirement Success Through Discipline and Goal-Setting with Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 41)
Retirement Success Through Discipline and Goal-Setting with Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 41)

Retirement Success Through Discipline and Goal-Setting with Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 41)

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In a world filled with distractions and temptations, discipline stands as a beacon of consistency and success, guiding us toward our goals and aspirations. Whether in financial planning, health routines, or personal growth, discipline forms the foundation for long-term achievement and fulfillment.

Today on Relax, It’s Retirement, Josh and Pete Belcastro, CFP®, talk about discipline in various aspects of life, drawing parallels between maintaining financial discipline and personal habits. Using personal anecdotes, they emphasize the importance of setting realistic goals, committing to long-term strategies, and seeking professional guidance to achieve financial success in retirement. They discuss the three-bucket approach to retirement planning, emphasizing the significance of consistent contributions and staying invested for long-term growth. 

The conversation touches on the value of discipline in navigating market fluctuations and resisting short-term impulses. The episode concludes with insights on the positive impact of discipline in achieving financial goals and the benefit of seeking professional advice for retirement planning.

Key topics include: 

  • The concept of discipline in various aspects of life, including health decisions and financial planning for retirement.
  • Why setting realistic expectations, consistent behavior, and long-term goals to achieve success is important.
  • Discipline’s role in investing, and the need for a disciplined approach to navigate market volatility and achieve financial goals.
  • How discipline can help achieve financial security for retirement.
  • Negative connotations associated with discipline and how it can actually lead to positive outcomes and personal growth.
  • The challenges of maintaining discipline and the benefits of setting disciplined goals
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

Connect with Pete Belcastro: 

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Refine Your Financial Goals for Retirement with Lists (Ep. 33)

Refine Your Financial Goals for Retirement with Lists (Ep. 33)

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Did you add financial goals to your New Year’s resolutions? What happens when those goals aren’t the best option for your financial plan but you don’t want to change them? Sticking to those goals could do more harm than good.

Josh Leonard goes beyond the surface, addressing the intricacies of financial goal-setting and providing tangible examples of how lists can serve as a guiding force in achieving a secure and fulfilling retirement. Don’t miss out on this insightful discussion that can reshape your approach to financial planning in the New Year.

Josh discusses: 

  • Why is using lists important to refine financial goals for retirement
  • What are some common misconceptions about money, taxes, and debt 
  • How do emotions influence financial goals
  • How can financial goals be prioritized effectively
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

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Is Your End-of-Year Financial Checklist Ready? (Ep. 29)

Is Your End-of-Year Financial Checklist Ready? (Ep. 29)

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The end of the year is the perfect time to take stock of your personal finances and make any adjustments that need to be made. 

From catching up on retirement contributions to making charitable donations, you have a bit of time left to get everything in order before 2024. 

In this episode, Josh Leonard explores end-of-year financial planning. He dives into assessing asset and debt issues, understanding tax implications, maximizing contributions to tax-advantaged accounts, and more. Josh also explains the benefits of gifting money to avoid estate taxes and the importance of financial aid planning for children or grandchildren attending college.

Josh discusses: 

  • The need to look at taxable investment accounts and making end-of-year moves
  • The importance of taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) for individuals turning 73 this year
  • Tax planning strategies
  • The importance of maximizing contributions to accounts like HSAs and 401(k)s by the end of the year
  • The need to review insurance plans during open enrollment and update estate documents in light of any family changes or additions
  • The importance of considering financial aid planning strategies for college-bound kids
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

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Meet the Newest Member of Our Team: Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 27)

Meet the Newest Member of Our Team: Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 27)

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Get to know another puzzle piece that intertwines perfectly in the Leonard Advisory Group’s growing team…

In this episode, Josh Leonard is joined by Pete Belcastro, Financial Planning Consultant at Leonard Advisory Group. Pete shares his journey from cold calling to becoming an investment banker and then a Certified Financial Planner. Pete also discusses his passion for outdoor activities and his dedication to community service. 

Josh and Pete chat about: 

  • Pete’s personal background, including being a Pittsburgh native and a sports fan
  • Pete’s career journey into the world of financial planning and investments
  • The importance of comprehensive financial planning
  • His other certified hat: a father and husband
  • His involvement in the Reading is Fundamental program, which promotes literacy among elementary school students in Pittsburgh
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Pete Belcastro: 

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

About our Guest: 

Pete is a seasoned Financial Planning professional with over 15 years of diverse experience in financial, business, sales, and marketing domains. Presently, Pete serves as a financial planner, specializing in helping clients make decisions that align with their current and future financial requirements. His extensive career includes roles as an independent advisor, a registered assistant, and a licensed banker, providing him with a broad spectrum of financial expertise.

Pete’s belief in the value of a multifaceted background is rooted in his conviction that it enables him to offer clients a distinctive and ultimately more effective perspective when it comes to future planning and goal setting. He firmly believes that a comprehensive understanding, not just of financial matters but also of clients and their individual needs and desires, is the cornerstone of a robust financial plan. This holistic approach underscores his commitment to delivering the strongest financial solutions for his clients.

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How to Choose the Best Place to Retire (Ep. 24)

How to Choose the Best Place to Retire (Ep. 24)

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Are you questioning whether you want to retire in your home state or venture into a different area during your golden years? 

Josh Leonard explores the topic of the best places to retire, depending on an individual’s savings and personal preferences. He explains the important factors to consider when making the decision to relocate such as thinking about the taxes, the cost of living, the proximity to family and friends and more.

In this episode, Josh covers: 

  • How to research the cost of living for the place you desire to relocate to
  • Getting to know the climate or seasonal changes in certain retirement locations
  • Considering the travel time to visit your loved ones, especially any kids or grandkids in your family
  • Looking for areas where it’s not going to be difficult to stay active and make new friends 
  • Thinking about healthcare needs before making a move in retirement
  • Considerations for living overseas in retirement
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

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How Can You Prepare for the Rising Cost of College? with Dan Cieniewicz (Ep. 23)

How Can You Prepare for the Rising Cost of College? with Dan Cieniewicz (Ep. 23)

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As your children get closer and closer to graduation, that education cheque is slowly becoming your reality. 

In this episode, Josh Leonard is joined by Dan Cieniewicz aka The College Dude, to discuss all things saving for college. They emphasize the need for parents to come up with a budget and consider sources of funding for college including the FAFSA process and recent changes to it. 

Dan and Josh discuss: 

  • Retirement benefits grandparents can receive through paying for their grandchildren’s education 
  • The challenge of integrating grandparents into the conversation about college funding
  • The importance of scholarships, grants, and choosing the right school for each student
  • The FAFSA Simplification Act and its implications for grandparent-owned 529 plans
  • The four fits and factors you need to consider before choosing a college 
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

About our Guest: 

Dan Cieniewicz works with parents of teenage children as they find themselves in a position to strategize to pay for college while also staying on track for retirement. Dan’s goal when working with clients is to explain the complexities of the financial aid & college application process and to strategize to make sure that both parents and children are set up for long-term success. 

Dan was born & raised in Berks County. He attended Albright College, majoring in Economics & Political Science and played on the football team.  Dan has obtained the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. 

Dan is the head girls basketball coach at Warwick High School in Lititz, PA and loves working out and playing basketball. He resides in Lititz with his wife, Carly.  He also became a father in March of 2022, to a beautiful daughter, Stella.

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Practical Tips for Traveling (Ep. 22)

Practical Tips for Traveling (Ep. 22)

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Dreaming of world travel but unsure how to do it safely?

In this episode, Josh Leonard dives into how you can transition into a retirement life filled with safe, intentional travel. Learn how to embrace the excitement of exploring new places while also ensuring your safety, health, and financial well-being.

We’ll cover:

  • Blending in and maintaining a low profile while traveling
  • The importance of having an emergency plan and what it should include
  • The essentials of a travel first aid kit
  • The need for short-term travel insurance and its implications
  • Why digital copies of your important documents are vital and how to securely manage them
  • The pros and cons of solo travel and maintaining connections back home
  • Strategies to stay sharp, alert, and aware, minimizing risks during your travels
  • The significance of an emergency cash stash and how it can be a lifesaver
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

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5 Reasons to Ignore the Market When You Retire (Ep. 19)

5 Reasons to Ignore the Market When You Retire (Ep. 19)

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Are you worried about the market affecting your retirement plans?

In this episode, Josh Leonard talks about five reasons to ignore the market when you retire. He explains each reason and emphasizes the importance of the corresponding retirement planning steps. But ultimately, it’s all about sticking to a long-term plan. Just like climbing a mountain, reaching the peak doesn’t mean you’re done. Your investments need time to grow. So, relax and tune in to learn more about creating a solid financial plan so you can ignore the market.

The 5 reasons Josh discusses: 

  • You still have a long timeline
  • You have planned for your retirement income
  • You can reduce market risk with a proper tax plan
  • Planning for market corrections
  • You have an ample emergency fund

Resources:

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

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Important Life Lessons Learned: Father’s Day Edition With Bill Leonard (Ep. 18)

Important Life Lessons Learned: Father’s Day Edition With Bill Leonard (Ep. 18)

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Father’s Day is a great time of the year to reflect on some of the most important life lessons and skills you have learned over the years.

In this episode, Josh Leonard invites a VERY special guest on the show, his father, Bill Leonard! Together they discuss some of the unforgettable life lessons and mindset-altering moments that made them into the fathers, professionals, and family men they are today.

Josh and Bill discuss: 

  • The mindset each of them was taught about work early in life and how it influenced their work ethic
  • How they curated a lifestyle that allows them to be at most, if not all, their kids’ ball games (and how you can too!)
  • Some advice for new parents and how to discover your child’s unique skills and interests throughout their development
  • Strengthening your family’s structure 
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Josh Leonard: 

About Bill Leonard: 

William Leonard founded Leonard Advisory Group to fill in the gaps he saw when helping his mother plan for retirement. Bill focused much of his career on the insurance and annuity industry. As an independent advisor, he helped thousands of retirees and pre-retirees face the financial challenges that lie ahead with confidence. Since 1996, Bill has worked in a variety of capacities, gaining valuable experience with insurance. In 2007, he became an independent consultant, focusing on income protection and retirement planning. Bill was an honorary host of the “Protecting Your Profits” radio show on 94.5 3WS Pittsburgh and a weekly guest on the national broadcast “Financial Safari” radio show heard locally on NewsTalk 104.7 FM. He has also been featured on WISR 680 AM and WORD FM. In his free time, Bill enjoys traveling, boating, skiing, hiking, biking, restoring antique vehicles, and spending quality time with family, friends, and clients. He has been married to his wife, Cindy, for almost 40 years. They have three children: Zach, Josh, and Zoey, as well as a crazy border collie named Sweep. After over 25 years of assisting families transition into retirement Bill is excited to transition himself into retirement at the end of 2022.

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