Are you between the ages of 50-70 and considering retirement? We have the class for you!
We hold educational workshop classes through the UW Extension. These classes help individuals understand their finances and learn how to plan to go on to meet their financial goals in retirement.
Interested in Attending?
Retirement Planning Today Workshop
Time: Courses will start at 6:30PM and end at 9:30PM. This course consists of TWO three-hour sessions.
Registration Fee: A spouse, partner or guest may attend with you for a single registration fee of $75.
DANE COUNTY
Location: Driftless Room @ 5201 Fen Oak Drive, Madison, WI 53718
2025 Winter Class Dates:
- Wednesdays: 1/22 & 1/29
- Thursdays: 1/30 & 2/6
- Mondays: 2/3 & 2/10
- Wednesdays: 2/12 & 2/19
- Mondays: 2/24 & 3/3
- Tuesdays: 3/4 & 3/11
To register online, please click here.
For questions or to request a brochure, please call (608) 224-3700.
WAUKESHA COUNTY
Location: Lake Lounge @ 17975 W Sarah Lane, Brookfield, WI 53045
2025 Winter Class Dates:
- Thursdays: 1/30 & 2/6
- Tuesdays: 2/4 & 2/11
- Wednesdays: 2/26 & 3/5
- Tuesdays: 3/4 & 3/11
To register online, please click here.
For questions or to request a brochure, please call (262) 210-4977.
Why Financial Education is Important
Due to recent tax law changes, an uncertain future for Social Security, and the shift toward employee-directed retirement plans, the need for sound financial strategies has never been greater. Whether your objective is to build a nest egg, preserve your assets, or maintain your lifestyle throughout retirement, this course will help you plan your future in confidence.
By attending this two-day course, you learn many ways to save for retirement. Discover how you can save money on income taxes, manage investment risks, and safeguard your assets from potential long-term care expenses.
Who Should Attend
The Retirement Planning Today course offers something for everyone. This course will teach you how to build wealth and align your money with your values to accomplish your goals in life. Whether your retirement is out 20 years from now or you just recently retired, the information learned in this class can deliver rewards throughout your lifetime.
Course Outline
This two-day course explains time-tested strategies that will help you make informed financial decisions. As part of your registration, you will receive two textbooks, one for each night of class. These textbooks cover 8 different sections.
- Life Planning for Retirement– To financially prepare for your retirement, you need a clear idea of your retirement and lifestyle goals. This course begins with quick, individual exercises to help you start thinking about non-financial planning.
- Retirement Needs & Expenses– What are your retirement expectations? This section contains exercises to help you determine how much money you will need to retire in the future.
- Retirement Roadblocks & Mistakes– This section identifies the 10 biggest retirement planning mistakes and how to avoid them. The highlight of this section is 11 strategies for saving money on this year’s taxes.
- Retirement Income Sources– This section investigates how you can save for retirement and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each. You learn whether you should convert an IRA to a Roth IRA and, if so, if it is to your advantage to make conversions over multiple years. Finally, you look at employer-sponsored retirement plans and Social Security benefits to explore the important choices you must make.
- Retirement Plan Distribution– This expanded section addresses the crucial decisions people must make about their retirement plans when they retire. We discuss strategies that allow you to take money out of your retirement plans while maintaining financial flexibility during retirement. In addition, you also learn strategies to minimize taxes on your retirement income and avoid tax penalties.
- Investments– In the most extensive section of this course, you learn about cash accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individually managed accounts, tax-deferred annuities, and important considerations before you invest. The highlight of this section is 5 strategies for managing investment risks.
- Risk Management & Asset Preservation– This section addresses strategies designed to insure you from sizeable financial loss before or during retirement. We investigate many aspects of long-term health care, including the chance of you needing it, the cost, who should purchase insurance, and alternatives. We also compare different types of life insurance and discuss how to select the appropriate coverage for you and your family. You learn what questions to ask before purchasing insurance coverage.
- Estate Planning– Estate planning isn’t just about money and includes much more than planning for your death. It involves personal decisions that affect you, your family, and your loved ones even while still living. You learn strategies and techniques to minimize or eliminate income, gift and estate taxes, expenses, delays, legal challenges, and a shortage of liquid assets following your death.
Optional Financial Consultation
If you have financial questions that are personal in nature or relate to specific financial products, you may arrange to meet privately with one of your instructors. This consultation meeting is complimentary to attendees of the Retirement Planning Today workshop but is not required.
