They’d even tossed around the idea of buying a little gold - not because they loved the asset class, but mostly to get a few persistent salespeople off their back. And while gold bars and bond ladders were the visible questions, something deeper was really bothering Jennie.

She wasn’t just wondering if they should buy gold. She was wondering if their whole retirement setup was too exposed. Too dependent on things they couldn’t control. Too tied to a single type of risk. Jennie’s exact words were: “Are we truly diversified?”

That question led to a lot more than just talking about market accounts.

A Relatable Voice in a Noisy World

What made Jennie so relatable wasn’t just her question - it was how she approached the conversation.

She wasn’t panicked. She wasn’t naïve. She was the kind of person who said things like, “I’m not taking a gold bar to Kroger,” but also understood that "diversification" had to mean more than just a mix of stocks and bonds.

She’d even gone through the Retirement Readiness Checklist, which gave her clarity about what she didn’t yet know.

Her instinct told her they were missing something.

And she was right.

From Enough… to Use It Wisely

She and Ron had done a good job saving, but they hadn’t done the math. Not the kind of math that answers the deeper questions - like how to create steady, tax-efficient income that lasts through the end of their life. They had enough income between Social Security and Ron’s pension to bring in about $8,000 a month.

But, when Jennie looked closer, she said something that shifted the whole conversation:

“We’ve done a lot, but I don’t think we’ve done the math.”

That insight opened the door to the bigger picture and to risks that often get overlooked: Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) were going to start hitting them in just a few years, which could force them to take income whether they needed it or not, triggering avoidable taxes.

The Senior Tax Deduction, which quietly helps lower your tax bill in retirement, is currently set to expire by 2028, potentially costing them thousands per year. And then there was long-term care - a risk that could decimate even the best financial plans if left unaddressed.

Jennie wasn’t afraid of these things. But she realized something: they were the kind of risks that don’t show up on a typical investment statement.

And that was the real lightbulb moment.

Redefining Diversification

True diversification isn’t just about asset classes. It’s about risk diversification - across taxes, income sources, health costs, and time.

Jennie had spent a lot of time trying to figure out if they were invested “right.” But what she really needed was a retirement income strategy that accounted for:

- Their actual monthly needs

- The rising cost of healthcare

- The ticking clock of tax changes

- And the possibility that one of them might live into their 90s

Once that clicked, the conversation shifted from “Do we have enough?” to something much more useful:

“Do we have a plan for how to use it wisely?”

Clarity, Not Complexity

Jennie didn’t leave that conversation with all the answers. But she left with a clear short list - and a sense of momentum. Here’s what she and Ron focused on next:

- Finalize a monthly retirement budget

- Create a plan for tax-efficient income

- Revisit their RMD strategy

- Seriously explore long-term care coverage before it gets too expensive

That list wasn’t just about doing more. It was about being more strategic.

Jennie’s story is a reminder that sometimes, the biggest risk in retirement isn’t what you’re doing… it’s what you don’t know to look for.

If you're nearing retirement and want to avoid blind spots like these, start where Jennie did - with the Free Retirement Checklist. It’s not a magic solution, but it’s a clear framework that helps you spot red flags before they become regrets.

Because retirement isn’t just about having a big enough number…

It’s about knowing what comes next.