2034: Ask Farnoosh...About Farnoosh: My Midlife Financial Plan, Unveiled

You’ve been asking for this episode, and today I’m finally pulling back the curtain on my own financial plan. Consider this a very special edition of Ask Farnoosh — except this time, you’re asking the questions about my money. For roughly 15 years, much of my financial life was on cruise control: automate the investing, save for retirement, fund the kids’ accounts, maintain the emergency fund, repeat. But midlife has me asking a different set of questions. Am I still saving the right amount? Could I invest a little less and spend more on my life today? How much do we actually need for retirement? And, gulp…should I consider an annuity? My financial planner Maggie Johndrow of Johndrow Wealth Management joins me to reveal what we discovered after putting my entire financial picture under the microscope — including where I may have been over-saving, why we’re rethinking my SEP IRA strategy, and how we’re balancing retirement security with enjoying life now. Then Maggie’s colleague Colette Ward joins us for an annuities crash course: what they are, why their reputation has changed and when they may—or may not—make sense. It’s my Midlife Money Checkup. And hopefully, it inspires yours. Reach Maggie at [email protected] Reach Colette at [email protected] Disclosure: Index annuities are insurance contracts that, depending on the contract, may offer a guaranteed annual interest rate and some participation growth, if any, of a stock market index. Such contracts have substantial variation in terms, costs of guarantees and features, and may cap participation or returns in significant ways. Any guarantees offered are backed by the financial strength of the insurance company, not an outside entity. Investors are cautioned to carefully review an index annuity for its features, costs, risks, and how the variables are calculated. How's midlife going? Fill out Farnoosh's survey and help shape the podcast in 2027. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.