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Listen "How to Create a Christian Retirement Plan with Robert Laura"
Episode Synopsis
Check out Jeremy’s latest podcast on rethinking retirement by listening on “Apple Podcasts” or “Google Podcasts” or read below about How to Plan and Live a Flourishing Retirement.
#94 – Will you be happy when you retire? The answer lies in whether your plans to retire focus solely on managing your finances or if they align with your values and beliefs.
In this episode, Jeremy Keil speaks with Robert Laura about Robert’s experience in helping people look at retirement from a non-financial perspective with a set of Christian values. He dives into the importance of how your values should be reflected in your retirement plan and explains how you can create a retirement plan that aligns with those values.
Robert Laura discusses:
What brought him to write a Bible study called Retirement Roots
Taking your faith into your decisions on how you approach your retirement
Why not aligning your retirement plans with your beliefs leads to an unhappy retirement
How focusing on your core values can reduce your stress and lead to a “no regrets” retirement
And more
How to Create a Christian Retirement Plan
1) Why Would Somebody Want to Create a Christian Retirement Plan?
Retirement planning is backwards. It focuses on money first, then you.
If you want your retirement plan to focus on you instead of your money, you may want to create a Christian-based retirement plan. If you’re a Christian believer, then you know that the Bible doesn’t say to put money first above all.
We want to flip the script, let the money fall into its proper place by focusing on retirement being God-centered, centered on your values. We don’t want to retire wanting to spend or keep as much money as possible, but we want to go into retirement, keeping true to who God made us to be, faithful stewards of his resources.
Take the opportunity to fuse your Christian values into your planning process so that as you transition into retirement, you’ll remain fulfilled and not lose yourself by focusing on money.
2) What You Do Is Not Who You Are
Transitioning into retirement can be difficult. Going from focusing on doing your work and family responsibilities to having more free time gives you a euphoric feeling that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want.
But we were not made by God to do that.
Yes, retirement grants you lots of free time, but it’s not the time to reinvent yourself and become a new pleasure-seeking person. You planned for retirement for most of your life, doing your best to work hard and save; why would you need to radically change to a life of idle leisure?
Keep to your values and beliefs and diligently work towards a new passion and purpose.
When Michelangelo used to look at his blocks of marble he would say, “the sculpture is already inside, I need to just chip away the stone to reveal it.” God has already created you to fulfill his purposes. Just like Michelangelo it’s your job to chisel away the excess. You don’t have to turn into a new person in retirement. You just need to work diligently and manage your money wisely, but within a new circumstance.
3) Reducing Retirement Stress by Aligning Your Thoughts and Actions
What about retirement causes the most stress?
Money.
The exercise Robert recommends is driving down your core values to create a “no regrets” retirement.
If you go through the process of thinking about some of the things you would regret, it brings to light what’s important to you. And a high percentage of the time, that has very little to do with money.
This lets you focus on what’s important and how your values align with God’s, and ultimately, it takes a lot of the stress off how much money you need to have because you’re focussed on your values and goals.
___________________________________________________________________________
To learn more about retirement planning, check out the resources below!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or our guests Jeannette Lalonde and Mary Morency using the contact information provided below!
Resources:
Robert Laura’s Books on Amazon
Wealth and Wellness Group
Certified Retirement Coach
3 Things You Should Know Before Choosing A Financial Advisor
7 Questions That Could Make or Break Your Retirement
Subscribe to Retirement Revealed on Google Podcasts
Subscribe to Retirement Revealed on Apple Podcasts
Connect With Robert Laura:
LinkedIn: Robert Laura
Retirement Roots Bible Study
Retirementcoachesassociation.org
Retirement Project
Find A Retirement Coach
Connect With Jeremy Keil:
[email protected]
(262) 333-8353
Send Us Your Questions
Keil Financial Partners
LinkedIn: Jeremy Keil
Facebook: Jeremy Keil
LinkedIn: Keil Financial Partners
Book a call with Jeremy
About Our Guest:
Robert Laura is a best-selling author and nationally syndicated columnist for Forbes.com and Financial Advisor Magazine. His work has reached millions of readers through five books, twelve guides, and over 500 articles. In addition to his writings, he frequently appears in major business media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, MarketWatch, Investor’s Business Daily, Yahoo! Finance, TheStreet.com, and more.
Robert Laura is a pioneer of “The New Retirement,” which includes planning for both the financial and non-financial aspects, including the need to develop a written plan for everyday life in retirement. He is the author of Naked Retirement, Retirement RX, Retirement Roots, Retirement Challenge, and Financial Karma.
Robert is the founder of the Wealth & Wellness Group, the RetirementProject.org and Certified Retirement Coach Designation. He holds several designations, including Certified Kingdom Advisor, Accredited Asset Management Specialist, Certified Mutual Fund Counselor, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, and Certified Professional Retirement Coach.
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Disclosures
Videos/Podcasts/Blogs (media) published prior to June 30, 2025, were recorded and approved while the advisor was affiliated with Thrivent Advisor Network. These media reflect the advisor’s views and interpretations at that time. The information and disclosures contained in those media were believed to be accurate and complete as of the date of recording, but may not reflect current market conditions or Alongside, LLC, policies.
All content is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment advice. Read below for current disclosures and potential conflicts of interest.
This media is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any consumer. Nothing in this program should be construed as investment, legal, or tax advice, nor as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security or to adopt any investment strategy.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and any guest, current as of the date of recording, and may change without notice as market, political or economic conditions evolve. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past Performance is no guarantee of future results.
Legal & Tax Disclosure
Consumers should consult their own qualified attorney, CPA, or other professional advisor regarding their specific legal and tax situations.
Advisor Disclosures
Alongside, LLC, doing business as Keil Financial Partners, is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or expertise. Advisory services are delivered through the Alongside, LLC platform. Keil Financial Partners is independent, not owned or operated by Alongside, LLC.
Additional information about Alongside, LLC – including its services, fees and any material conflicts of interest – can be found at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/333587 or by requesting Form ADV Part 2A.
The content of this media should not be reproduced or redistributed without the firm’s written consent. Any trademarks or service marks mentioned belong to their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only.
For important disclosures visit: https://keilfp.com/disclosures/
===
#94 – Will you be happy when you retire? The answer lies in whether your plans to retire focus solely on managing your finances or if they align with your values and beliefs.
In this episode, Jeremy Keil speaks with Robert Laura about Robert’s experience in helping people look at retirement from a non-financial perspective with a set of Christian values. He dives into the importance of how your values should be reflected in your retirement plan and explains how you can create a retirement plan that aligns with those values.
Robert Laura discusses:
What brought him to write a Bible study called Retirement Roots
Taking your faith into your decisions on how you approach your retirement
Why not aligning your retirement plans with your beliefs leads to an unhappy retirement
How focusing on your core values can reduce your stress and lead to a “no regrets” retirement
And more
How to Create a Christian Retirement Plan
1) Why Would Somebody Want to Create a Christian Retirement Plan?
Retirement planning is backwards. It focuses on money first, then you.
If you want your retirement plan to focus on you instead of your money, you may want to create a Christian-based retirement plan. If you’re a Christian believer, then you know that the Bible doesn’t say to put money first above all.
We want to flip the script, let the money fall into its proper place by focusing on retirement being God-centered, centered on your values. We don’t want to retire wanting to spend or keep as much money as possible, but we want to go into retirement, keeping true to who God made us to be, faithful stewards of his resources.
Take the opportunity to fuse your Christian values into your planning process so that as you transition into retirement, you’ll remain fulfilled and not lose yourself by focusing on money.
2) What You Do Is Not Who You Are
Transitioning into retirement can be difficult. Going from focusing on doing your work and family responsibilities to having more free time gives you a euphoric feeling that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want.
But we were not made by God to do that.
Yes, retirement grants you lots of free time, but it’s not the time to reinvent yourself and become a new pleasure-seeking person. You planned for retirement for most of your life, doing your best to work hard and save; why would you need to radically change to a life of idle leisure?
Keep to your values and beliefs and diligently work towards a new passion and purpose.
When Michelangelo used to look at his blocks of marble he would say, “the sculpture is already inside, I need to just chip away the stone to reveal it.” God has already created you to fulfill his purposes. Just like Michelangelo it’s your job to chisel away the excess. You don’t have to turn into a new person in retirement. You just need to work diligently and manage your money wisely, but within a new circumstance.
3) Reducing Retirement Stress by Aligning Your Thoughts and Actions
What about retirement causes the most stress?
Money.
The exercise Robert recommends is driving down your core values to create a “no regrets” retirement.
If you go through the process of thinking about some of the things you would regret, it brings to light what’s important to you. And a high percentage of the time, that has very little to do with money.
This lets you focus on what’s important and how your values align with God’s, and ultimately, it takes a lot of the stress off how much money you need to have because you’re focussed on your values and goals.
___________________________________________________________________________
To learn more about retirement planning, check out the resources below!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or our guests Jeannette Lalonde and Mary Morency using the contact information provided below!
Resources:
Robert Laura’s Books on Amazon
Wealth and Wellness Group
Certified Retirement Coach
3 Things You Should Know Before Choosing A Financial Advisor
7 Questions That Could Make or Break Your Retirement
Subscribe to Retirement Revealed on Google Podcasts
Subscribe to Retirement Revealed on Apple Podcasts
Connect With Robert Laura:
LinkedIn: Robert Laura
Retirement Roots Bible Study
Retirementcoachesassociation.org
Retirement Project
Find A Retirement Coach
Connect With Jeremy Keil:
[email protected]
(262) 333-8353
Send Us Your Questions
Keil Financial Partners
LinkedIn: Jeremy Keil
Facebook: Jeremy Keil
LinkedIn: Keil Financial Partners
Book a call with Jeremy
About Our Guest:
Robert Laura is a best-selling author and nationally syndicated columnist for Forbes.com and Financial Advisor Magazine. His work has reached millions of readers through five books, twelve guides, and over 500 articles. In addition to his writings, he frequently appears in major business media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, MarketWatch, Investor’s Business Daily, Yahoo! Finance, TheStreet.com, and more.
Robert Laura is a pioneer of “The New Retirement,” which includes planning for both the financial and non-financial aspects, including the need to develop a written plan for everyday life in retirement. He is the author of Naked Retirement, Retirement RX, Retirement Roots, Retirement Challenge, and Financial Karma.
Robert is the founder of the Wealth & Wellness Group, the RetirementProject.org and Certified Retirement Coach Designation. He holds several designations, including Certified Kingdom Advisor, Accredited Asset Management Specialist, Certified Mutual Fund Counselor, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, and Certified Professional Retirement Coach.
===
Disclosures
Videos/Podcasts/Blogs (media) published prior to June 30, 2025, were recorded and approved while the advisor was affiliated with Thrivent Advisor Network. These media reflect the advisor’s views and interpretations at that time. The information and disclosures contained in those media were believed to be accurate and complete as of the date of recording, but may not reflect current market conditions or Alongside, LLC, policies.
All content is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment advice. Read below for current disclosures and potential conflicts of interest.
This media is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any consumer. Nothing in this program should be construed as investment, legal, or tax advice, nor as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security or to adopt any investment strategy.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and any guest, current as of the date of recording, and may change without notice as market, political or economic conditions evolve. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past Performance is no guarantee of future results.
Legal & Tax Disclosure
Consumers should consult their own qualified attorney, CPA, or other professional advisor regarding their specific legal and tax situations.
Advisor Disclosures
Alongside, LLC, doing business as Keil Financial Partners, is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or expertise. Advisory services are delivered through the Alongside, LLC platform. Keil Financial Partners is independent, not owned or operated by Alongside, LLC.
Additional information about Alongside, LLC – including its services, fees and any material conflicts of interest – can be found at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/333587 or by requesting Form ADV Part 2A.
The content of this media should not be reproduced or redistributed without the firm’s written consent. Any trademarks or service marks mentioned belong to their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only.
For important disclosures visit: https://keilfp.com/disclosures/
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