Markets are wobbly, rate-cut expectations keep shifting, oil prices are making headlines, and AI is changing the investment landscape fast. In this episode of The Financial Safari, Thomas Lipscomb and Coach Pete D’Arruda discuss why retirees and pre-retirees should avoid reactionary, news-driven financial decisions and focus instead on building a retirement plan designed for income, protection, and long-term confidence.

Coach Pete breaks down the importance of a market safety plan, lifetime income strategies, and the “Core and Explore” approach. He also explains how the 22-step Total Retirement Plan helps uncover retirement blind spots involving taxes, Social Security timing, withdrawal strategies, healthcare, estate planning, long-term care, and legacy goals.

The conversation also covers the risks of chasing headlines, the dangers of non-traded REITs, why individual investors may struggle against institutional players, and how AI-related market excitement can create FOMO for investors. Plus, listeners learn how to request Coach Pete’s latest retirement resources, including the Total Retirement Plan workbook and Tax Savvy Retirement.