Helping Plan for Life After the Farm: Financial Preparation for Retirement

In this Farm4Profit Podcast episode, we shift gears from our usual focus on succession planning to tackle another critical piece of the future: retirement planning. While we often think of retirement in the context of W-2 workers with 401(k)s and pensions, farmers, small business owners, and self-employed professionals face very different challenges.

Guest Levi Morrissey of Financial Architects, Inc. joins us to explain why retirement planning isn’t optional—and why it looks different for those who don’t fit the “traditional” mold. We explore the looming reality that two-thirds of Iowa farmland is owned by people over the age of 65, meaning a tidal wave of transitions is already reshaping small-town economies and family farms.

Key takeaways from our conversation include:

The psychology of retirement: How financial readiness and personal identity both play roles in deciding when (and how) to step back.

Farmers vs. W-2 workers: Why relying on land equity alone may not be enough, and how tax-advantaged accounts like SEP IRAs, Solo 401(k)s, and SIMPLE IRAs can provide real security.

Phased retirement strategies: Leasing land, crop-share agreements, or custom farming as ways to transition without walking away entirely.

Tax benefits for farmers: Including Iowa exemptions on retirement income for those who’ve materially participated in farming for 10+ years, as well as incentives for cash rent to beginning farmers.

The bigger picture: Retirement planning doesn’t just protect one family’s legacy—it sustains rural communities, preserves farmland, and strengthens the next generation of producers.

We wrap up by asking listeners to consider an important question: What does life after the farm—or after the business—look like for you? Retirement doesn’t have to mean loss of identity. With intentional planning, it can be the foundation for personal freedom, family security, and thriving rural communities.

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