Why I Started Take Pride in Retirement (My Story)

TPIR Ep 133 Full Show.mp3: Audio automatically transcribed by Sonix

TPIR Ep 133 Full Show.mp3: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.

Speaker 1:
So today I have kind of hijacked the show. Oh, goody. That's, uh. It doesn't scare me at all. All right. So listen, listeners know that you are a financial advisor, of course, but what they may not know is your story behind how you got there and why you became an advisor. And why did you create a podcast that was specifically for the LGBTQ plus community? And also, why does this work seem so personal to you? Those are all those are all great questions. Um, and the questions at once. Yes. I say, why don't we take the show to answer those? Um, you know, today let's, let's do that. Let's do something a little bit different this time around. We'll talk about instead of retirement planning itself, obviously that'll be part of the conversation. But instead of that being the focus, let's talk about the why behind this, why I care so much about helping people plan for retirement in the first place. Sounds good.

Speaker 2:
Welcome to Take Pride in Retirement, the podcast dedicated to helping members of the Lgbtq+ community protect and grow their hard earned money. Get set for a show full of education and insights with your host and advisor, Matt McClure. We recognize every family is unique. The goal of the show is to help you achieve financial freedom, so you and your loved ones can have the retirement you've always dreamed of, a retirement you can take pride in. No matter who you are, where you're from, or who you love. So now let's start the show. Here's Matt McClure.

Speaker 1:
Hello there, and welcome to another edition of Take Pride in Retirement. Matt McClure here with you, your host, your advisor, your friend, your pal and your confidant. And I am Josh Retinoblas, the.

Speaker 2:
Attache.

Speaker 1:
To the advisor, aka.

Speaker 2:
Co-host aka Matt.

Speaker 1:
Who's there. I feel like that word just gets longer every time you say it. It's like, you know, we're from the South, so I can say, huh? Well, yes. Your dad is from Montgomery, Alabama. You can say who's been all you want to. So there. There you go. Um, thank you so much for being a part of the show, Mr. Attache. Of course. And all of you either watching or listening, really do appreciate it so much. Without you, we don't even have a show that is going to be the biggest, like focus of the day. Before we get there, though, I want to say, uh, aside from thank you, whether you're listening via the podcast and you can get us wherever you get your podcasts or if you're watching on YouTube, please, please, please, uh, you know, leave us a great rating on YouTube. Please like and subscribe, uh, subscribe. Below. Sultry one today. And you know, one of the main things that we're going to talk about is why I do what I do today. And the biggest, I guess encapsulation of that is the mission of the show that I say all the time. And that's no matter who you are, where you come from, who you love, how you identify or how much money you have, you deserve a retirement you can take pride in. And if anything I say today or that Josh says or that you think of or whatever. Throughout the show sparked something in you that really just, you know, makes you want to learn more about what I do and, you know, wants you and you're like, oh, maybe I need kind of some help.

Speaker 1:
Like along these lines, feel free. Give me a call 8552469211, that's (855) 246-9211. You can also go to the website. Take pride in retirement.com. You can schedule a free consultation there. It's the name of the show. Take pride in retirement.com. We made it that way on purpose. It's it's easy to remember. All right, Mr. Show hijacker, slash attache. Let's take it away today. What are we what are we doing? Well, first of all, I want to go back in time. So we're going to go back before take pride in retirement. So before the financial planning career. So did you always know that this is what you wanted to do? Absolutely not. Um, this is one of those things that I never really, when I was younger, saw myself in, um, you know, I don't think that most people have a career path. That's a straight line. You know, I mean, you used to maybe like, like my, um, dad's dad, like he grew up and worked at a like a mill and a factory. And that was kind of like what he did. My dad sort of followed along a little bit of the same line. But, you know, I think a lot of people today just we have so much change in the world.

Speaker 1:
Change is constant. Right? And so, um, my, my sort of career path was full of a lot of different twists and turns and unexpected things and new opportunities and some, some painful things along the way too, which we'll, we'll talk about, I'm sure. Um, but, you know, I mean, I spent most of my career as a broadcast journalist and, you know, just telling stories. I've always loved storytelling. I've always loved entertaining as well. And so I think this, this show combines the two of those things, obviously, uh, but I've always loved, um, you know, just talking to people and, you know, helping people really understand complex subjects, like taking those things that maybe you don't necessarily understand because their their detailed or confusing or whatever, and helping you actually understand them. Right. And so that is really the crux of what I do today, helping people understand complex retirement issues, not necessarily the news or what's happening in New York or Washington or wherever, you know, but, you know, whether I was, you know, behind the the microphone or in front of a camera or whatever, or whether I'm now, you know, sitting across the table from a client, the goal is kind of the same in that is just explaining those maybe at times intimidating, uh, you know, things, those intimidating topics and, you know, breaking those things down into to, you know, language that people can actually understand. Yeah.

Speaker 3:
I mean, so basically, obviously at that point in your career and in your life, financial advising, that wasn't even on your radar.

Speaker 1:
No, no, I mean, would you have imagined, say, ten years ago that I would have ever even gone into this space? No. I mean, you know that bug bunny meme with his mouth? Yeah, the mouth just goes way up. I don't think anyone would have thought, but, I mean, the thing is, you had all of the great elements already based into your career and your know how to end up do that to do this, obviously. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's that part of my background, you know, that's like I worked at the Wall Street Journal for Wall Street Journal radio. I worked at New York, one on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, reporting on a regular basis. So I knew conceptually about a lot of these things. And obviously, I'm a human being who lives in the world. And so I, I know like what it's like to, you know, have to pay the bills and, and all that kind of thing as well. But, you know, life has a way of sort of pointing us in the right direction, even though we don't necessarily know that's where we're going to wind up. I mean, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a school bus driver, you know, so I, it was like, and not, I mean, a school bus driver had a great career there. And I'm sure depending on the location, a lot of great benefits and all that kind of stuff. And you know your schedule and you get summers off.

Speaker 1:
So hey, not a bad deal, but it just was not where I ended up. Yeah. I mean, I obviously know this story very well, but some of our listeners may not know. Could you please share with them what changed basically overnight for you in the past? Yeah. So it's, um, it's never been the easiest thing to talk about. I don't talk about it all that often, but it is, um, you know, back in the early 2000, um, I had a situation where I was in a job and I was working actually for a church at the time. And, um, my, um, my sexual orientation became known, let's say, and, uh, it wasn't anything like scandalous or anything like that. It was just people found out and that was, you know, a thing that happened. And so I ended up losing that job because of that. And this, you know, this was like circa 2004. It was it was like, um, obviously it was a little bit of a different time. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. And I, and I realize that I realize a lot of people still, especially in the trans community these days, have those concerns about if people, you know, know this or whatever, or if I come out to them, they're gonna, you know, have this recourse to fire me and all these types of things, especially working for some religious organizations, not all, obviously, but some. And so the hardest part about that, for me, it wasn't losing a paycheck, even though that did.

Speaker 1:
And that hurt, um, quite a bit. But, you know, suddenly there were questions and you know, this too about housing, like, where am I going to like I owned, I owned my own home at that point. And then I lose a good chunk of my income and it's like, how am I going to pay the bills? How am I going to continue to make ends meet? I was in a situation one time where I was scrounging around the house to find change, to go to the change machine at the Dollar General and then go buy, you know, some, uh, you know, figure out how much money that was and then go buy some, uh, food from the Dollar General to make it sound like it's not a situation that I would wish on anybody. And I realized that, like a lot of people have problems that are much bigger than that. But that was just that's where my sort of my frame of reference in my perspective. And so it was like, you know, paying bills, rebuilding credit, and my credit was in the tank for years and years and years and years after that. And just kind of figuring out what in the world is going to come next. And, you know, I, I spent years rebuilding that and I made a lot of mistakes along the way. And I, uh, hopefully now have learned from these mistakes because it really taught me how things can change at the drop of a hat and like how fragile your financial security can be, especially when it comes to like loss of income.

Speaker 1:
Um, you know, and, and not like, obviously looking back at it, I was like, oh, that that made me a better financial advisor now because I have that perspective. But at the time, I didn't think that, you know, I didn't know I was ever going to become a financial advisor. I was just trying to survive. But, um, you know, looking back now, I realize really that those experiences that I have in life, I bring that I bring that background and that perspective to every client meeting that I have. And I think that's, that's a good, good thing because, you know, not a lot of people, uh, have, you know, saved perfectly and spent perfectly over the years. I don't think anybody has really. Right. And I mean, I feel like that whole experience is why your meetings with clients are different. I would agree to a large extent because like I, I do, I bring that perspective to it. And I know that people who I'm sitting across the table from have their own story, their own background, their own perspective on life and on their money and on all of these things that they bring to the table and their own hopes and dreams, and I. That's one of my favorite things about it is helping them get from wherever they are now, no matter where they might be, to a better place, to a place where they can have that retirement that they take pride in.

Speaker 1:
And, you know, um, empathy for some reason has, in some sectors of the world today become a dirty word and a bad thing. I think it's the absolute best thing you can, can have, uh, in, in life. And I think that's just as important really as expertise, being able to see things from someone else's perspective. Yeah. I mean, that's just the empathy, right? That's, that's what you have for everyone, regardless of who they love. Exactly how much money they have and all the other things in our list. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, like in thinking about take, you know, take pride in retirement, there are several many financial podcasts out there. They have on many thousands, if not more. So why did you feel there was a need for another one and specifically for the community, For the LGBTQ plus community. Well, I was actually sitting down one day and obviously, you know, you know the story, but the listeners probably don't. Um, that I was sitting down kind of just looking one day or more than just one day, but trying to find resources, retirement planning resources for us as, as like a married couple and everything was very, uh, you know, husband and wife and two and a half kids in the white picket fence and all of that kind of thing. That was the framing around everything that I was finding.

Speaker 1:
And the resources were very few and far between for members of the LGBTQ plus community. And I said, well, I'm now a financial advisor. I'm going to start this because there was a need I saw that need firsthand. And, you know, it's not that that your investments are different because you are a member of the LGBTQ plus community. Good retirement planning is good retirement planning, but it's individualized, right? You've got to focus on what is good for the person. And what is different is that a lot of people in the LGBTQ plus community have had different life experiences than, you know, maybe the population at large, and that influences their financial lives. Like, you know, I've just talked about the loss of that job years ago, and that was something that was big for me and career interruption, discrimination. You know, a lot of people, um, delayed marriage because of marriage equality not being a thing for years, family planning, chosen family versus traditional family structures. There are so many things. I mean, there are different estate planning and health care considerations. When you get older and wondering if you're going to be welcomed when you're seeking financial advice, if you're going to be welcomed fully as who you are. And I wanted people to know, too, that you can feel, you can rest assured that you can feel 100% welcomed here. Um, you know, that's one of the biggest goals is to have a place where people don't have to wonder if they're going to belong.

Speaker 1:
They can just show up as they are. And I'm going to, uh, accept that and say, this is great. Let's get you a retirement you can take pride in. And, you know, it's, this is not about exclusion of anyone. It's about inclusion of everyone. And that really is, you know, for, for the people who maybe may have felt overlooked or left out of this conversation, that's why I, I do this and why I wanted to start a podcast to begin with. Yeah. And what I've watched, you know, through the years now with you and your clients, which they're just allies to there's some people that are not part of the, you know, the rainbow coalitions. Um, it's just that they, it's not only that they walk out just feeling calmer when they walked in, it's like they're walking out with confidence. They feel like, okay, I, I understand now what I can do for my own retirement. And that's because of you. Well, thank you and that and that's my goal, right? Confidence is even more important, I think, than money In a lot of ways, like confidence is the difference maker. You can have all the the money in the world or, you know, a modest amount of money or whatever the case might be for you. But if you are not confident in a plan, then you the doubts start to creep in. There's a lot of stress associated with that. Coming up with a plan for you that's tailored to you and your your needs.

Speaker 1:
Boy, that talk about peace of mind and peace of mind means a whole lot. You can't put a price on that. You know, it's, it's peace of mind is, is priceless, as they say, as a, as a certain, uh, commercial campaign for a certain credit card used to say it's priceless. Right. All right, let's go back to the future or just into the future. Yeah, yeah, that works too. I, I left my Delorean. It's in the shop, actually. So, um, where'd you park your Delorean? All right, so five years from now, what do you hope people say about this podcast? I hope they say, um, I've downloaded every episode and I love it now. Um, I really, it's not about that for me, like, like subscriber numbers or anything like that. Like I don't necessarily care about that. What I care about is the impact. Like I feel like if we impact one person's life or a handful of people's lives, then it will have all been worth it because we've made a difference in this. And, you know, I really hope that listeners will say things like, you know, I, I listen to the show and it helped me understand my options for retirement. It helped me understand that I can have an income that I can't outlive. It's, you know, helped me understand that retirement planning can include people who look and sound and, and, uh, live like I do and all of those things.

Speaker 1:
Like that's my desire is to continue building this show and bring on nationally recognized voices. Mayor Pete, Secretary Pete, if you're, if you're, uh, happen to be listening, uh, call me. Um, I'd love to have you on the show. Talk about Social Security, all the things. Just putting that out there. Uh, you know, as, uh, as a thing. But we're waiting. We're waiting. We're waiting for your call. But I mean, it's. And it's not about like the prestige. It's about the, the information that someone like a Pete Buttigieg would bring to the show and bring to, especially conversation about Social Security and what we could do as a nation to shore up that program. And so that is, I feel like, like I have the utmost respect for the listeners of this show, and I want to be able to provide the best possible information from the best possible sources. And that would be, you know, one of those opportunities. And it's not just that it's there's so many others out there. And so, you know, I'm loving that the audience is growing. I see that in the numbers. But, you know, I never want the show to lose the kind of personal feel that it that it has now. And, um, yeah, it's, uh, I've got great, great expectations for the future to go back to a show that we were just watching on, on the old BritBox machine. Indeed. All right. So one last question, Matt.

Speaker 1:
Yeah, I do feel like RuPaul with this. I feel like I should have a picture of you in your early 20s. Oh, God. What would you say? I thought you were gonna. I thought you were gonna say which one of my, uh, opponents or or Co-contestants deserves to go home this week or something? No, no, no. This is a question about you facing a past you. So if you could sit down today with the version of yourself that lost that job all those years ago, what would you tell him? Um. Oh, God, I know that this is going to maybe sound slightly cheesy, but, uh, it gets better and it really, really does. And it did. It definitely has for me. Um, that would be the biggest thing is just, you know, life throws stuff at you and there, you know, you may not be able to see it now, but you're going to come out the other side of this, and you're going to come out of the other side of this better and stronger and in a better relationship situation than you were at the time, and all of those types of things. And there is a, uh, a happy, uh, I'm not going to say happy ending because it's like, you know, the story and over yet, folks, but there is a better day coming. Um, as Sophia Petrillo would say. So, you know, I would just say, hang on and learn the lessons that come your way because life has so much to teach you.

Speaker 1:
And try not to have to learn everything the hard way, you stubborn little thing. Uh, young 20s. Matt, did you hear that? Uh, back, back, back long ago. If only there was a Delorean I could hop in. Yeah. What was that, 2003, you said. Right, 2000, 2004 was. Yeah, I was like five years ago. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was two years ago. Sure. Yeah. Well, thank you for sharing these answers with us today, Matt. Yeah. No, thank you for asking me these. I appreciate it, and I love sharing this stuff with people. And, you know, that's really, I think what this whole podcast has been about is sharing and me sharing not only my knowledge and my expertise, but my background and my frame of reference and perspective on all of these topics that we talk about and getting people to feel a little bit more prepared for whatever life throws their way. Right. And so that really kind of goes back to, to, you know, me saying, hey, life's going to throw stuff at you. You just got to be prepared for it. And so retirement planning, sure. It's about all of the technical things. It's about taxes. It's about Social Security. It's about income. And underneath that though is a lot more. And it's about creating confidence. It's about helping people just have the best version of retirement. What is the best version of retirement for them, and what it looks like for you and me is not the same as what it looks like for somebody else.

Speaker 1:
So that is the goal. And you know, if if anybody is listening or watching and you got some questions, um, and if today's conversation has resonated with you and has piqued your interest a bit, I would absolutely love the opportunity to, to get to know you. Yeah. I've gotten, I've told you some about me, uh, today and, uh, that is great, but hey, let's make it a two way thing. I'd love to learn more about you and your background and your goals for retirement. Take pride in retirement.com is the place to go. Schedule a complimentary consultation there. It's it's absolutely free. No pressure. Nothing like that. Um, I am not a high pressure person like this. This is not a persona that I put on. This is just me. So, you know, if, uh, we sit down and we meet, I'm not going to be like some sleazy sales guy or something like that, uh, with my hair greased down and and a two large brown coat on or something from like the 70s. Like it's just not it's not a thing. Um, but yeah, and it's great. I'm, I'm glad to have the opportunity to be able to share a little bit more about my background and the why behind take pride in retirement. So Mr. Attache, I say thank you for, uh, you know, asking these questions and helping me get more of that part of the story out there.

Speaker 4:
Pleasure, Mr. McClure.

Speaker 1:
Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Attache. Thank you so much for watching and or listening. I really do appreciate it. Every, every time that we are able to get together here. And until next time, take pride in yourselves and take care of each other. We'll see you then.

Speaker 5:
Thanks for listening. To Take Pride in Retirement, members of the LGBTQ plus community deserve to work with the fiduciary financial advisor who puts their needs first. To schedule a free, no obligation consultation with Matt McClure and the team at Active Wealth Management, call 9211 or go online to take pride in retirement.com. Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management, LLC. Bcm, a registered investment advisor, BCM and Active Wealth Management Incorporated are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM but are offered in sold through individually licensed and appointed agents. Matt McClure, an active wealth management are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other government agency.

Speaker 1:
Any examples used are for illustrative purposes only and do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs, and may not be suitable for all investors. It is not intended to predict the performance of any specific investment, and is not a solicitation or recommendation of any investment strategy. Registered investment advisors and investment advisor representatives act as fiduciaries for all of our investment management clients. We have an obligation to act in the best interest of our clients and to make full disclosures of any conflicts of interest. Please refer to our firm brochure, the ADV two item four, for additional information.

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