Your Retirement Fear Is Bigger Than Reality | David Starr

What if the retirement you're afraid of is the one you'd love? You spent decades filling the bucket. Nobody taught you how to turn on the tap without running it dry. David Starr found that out the hard way. Four decades in software and IT ended in a merger notice he did not see coming. He was terrified of losing his purpose, of running out of money, or of a retirement he had not planned for. In this conversation with host Brett A. Blake on Safe Money Radio, David walks through the retirement he feared and the one he actually got: Why David didn't see the notice coming, even after four decades in the same industry What scared him more once the notice arrived: losing the paycheck or losing his sense of purpose How a plain-language conversation with The MoneyWorks Group turned a scramble into a plan Why did he turn down his old job when they called two weeks after he retired What retirement actually felt like once the fear wore off Want to take the next step?Run your own numbers with the free WIYN calculator at brettblake.annuity.com, which takes about three minutes. Ready to talk it through? Book a Retirement Clarity Session with Brett. Not a sales call. Not a slide deck. Your numbers, not ours. Full episode on Safe Money Radio. Worry Less. Live Longer. About the host Brett A. Blake is the host of Safe Money Radio and the CEO of Annuity.com, Inc. He lives in Gilbert, Arizona with his wife Erin and their five children and three grandchildren. Before Annuity.com, he built and scaled a business from roughly fifty million to nearly one billion in revenue. He's a builder before he's an executive. About the guest David Starr is a recently retired network engineer from Plano, Texas, with four decades in software and IT. His retirement came earlier than expected after a corporate merger. When he's not enjoying his hobbies, David runs Plano Santa, a professional Santa Claus business offering in-person and virtual visits across North Texas. Follow or Subscribe to Safe Money Radio Podcast on your favorite platforms Website: safemoneyradio.com | YouTube: @SafeMoneyRadioPodcast | Facebook: Safe Money Radio | Instagram: @safemoneyradiopodcast | TikTok: @safemoneyradiopod | Twitter (X): @safemoney_radio Follow Brett A. Blake LinkedIn: @brettblake | Retirement tools: brettblake.annuity.com | Email: brett.blake@annuity.com Follow David Starr Website: planosanta.com | Email: Santa@PlanoSanta.com | Facebook: David Starr #RetirementIncome #RetirementPlanning #RealRetireeStories #RetirementFears #SafeMoneyRadio DISCLAIMER Safe Money Radio is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice. Products discussed may not be appropriate for everyone. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Product availability varies by state. Guest opinions are their own. Our agents are licensed to sell insurance products, including annuity products that guarantee retirement income based on the financial strength of the insurance company providing the product. Annuities may not be suitable for everyone. Guarantees are not government-backed or provided by Annuity.com, Inc. Safe Money Radio, Brett A. Blake, and Annuity.com, Inc. are not affiliated with The MoneyWorks Group and do not endorse or guarantee its services. Annuity.com, Inc. is a licensed insurance agency. National Producer Number (NPN): 21086345. Licensed in all states where required by law. Doing business in Florida and California as "Annuity.com Insurance Marketing," CA License No. 6013124. In New York, licensed as Annuity.com Insurance Solutions, License No. LA-1860109.