When I think about the start of spring, I think about spending the Easter holiday with my family, the colors returning to our green spaces, a little more sunshine, and maybe a shower or two.

Hail the size of baseballs? Not a part of my vision!

But that's what a massive storm brought to Kansas City a few weeks ago. Like so many folks, I'm still fixing broken windshields and dents on my family's cars and having my roof checked out.

Of course, none of us can control the weather. But we can prepare for the unexpected by buying insurance, keeping some emergency cash in our savings, and making home upgrades that protect our most valuable assets.

And, as we discuss on today's show while answering three timely listener questions, the same principle applies to financial planning. We can't control what's happening in the world or how the markets react to the news of the day. But we can be proactive about how we weather the storms of inflation and volatility.

The 2026 news cycle is spinning at a dizzying pace. Technology is rapidly upending how we work and live. With midterm elections on the horizon, our leaders in Washington are sharpening their visions for the future and policy proposals. And geopolitical tensions across the globe are giving investors something new to react to -- and worry about -- on a daily basis.

On today's show, we unpack some of the major stories we're monitoring and give you a clear-eyed perspective on the current economic outlook.

Matt Wilson, Keen Wealth's Chief Investment Officer and President, recently hosted an excellent webinar on Tax Planning Through the Four Stages of Retirement. In addition to providing a thorough overview of the tax issues that seniors should be prepared for, Matt also wanted to remind folks that the best time to ask questions about retirement is before you retire.

And I'm glad that several of our webinar attendees took Matt up on that offer!

On today's show, we discuss three follow-up questions to Matt's webinar that touch on not just taxes but also the value of working with a financial advisor on a holistic plan for retirement.