Retirement Planning Educitional Course – is it worth it?

Hi Terry,

We keep receiving brochures for Retirement Planning Courses. They are always from Financial advisors and we were wondering if these are just marketing for them and their companies or do they provide a good training option? They are usually 2.5 – 3 hours for 3 nights. We are 2-3 years away for retirement and need all the help we can get regarding the ins and outs of retirement. Thanks, Mark

Terry Says:  For the most part, these are ways to find people with money for the advisors to manage.  There is so much good, free information and advice out there, that why would you spend money to buy a course?  And if the course is free, then surely you will learn something — but you will eventually be asked to sign up for either investments or money management! Remember, there is no free lunch!

That’s why I wrote The Savage Number:  How Much Money Do You Need to Retire?   The new edition is available on my website (no, I’m not selling –it’s a bookseller!) and it will give you perspective.  OR, I suggest you go to T. Rowe Price and get their Retirement Income Modeling service, where you work with a financial planner to reach your goals, and then start a withdrawal plan that has the best likelihood of making your money last as long as your life!  (It’s free if you have some small assets in one of their funds.)  And, you get the picture now — Education and information and perspective are exactly what you need.  The goal is to avoid the sales pitch until YOU are the one informed enough to make a decision!