The Perfect Portfolio with Peter Lazaroff

Peter Lazaroff, Chief Investment Officer of PlanCorp and author of The Perfect Portfolio, joins Roger to explore what makes a portfolio “perfect.” The answer isn’t a mathematically optimized portfolio—it’s one that serves your life. They discuss how to align investments with your goals and purpose, manage risk, evaluate stocks and bonds, and create a simple investment process you can actually stick with.OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN PODCAST(00:00) Roger welcomes Peter Lazaroff to discuss The Perfect Portfolio, shares what’s happening inside the Rock Retirement Club, and explores why the right portfolio is the one that serves your life. INTERVIEW WITH PETER LAZAROFF(2:58) Roger introduces Peter Lazaroff, author of The Perfect Portfolio, and they discuss what makes a portfolio “perfect,” why there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and how your goals, preferences, risk capacity, and purpose should shape your investment strategy. (12:12) Peter explains why the purpose of your money should drive your investment strategy and how to think about risk capacity, time horizons, and different goals.(20:00) Roger and Peter begin filling in the pieces of the asset allocation, discussing indexing, factor investing, and how to approach the different components of a portfolio. (40:32) Peter shares practical steps for implementing an investment strategy, including creating an investment policy, automating decisions, and connecting each investment to a specific purpose.LISTENER QUESTIONS(47:33) Dan: How can he find his complete Social Security earnings history?(48:48) Maggie: Are future Social Security benefit estimates adjusted for inflation and cost-of-living adjustments?(51:09) Jay: When should he file Form SSA-44 if he expects an IRMAA surcharge from a one-time income event?(53:05) Renee: How should an ultra-short-term bond fund fit into a five-year retirement income floor?SMART SPRINT(1:00:14) Look at your entire portfolio and connect each investment to the goal it is meant to serve.ON THE BOOKSHELF(1:01:12) Nicole recommends The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon, and Roger shares his thoughts on Animal Farm by George Orwell.REFERENCESThe Perfect Portfolio by Peter LazaroffSocial Security AdministrationRock Retirement with Roger Whitney — YouTube channelSubmit a Question for RogerRock Retirement ClubThe Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. BaconAnimal Farm by George Orwell