The Boomer Woman’s Podcast, episode 334
You Did Everything Right… So Why Does Retirement Still Feel Uncertain? | Estate Planning & Income Risks with Mark Kollar
You’ve saved. You’ve been responsible. You’ve done what you were supposed to do.
But what happens when the paycheque stops — and your savings have to carry the load?
In this conversation, Mark Kollar brings decades of experience — and a series of real-life stories — to highlight what can go wrong in retirement planning, especially when estate planning is overlooked.
- Why retirement is about income, not just assets
- The risks most people don’t see coming until it’s too late
- How procrastination quietly undermines good intentions
- The reality of probate — and why it can create stress, cost, and conflict
- Real-life examples of estate planning gone wrong
- What “black swan events” mean for your financial future
- The importance of writing down your wishes — clearly and legally
- How to think about protecting a surviving spouse and future generations
This conversation may feel longer than usual — but within it are stories that remind us why these decisions matter.
Listen below and then share this episode!
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Agnes - in conversation with Mark Kollar
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About the guest: Mark Kollar
Most people I work with did everything right.
They saved consistently. They avoided big mistakes. They trusted the system.
And yet… as they get closer to retirement, a quiet fear starts to set in: “Am I going to be okay?”
Not because they didn’t plan…
But because no one ever showed them how to turn their savings into reliable income.
That’s where my story really begins.
Over the past 35 years, I’ve worked with retirees and pre-retirees who weren’t reckless—they were responsible. But they were unknowingly exposed to risks that don’t show up until it matters most:
Market volatility right before or during retirement. Poor withdrawal strategies. Unnecessary taxes. And most importantly… the risk of running out of income.
Early in my career, I noticed something that changed how I approach everything.
The financial industry is heavily focused on accumulation—growing your money.
But almost no one is truly focused on distribution—how you actually use that money to create income and sustain your lifestyle.
And that’s where the biggest mistakes happen.
I’ve seen people with substantial savings struggle… and others with less money retire more confidently—because they had a plan built around income, not just investments.
That realization led me to specialize in retirement income planning, estate planning, and asset protection strategies.
It’s also what led me to write The Retirement Navigator—to help people understand how to protect what they’ve built and avoid the costly mistakes I’ve seen too many times.
For podcast audiences, what I bring is not theory. It’s real-world insight into:
• How retirement actually works once the paycheck stops
• The biggest risks most people don’t see coming
• And practical ways to create more certainty in an uncertain environment
Especially today—with market volatility, rising costs, and even emerging risks like AI potentially disrupting income later in life—this conversation has never been more relevant.
My goal isn’t to make things complicated. It’s to help people simplify their financial lives, protect their income, and move into retirement with clarity and confidence.
Because at the end of the day, retirement isn’t about how much you have. It’s about whether your money will last—and whether you can depend on it.
And that’s exactly what I help people solve.
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