488: From Accumulating to Spending: 20 Lessons for a Happy & Successful Retirement with Christine Benz

Today, I'm very excited to welcome Christine Benz back to the podcast. Christine is the Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning at Morningstar. She has become a trusted voice in the industry and has been recognized as one of Barron’s Top 100 Most Influential Women in Finance and one of the Ten Most Influential Women in Wealth Management. She’s also the co-host of The Long View and How to Retire podcasts where she brings a wealth of expertise and real-world insight to every conversation.

In her newest book, How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement, Christine draws from her “Me Search” project and lays out practical strategies that help you transition from a lifetime of accumulation to a lifestyle rich in purpose and meaningful spending.

In our conversation, Christine outlines the importance of practicing your retirement lifestyle before you fully commit. She explains how experimenting with sabbaticals and trial runs can help you strike the right balance between structure and flexibility. We discussed the movement of rethinking the traditional 4% rule with a bucket strategy—so you can build confidence in managing your cash flow and spending.

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In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• Why testing your retirement lifestyle before you retire can save you stress later.
• How a balanced mix of routine and flexibility fuels a fulfilling daily life.
• Why rethinking the 4% rule with a bucket strategy builds spending confidence.
• How proactive long-term care planning can shield you from future costs.
• Why syncing your spending with your portfolio and other income sources reduces fear and anxiety.
• The smart steps women can take to overcome unique retirement challenges.

Show Notes: RetireWithPurpose.com/488

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ABOUT HOWARD BAILEY FINANCIAL: Our mission is to help others gain clarity in purpose and elevate meaning in their lives through personal and practical financial strategies. Our Retire With Purpose™ Framework starts with establishing your unique financial philosophy — the true meaning and purpose for your money in retirement. Through continued education, one-on-one meetings, and a comprehensive team planning approach, we have helped retirees across the country secure their financial futures. And while we can't work with everyone, our goal is to provide value to everyone we meet. Our team of advisors and support specialists strive to deliver the very best experience in pre-retirement and retirement planning. Learn more about our process here: https://howardbailey.com/our-process