Why everyone benefits from a retirement planning class

Courtesy of MDRT

Joel Barjenbruch is a firm believer in the pursuit of knowledge and being a lifetime student, and he finds it crucial to leverage his studious mind in aiding his community.

He has transformed this passion into action by adapting a personal finance curriculum to fit the needs of his community. These retirement planning classes not only help Barjenbruch to live out his values, but they also create new opportunities to connect with potential clients and use the knowledge he has gained to improve the lives of those around him.

It all began when Barjenbruch started to get the same questions and concerns from both clients, friends and family about retirement and retirement planning over and over again. “Unlike advisors, the average consumer is likely unaware of the intricate details of retirement planning.

There was this thirst for understanding retirement strategies that I began to see around me and in client meetings every day – people want assurances that they are making the right decisions for their future,” said Barjenbruch.

In response to this need for introductory financial knowledge, Barjenbruch adapted a personal finance curriculum to instruct a six-hour course covering the basics of retirement strategies. The class does require a fee for participants, covering the textbook cost and the time invested.

Diverse course offerings

At first, the course was for small groups of five to ten attendees in person, but the pandemic prompted Barjenbruch to offer various digital courses to larger groups. The courses cover concepts like Social Security, deciding how much to save for their lifestyle in retirement, risk management and more.

Depending on attendees and their needs, Barjenbruch dives deep into subjects and may even partner with a specialist, like those in Social Security or Medicare, for students to hear the experts' unique perspectives. This collaborative approach highlights how advisors sometimes partner with local experts and colleagues to provide the best insight on each client's unique situation.

Barjenbruch has found that attendees are interested in not only increasing their financial knowledge, but in seeking out a trusted expert and someone they could work with in the future.

“There are times when a class participant wants to keep learning more, leading to introductory meetings to further review their retirement situation. While this wasn’t the immediate goal of the classes, it has been a great outcome.”

While every attendee has different needs, the students all walk away with new financial confidence and a willingness to share that with loved ones. This is well aligned with Barjenbruch’s values and goals, sharing, “That is what makes this all worth it to me. I get to do what I love, talking about the things that I find most interesting, and empowering others to not be intimidated by financial decisions that impact them and their families.”

About the MDRT Member
Joel Barjenbruch CFP®, RICP®, CLU®, ChFC®, LACP, is a comprehensive financial planner, owning and operating JS Financial, Inc. with offices in Lincoln & Omaha, Nebraska. Joel and his office specialize in full-scale retirement planning & risk management following a fiduciary standard, serving the needs of individuals, business owners and their families. Joel is a 12-year MDRT member.