Retirement planning starts with listening.

I used to manage my own investments. Before going overseas, I moved my money to a large brokerage firm. When my account fell in value, I called my advisor. I kept hearing the same advice: “Ride it out.” I wanted to know how much risk I was taking, why that level of risk made sense for me, and what options I had. Those were the questions I needed help with.

What I saw at work

After years of frustration, I went back to managing my own investments. Around that time, I started helping coworkers sort through their retirement decisions. I saw how many had worked hard to save and still had a hard time finding someone to help them figure out what to do next.

That gap made me want to get more involved. I started with an insurance license, then earned securities licenses so I could help with a wider range of financial decisions. Eventually, I started the firm that became Baynes Financial.

How that shapes the advice I give

What I wanted from my advisor is what I try to give people now. I want them to understand the choices they have, why a recommendation makes sense for them, and what they’re comfortable with before they decide. As retirement gets closer, those choices start to look different. You’re figuring out how much you can spend, which accounts to draw from first, and how taxes and healthcare costs fit alongside what you want to leave behind.

I built Retire On Purpose to talk through those decisions in plain language. Through the book and the show, I share what I’ve learned so you can ask better questions and make decisions that fit the retirement you want.

You’ve worked hard for your money. We’ll work just as hard to help you plan for retirement.

What flying taught me about retirement

If you know me, you'll learn quickly that I love flying. I worked on helicopters in the Marine Corps, so after the service, I took flight lessons.

On my first lesson I flew the takeoff myself, and by the time we leveled off I was sure I'd land it too. My instructor didn't hesitate: absolutely not.

Taking off and landing call for different skills. Retirement has a shift like that, too. You’ve spent years building savings. Now you have to decide how to draw income from them.