60 Minute Appointment - Jacob.E Baxter

Inside a Real Financial Planning Conversation I recently met with a Wisconsin teacher retiring this year who came in feeling behind. Why? Because she had heard, over and over again, that you need at least $1 million saved to retire. She had about $250,000 in her 403(b) and assumed she was falling short. What that general rule‑of‑thumb overlooked was her Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension and how it actually works. When we walked through her plan, we accounted for: Guaranteed lifetime income from WRS Cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLA) built into the pension Social Security benefits Her projected retirement spending needs The result? Her pension and Social Security essentially covered her baseline income that she wants in retirement. Her 403(b) became a supplement, not the foundation of her retirement. That leads to an important (and often missed) question: What is the real value of a pension with COLA? When you translate guaranteed, inflation‑adjusted income into typical retirement dollars (401k, IRA, 403b), pensions like this can represent millions in value. AND peace of mind of knowing your income doesn’t depend entirely on market performance. Retirement planning isn’t about generalized headlines or savings targets. It’s about understanding your benefits, your income, and your actual needs. Question for you: Have you ever been told you need a certain number to retire—without anyone first considering your goals and your situation? 📅 If you’d like clarity around your own financial picture, schedule a consultation today!: 👉 https://calendly.com/jacobbaxtermwa/60-minute-appointment

Morningstar Wealth | Morningstar

"Geopolitical shocks often rattle markets — but they rarely derail them. Markets tend to move past these events, and it often happens quicker than expected. Looking at 20+ major geopolitical events over 80 years, stocks have fallen ~2% on average in the month following a major event, but the median return one year later has been positive – up more than 8%. " https://www.mp.morningstar.com/en-us/articles/middle-east-conflict-history-says-markets-don-t-panic-for-long Securities offered through MWA Financial Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Modern Woodmen of America, 1701 1st Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201, 309-558-3100, Member: FINRA, SIPC. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

Modern Woodmen will officially announce the winners of our 2026 Modern Woodmen scholarship competition next month.