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Marcia Mantell: Cookin' Up Your Retirement Plan

Table of Contents

Marcia Mantell: Cookin' Up Your Retirement Plan

Stan Haithcock

March 26, 2024

Marcia Mantell: Cookin' Up Your Retirement Plan

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Marcia Mantell discuss:

The value of simplicity in understanding financial concepts
Getting ready for the emotional aspect of retirement
The key to financial success in retirement
The importance of creating an estate plan

Key Takeaways:

If you can’t explain a concept or product simply to somebody who doesn’t live in your industry, then you don’t understand that concept or product enough.
You are going to retire someday, you have to be ready for not only the financial aspect but also the emotional aspect of retirement. This includes the loss of structure and social interactions. You will need to take the lead in creating new routines, new structures, and connections in chapter two of your life.
The key to financial success in retirement is knowing how much you spend. The terms “essential expenses” and “discretionary expenses” simply mean “how much you have to spend” and “how much you want to spend.” Focus on having a good estimate of how much you spend each year and start there.
Everyone who’s still living needs to create an estate plan. Make your own funeral plans and decisions. Leave your children or family with an inheritance and a legacy rather than with financial and emotional burdens.

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"The key to financial success in retirement, in my humble opinion, is not what products you have or how great your investment strategy is. It's knowing how frickin much you spend." — Marcia Mantell

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Connect with Marcia Mantell:

Website: https://mantellretirementconsulting.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marciamantell/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarciaMantell

Fun With Annuities Podcast is hosted by America’s Annuity Agent®, Stan Haithcock, The Annuity Man®. Hear brutal annuity facts with no sales pitches from the top independent agent in the country, licensed in all 50 states. Author of 7 books, Stan dives deep on all annuity types and strategies. It’s fun, learning the contractual truths on how annuities actually work and if they’ll fit your personal retirement lifestyle.

Listen in on how you can be livin’ the reality, not the dream. Listen and subscribe on Libsyn, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, and Spotify.

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099 Terry Savage: 5 Ways to Get Out of the Financial Mess You Don't Even Know You're In

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097 Allan Roth: How A Second Grader Beats Wall Street

097 Allan Roth: How A Second Grader Beats Wall Street

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096 Owen Schrum: Crypto, The Fed and Other Things Not Said

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095 Gary Baker: Hot Buttons Being Pushed by the Annuity Industry in 2022

095 Gary Baker: Hot Buttons Being Pushed by the Annuity Industry in 2022

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094 Jeff Miller: What's New With Social Security In 2022

094 Jeff Miller: What's New With Social Security In 2022

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093 John Lenz: What You Need To Know About Annuity Laddering in 2022

093 John Lenz: What You Need To Know About Annuity Laddering in 2022

I consider John Lenz one of the top annuity minds in the country. His depth of knowledge is something that I respect and rely upon. I was so happy to have John on the Fun With Annuities Podcast again because we covered annuity laddering, a topic and strategy that people need to be aware of.

092 Ellie Saul: Mama Bear Speaks The Truth About Medicare

092 Ellie Saul: Mama Bear Speaks The Truth About Medicare

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090 Michael Finke: Keys to Goal Based Retirement Planning

090 Michael Finke: Keys to Goal Based Retirement Planning

C'mon man! This week's co-host is wearing a QLAC hat. YOU KNOW we're going to love what he's got to say. Welcome, Michael Finke, to the Fun With Annuities podcast for episode 90. He is a Ph.D. and professor of wealth management at The American College of Financial Services.

089 Mr. FIA-X: The Empty Promises Behind Fixed Index Annuities

089 Mr. FIA-X: The Empty Promises Behind Fixed Index Annuities

Back by popular demand once again, Mr. FIA-X joins me on Fun With Annuities episode #89. Without a doubt, he is one of the most popular guests I have on because people are so interested in the FIA (aka: Fixed Indexed Annuity) topic and want to know the brutal truth.

088 David Blanchett: Retirement Income Investing in a Low-Yield World

088 David Blanchett: Retirement Income Investing in a Low-Yield World

A true "rock star" in the retirement planning world, welcome to the Fun With Annuities podcast David Blanchett, the managing director and head of retirement research at PGIM Solutions.

087 Jason Fichtner: Understanding A Changing Retirement Landscape

087 Jason Fichtner: Understanding A Changing Retirement Landscape

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086 Steve Parrish: Rational and Phased Retirement Planning

086 Steve Parrish: Rational and Phased Retirement Planning

Steve Parrish is a true thought leader, and it was great to have him on the podcast. He is the co-director of the Retirement Income Center at The American College of Financial Services.

085 Bob Carlson: The Good News and Gotchas Around Tax Wise Investing

085 Bob Carlson: The Good News and Gotchas Around Tax Wise Investing

With our “friends” in Washington, DC spending money at historic levels it’s common sense that taxes are probably going to go up and politicians will be targeting existing tax-saving strategies.

083 Jack Lenenberg: How To Qualify for Long-Term Care

083 Jack Lenenberg: How To Qualify for Long-Term Care

After Jack Lenenberg first appeared on the Fun With Annuities podcast, I was inundated with questions from people wanting to know if they could qualify for Long Term Care (LTC) coverage.

082 Terry Savage: Financial Realities Right Now

082 Terry Savage: Financial Realities Right Now

Welcome back to the mic Terry Savage for Fun With Annuities episode #82. I reached out to The MoneyLady®, Terry Savage, to hear her thoughts on the current market environment and her predictions and advice on how people can navigate these volatile times.

081 Tom Hegna: Mortality Credits Drive The Income Train

081 Tom Hegna: Mortality Credits Drive The Income Train

It’s great to have Tom Hegna back on the FWA podcast to talk about how "Mortality Credits" are the key to lifetime income pricing with annuities. He told a great story that simply explained how mortality credits work.

080 Jamie Hopkins: Retirement Planning and The Why That Makes You Cry

080 Jamie Hopkins: Retirement Planning and The Why That Makes You Cry

Young. Smart. The Future. The Truth. Jamie Hopkins fits all of those descriptions and is a true thought leader in the world of Retirement Income Planning. Jamie is a managing partner of Wealth Solutions, a finance professor at Creighton University, and has both an MBA and Law Degree.

079 Loren Feldman: Transition to Retirement as a Life Entrepreneur

079 Loren Feldman: Transition to Retirement as a Life Entrepreneur

We went aspirational with this week’s Fun With Annuities® Celebrity Co-host Loren Feldman, editor-in-chief of 21 Hats. When my PR team booked Loren for FWA episode #79, I was fascinated with his expertise in covering entrepreneurs for such titans as Forbes.

078 Wade Pfau: Retirement Income Style Awareness

078 Wade Pfau: Retirement Income Style Awareness

If there was an “Annuity Mt. Rushmore”, this week’s co-host Wade Pfau would be one of those infamous faces on the side of that retirement mountain. If there was ever a true retirement expert, it is Wade.

077 Dan Prescher: No U-Hauls Behind Hearses

077 Dan Prescher: No U-Hauls Behind Hearses

I really enjoyed having co-host Dan Prescher on the Fun With Annuities podcast #77 because his organization falls in line with my saying that “There’s no U-Hauls behind hearses!” In other words, you can’t take it with you, so enjoy life while you can.

076 Mr. FIA-X: Letters, Numbers, and BS Bonuses

076 Mr. FIA-X: Letters, Numbers, and BS Bonuses

Back by popular demand, Mr. FIA-X joins me on Fun With Annuities episode #76. When his interviews hit, I get a ton of emails from people who 1. Are trying to guess who Mr. FIA-X is, and 2. fans flooding me with follow-up questions.

075 John Lenz: The Annuity Mechanic says Live, Die, or Quit

075 John Lenz: The Annuity Mechanic says Live, Die, or Quit

I have come up with the appropriate nickname for John Lenz - The Annuity Mechanic. He can fix any situation, and he has seen everything over his 40-year career. As I said during the podcast, if there was such a thing as an "Annuity Room"

074 Kerry Pechter: Bermuda Triangle Retirement Zone

074 Kerry Pechter: Bermuda Triangle Retirement Zone

Welcome to the Fun With Annuities mic, a co-host who is crazy connected in the retirement income industry - Kerry Pechter. Kerry is the founder and editor of the Retirement Income Journal (RIJ), which recently celebrated its 500th issue.

073 Chuck Jaffe: Your Money and Your Life

073 Chuck Jaffe: Your Money and Your Life

Fun With Annuities Podcast Celebrity Series

072 Owen Schrum: When Free Ain’t Free

072 Owen Schrum: When Free Ain’t Free

So happy to have Owen back on the Fun With Annuities podcast to wake people up to the fact that free ain’t always free. As one of the top money managers in the country, Owen addressed the crisis that affects too many Americans.

071 Jeffrey Miller: Social Security Strategies Explained

071 Jeffrey Miller: Social Security Strategies Explained

Fun With Annuities Podcast Celebrity Series

070 John Olsen: Annuity Royalty Shares Wisdom thumbnail

070 John Olsen: Annuity Royalty Shares Wisdom

John Olsen is one of the handful, over the long history of annuities that I can honestly refer to as "Annuity Royalty." For anyone who knows John or has read his work, it's indisputable.

069 Mr. FIA-X: More Index Annuity Secrets

069 Mr. FIA-X: More Index Annuity Secrets

Mr. FIA-X joins us again on the Fun With Annuities podcast for episode #69 this week to reveal the secrets of how the “annuity sausage” is made. His first appearance set records for listeners and viewers, and the demand for more of his insights was overwhelming.

068 Tom Hegna: Don’t Worry, Retire Happy!

068 Tom Hegna: Don’t Worry, Retire Happy!

So happy that Tom Hegna joined me for Fun With Annuities episode #68. Tom is an expert on all things concerning retirement and retirement income. Together, we turn on a firehose of factual information on retirement and how annuities can properly be a part of your plan.

067 Bradley Birkenfeld: Whistleblower Still Exposing Corruption and Creating a Better System

067 Bradley Birkenfeld: Whistleblower Still Exposing Corruption and Creating a Better System

July 30th is National Whistleblower Day, so it is with incredible pleasure that we have Bradley Birkenfeld, the most influential financial whistleblower of all time, as #67 celebrity co-host this week.