Smart Planning Sessions: Investing Through Uncertainty and Planning for Early Retirement Abroad

In this month’s Smart Planning segment, a financial advisor discusses when it might make sense to scale back your 401(k) contributions.

Is it safe to invest right now? Should you keep contributing to your retirement account when the economy feels uncertain? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss how to navigate turbulent financial times by focusing on long-term investing strategies and what you can control. They break down what’s going on with recent stock market activity, why the dollar is weakening, and how investors can stay the course by understanding their risk tolerance and using tools like dollar-cost averaging. They also touch on emotional investing and offer practical ways to handle market anxiety without pulling back on your financial goals.

Then, Elizabeth welcomes Ross Anderson, founder of Craftwork Capital and co-host of the Check Your Balances podcast, to answer a listener’s question about whether to reduce 401(k) contributions due to fears about job security. They discuss how to evaluate whether you’re holding too much cash, the trade-offs between contributing to retirement versus living for today, and how the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement can work even if you start later in life. They also cover the impact of retiring abroad, how international taxes can complicate your strategy, and why certain insurance products might not match your goals.

Inspired to navigate your finances with an advisor? Use NerdWallet Advisors Match to find vetted professionals today at https://www.nerdwalletadvisors.com/match 

Learn about dollar-cost averaging as a strategy to reduce the impact of volatility by spreading out your stock or fund purchases over time so you're not buying shares at a high point for prices: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/dollar-cost-averaging-2 

In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: investing during market volatility, dollar cost averaging, stock market downturn 2025, how to manage risk tolerance, emotional investing, investment risk capacity, long-term investing strategy, FIRE movement explained, barista FIRE, how to retire abroad, retiring in Portugal, retiring in Italy, buying a home in Europe, saving for early retirement, high-yield savings account vs investing, when to reduce retirement contributions, investing vs lifestyle spending, how to handle market swings, tax rules for expats, international index funds, when to use a brokerage account, what to do in a market downturn, life insurance for retirement planning, long-term capital gains tax, when to sell stocks for retirement, CDs vs savings account, risk tolerance vs risk capacity, and when to rebalance investments.

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com.

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