The Retirement Decision Lab
For Americans 55 and older deciding when, whether and where to retire. At home or abroad.
You get one retirement. Don't guess your way through it.
Most people make the biggest financial decision of their life on a hunch, a rule of thumb, and a Social Security statement. Four weeks. Four decisions. Your own numbers, worked live.
Answer these honestly
Four questions. Can you answer any of them with a number?
Not a feeling. Not "I think we'll be fine." A number you worked out yourself.
At the way you spend today, how many years until your money runs out?
Your answerIf the dollar drops against the currency where you live, what happens to your monthly budget?
Your answerIf you stop working completely, what do you lose besides the paycheck?
Your answerIs where you live the best place for your money, or just the place you're used to?
Your answer
If you left those blank, you don't have a retirement plan. You have a hope.
The cost of guessing
A wrong retirement decision doesn't cost you once. It costs you every month.
You run short when you can least fix it.
At 80, going back to work isn't a plan. The shortfall shows up when your options are fewest.
You trade healthy years for money you didn't need.
Every extra year of work you didn't have to do is a year you don't get back.
You pay a premium for the rest of your life.
The same income buys a different life in different places. Staying put is a decision too.
Retire at 65 and your money may need to last into your 90s. That's a long time to live with a decision you never tested.
One-time investment
$297 once, against what a wrong guess costs every month
| A small mistake, repeated | What it adds up to |
|---|---|
| Overspending $150 a month on housing you didn't need, for 20 years | $36,000 |
| Your currency slips 10% against a $3,000 monthly budget, for one year | $3,600 |
| Giving up $800 a month of part-time income you could have kept, for 5 years | $48,000 |
| Retiring two years early on a plan that runs short at 85 | Your options |
| The Retirement Decision Lab. The method is yours for life. | $297 once |
Illustrations, not predictions. Your numbers will differ. That's the point: in the Lab you run your own.
The four decisions
One live 90-minute working session for each
The order matters. Each week builds on the answer from the week before. You bring your numbers. We work them together.
- Week 1
Can you afford to retire?
Your real income, measured in the currency you'll actually spend it in.
Wed Nov 4 - Week 2
Should you stop earning?
Retirement doesn't have to mean zero income. Ways to keep money coming in after 60.
Wed Nov 11 - Week 3
Where does your money work hardest?
The price of place. Locations compared on total value, not cost of living alone.
Wed Nov 18 - Week 4
What will your retirement look like?
Income, work, location and lifestyle put together into one strategy.
Wed Dec 2
What you get
Built on your numbers, not examples
- Four live 90-minute working sessions, Wednesdays at 7pm Eastern
- Replays of every session, in case you miss one
- Worksheets you fill in with your own income and costs
- Your personal Retirement Decision Brief at the end
- Three months of the Sovereo Brief
- A free seat in any future cohort
- First 20 to enrollA private 30-minute Decision Review with Todd
$297
Same price every cohort. Enrollment runs Oct 11 to Friday Oct 23 at noon Eastern, waitlist first.
All enrollments are final. Can't make this cohort? Your seat moves to a future cohort at no charge.
Before you join
This won't pick your investments, file your taxes, or tell you where to move.
It will make you run your own numbers and make four decisions on purpose. If you want someone to decide for you, this isn't it.
Todd is not a financial advisor. His work is decision integrity: making life's biggest decisions on purpose, with your own numbers, and owning the outcome. He is an American living in Bogotá, Colombia, and made these four decisions himself.
Questions
Before you join
Is this only for people moving abroad?
No. Week 3 compares places, including where you live now. Many people finish the Lab and decide to stay put. The point is that staying is a decision you make on purpose.
What if I miss a live session?
Every session is recorded. You get the replay and the worksheet, and you can bring your questions to the next session.
Can I get a refund?
No. All enrollments are final. If something comes up and you can't attend this cohort, your seat moves to any future cohort at no charge. Read the page, answer the four questions, and join only if you're ready to do the work.
What do I need to take part?
A computer or tablet with internet, and your own numbers: income sources, monthly spending, and any savings you plan to draw on. You'll get a short intake form after you enroll.
Is this financial advice?
No. Todd is an educator, not a financial advisor. The Lab teaches decision integrity: a method for making big decisions deliberately and applying it to your own situation. It does not recommend investments or provide tax, legal or financial planning.
When and where does it happen?
Live on Zoom, Wednesdays at 7pm Eastern: November 4, 11, 18 and December 2. No session the night before Thanksgiving.
Waitlist
Stop guessing. Get first access on October 11.
Waitlist members hear first when enrollment opens, before it's announced anywhere else. Your answer below shapes what we cover.
You're on the list.
Watch your inbox on October 11. That's when enrollment opens to the waitlist.