In this episode, Trevor Lawson tackles one of the most frequently searched retirement questions: "How much do I need to retire?" Inspired by a framework provided by ChatGPT, he outlines a seven-step process to calculate your retirement savings goal. The steps include estimating your annual spending in retirement, estimating the length of your retirement, factoring in inflation, considering guaranteed income sources (like Social Security and pensions), calculating the gap between spending needs and guaranteed income, and finally, using the 4% safe withdrawal rule to calculate the total savings needed. Trevor notes that a common rule of thumb is to have 25 times your annual expenses saved. While he finds the AI-generated framework a helpful starting point, he also stresses that a financial planner can provide a deeper layer of security by running more complex scenarios, such as stress-testing the plan for longevity, tax rate increases, or long-term care needs, to help pre-retirees achieve a "rock solid plan" with maximum confidence.

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