What We've Learned in a Decade of Retirements

The last decade has seen some major changes and events, but a lot remains the same. Reflecting on 10 years in business at NextGen Wealth has been a remarkable experience. We’ve accomplished so much, but there’s still much more to come!

We’ve continually added services and enhanced the client experience. It’s amazing to see how much we’ve accomplished navigating successful retirements.

Building on a Foundation of Experience

Gratitude is the best word to describe the experience gained over the last ten years. Clint said, “I’m just amazed I’ve made it here ten years. I’m super happy. I love my clients! I'm so grateful for them and what they provide for me and my family. And I take that very, very seriously. I'm just grateful that I've made it this long.”

Clint started NextGen Wealth to use his experience as a financial planner to create a truly remarkable experience for his clients. In the beginning, he worked a lot of hours for little pay, but he knew his hard work was changing lives – including his own. He’s continued to develop his systems and processes, hire appropriately, and leverage technology to continually improve the level of service NextGen Wealth offers.

Key Strategies Developed

The COLLAB financial planning process remains the foundation of serving clients at NextGen Wealth. We’re committed to leading the movement from focusing on investments only to taking a comprehensive approach to retirement planning instead. We dive deep into what excites you about getting out of bed in the morning and how to create more of what you love.

Personalized Retirement Planning and Communication

We’re constantly trying to answer clients’ questions before they need to ask them. We communicate through our newsletter, regular review meetings, and other check-ins as needed.

We never want to leave you guessing. This includes difficult conversations like when a down market happens. We’ve collaborated with clients through recessions, COVID-19, and bull markets too.

How Personalization Has Evolved Over the Decade
We believe in getting to know people and supporting the most important things in their lives. There are financial aspects to this, but a happy retirement is much more than just investment performance. This is why Clint wrote his book Retirement the Right Way.

Retirement the Right Way embodies the spirit of NextGen Wealth. The happiest retirees eliminate financial worries and focus on living purposeful lives with meaningful relationships. We go far beyond just managing investments and dive deep into fulfilling your deeper motivations and purpose.

Unlock The Hidden Power of Your Goals by Asking 3 Daring "Whys." Learn more here.

Investment Management Techniques

Investment management is still a core service we offer. However, in the last decade, not much has changed. The same core principles of building a diversified portfolio and staying the course still ring true. However, we’re always looking for ways to optimize.

Adapting to Market Changes

There have certainly been some major events in the last decade. However, we’ve navigated each by sticking to tried and true methods. We use the best scientific data and software tools available.

Investment Strategies that Work

We’ve continued to look for opportunities in down markets and when things are looking up. Our systems and processes continually assess opportunities to implement Roth conversions and other tax-saving strategies.

We aren’t bothered by current investing fads or trends and have stuck to what’s always worked. As long as you work to control risk and stay invested for the long term, you’ll be much happier. We’ve established data-driven investment policy statements to help guide us through tough times.

Challenges and Overcoming Them

Many lives were affected during the global pandemic and the lockdown in 2020. Everything looked bleak, but the economy has bounced back. The news would make you think everything’s falling apart, but the data doesn’t show the same.

Navigating Economic Uncertainties

We regularly check market conditions, but we’ve seen it all before. Although the instigating events may change, the playbook remains the same. It’s tough to talk someone “off the ledge” and convince them to stay the course. However, the ones who stay invested through downturns eventually see they made the right choice.

Strategies for Handling Economic Downturns

At NextGen Wealth, we implement a guardrails strategy to adjust withdrawals as needed. We also structure our clients’ portfolios so they can take income from their portfolios without locking in big losses. We know downturns will happen, so we intentionally plan for them.

What Always Works Still Works

We understand the emotional toll of seeing your portfolio value drop significantly. We’re with you every step of the way and never leave our clients uninformed. We publish a weekly newsletter to share real, practical data to help keep your retirement on track.

You don’t have to become a client to sign up for the newsletter. What are you waiting for? Sign up here!

Technological Innovations and Adaptations

We’re constantly looking for ways to leverage technology to improve efficiency and enhance our clients’ lives. Over the last decade, we’ve attended dozens of industry conferences and evaluated what feels like hundreds of new pieces of technology and software. We’re also keeping an eye out for the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how to leverage this technology.

Integrating New Technologies into Business Operations

Tax planning is one of the biggest areas in which we’ve invested in technology. We employ several different checks and use highly specialized tax-planning software. When you zoom out and look at your whole retirement, you could save tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on taxes.

We’ll continue to assess ways to use technology to save our clients money and become more efficient.

Uncovering Your Passion Can Be the Best Motivation for Achieving Your Financial Goals. Learn more here.

Future Directions and Continuous Improvement

Despite all we’ve accomplished over the last decade, we’re not done yet. Continual assessment and improvement are woven through every fiber of our operation. We’ll never stop trying to be a little better each year.

How NextGen Wealth Plans to Stay Ahead of the Curve

As mentioned, we regularly attend industry conferences and invest in high-quality training. For instance, we attended training and researched the impacts of SECURE Act 2.0 quite heavily. We’ll never sit back and assume we’ve learned everything.

New Services and Offerings Planned for the Future

The bulk of our work will remain the same moving forward. However, we’re still making gradual improvements over time.

New Alternative Investments

One example of changes we’re making is offering some alternative investments to our clients. These assets have solid returns but aren’t correlated (move up and down in value) with traditional stocks and bonds. These investments will help us continue to offer investment portfolios with less risk and similar or even better returns.

Enhancing Client Relationships and Trust

We’re also exploring service offerings to enhance our clients’ overall life experience. For instance, we’re evaluating new software to help think through long-term care decisions. We’re committed to enhancing every aspect of your life.

What's the Passion Driving Your Financial Goals? Learn more here.

Final Thoughts and Reflections on the Past Decade

If we had to sum up the last decade in one word, it would be gratitude. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to serve such amazing clients! It’s been an absolute honor and privilege to play a role in many successful and fulfilling retirements.

We have no idea what the next decade will look like, but we’re excited for the future. There’s nowhere else we’d rather be than helping great people transition into retirement and live fulfilling, purposeful lives!

Are You Ready for Retirement?

Are you ready to start your retirement journey? If you’re transitioning into retirement or have recently retired, we’d love the opportunity to be a part of your retirement success team.

Contact us today to see if we’re a good fit for each other and get your free financial assessment!