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Old-School Habits and Long-Term Thinking

Ian Group | Ian Builds Wealth
5 minute read

Ian Builds Wealth shares the retirement lessons he learned from his dad and father-in-law: keep things organized, think long-term, and stay consistent. These simple, old-school habits provide a clear path to building lasting financial peace of mind.

The Retirement Wisdom I Live By

We all get money advice from someone, but not all of it sticks.

Some advice fades. But every now and then, something clicks, and stays with you because it's grounded in how that person lives.

My dad is an accountant, so, naturally, he’s good with numbers. But he’s always preferred doing things the old-school way. He still uses paper and pens to track everything and somehow always knows exactly what he has and where he stands.

He’s also a very positive thinker, constantly saying: “Things will work out… just work hard, keep your head down, and the universe will provide.”

That mindset stuck with me.

I met my father-in-law about a decade ago when I started dating my wife. He’s a long-term thinker and a disciplined investor. Right from the start, he talked to me about how small decisions can shape your future.

He once said, “The ripple effect means that the things you do today will impact you tomorrow. That goes for everything in life, including your health and your money.”

Between the two of them, I’ve learned how to think about money with both structure and vision.

One showed me how to manage the numbers.

The other showed me how to let them grow.

And both taught me to stay grounded and think long-term.

Their advice is the kind that sticks, and it continues to shape how I plan for the future, especially when it comes to retirement.

Most People Have Accounts, But Not a Clear Picture

In my work as a money coach, I see the same thing over and over.

People in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are earning solid incomes, building their lives, and doing their best to save for retirement. But when I ask them where their accounts are, how much they’ve saved, or whether they’re on track, the answer is usually, “I’m not really sure.”

That’s not because they’re careless. It’s because they’ve worked at different jobs, opened multiple retirement accounts, and never had a way to see it all in one place.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

And that’s exactly why I think a tool like PensionBee can help.

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Why Use PensionBee

PensionBee is an online retirement provider that helps people combine all their old 401(k)s and IRAs into a single account. You don’t need to be a financial expert to use it. You just need to want a clearer path forward.

Here’s what I like about it:

It simplifies everything. Instead of logging into three or four accounts, you get one retirement investment account that shows your entire retirement savings attached to a smart planner to help you estimate where you want to be when you retire.

Whether your transfer accounts online in the app or with a phone call, you get personal support. PensionBee gives you a dedicated “BeeKeeper” who helps you to rollover your old accounts if needed or is at hand for any other questions you have to be in total control

It’s made for real life. Their app makes it easy to check in on your progress, just like you would with your bank account.

I think it’s a smart choice for anyone who feels scattered or unsure about where they stand.

Want to Get More Organized with Retirement? Start Here.

Regardless of what tools or strategies you use to take better control of your future finances, here are a few steps I often recommend:

  1. Think in decades, not days.  Investing for retirement isn’t about what happens this week or even this year. It’s about creating a future that’s 20 or 30 years down the road. The earlier you start thinking long-term, the easier the path becomes.
  2. Focus on consistency, not perfection.  You don’t need to invest huge amounts all at once. What matters most is setting up a habit. Whether it’s $100 or $1,000 a month, steady contributions to a retirement account over time will grow through the power of compounding. 
  3. Stay invested, even when it’s uncomfortable.  Markets go up and down. That’s normal. What matters is staying the course. The people who build real wealth aren’t the ones who time the market, they’re the ones who stay in it. 
  4. Choose simple, diversified investments.  You don’t need to pick stocks or chase trends. For most people, low-cost index funds or ETFs that spread risk across the market are the most effective way to build wealth over time.
  5. Review your plan, but don’t overreact.  It’s important to check in on your retirement strategy, but avoid making changes every time the news gets scary. Long-term investing is about patience, not panic.

What I’m Teaching My Kids

Now that I have three kids, I think a lot about what I’m passing down.

From my dad, I learned the importance of paying attention to the details and staying optimistic about the future. From my father-in-law, I learned the value of consistency and making decisions with the long term in mind.

I want my kids to grow up seeing that taking care of your future is normal. That it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being intentional.

That’s why I’m so focused on making smart, simple choices now, because I know they’re watching, just like I watched my dads.

If You Want Peace of Mind, Start With Clarity

You don’t need to become an expert to take control of your retirement. You just need a system that helps you stay organized and consistent.

Whether that means working with an advisor, using a spreadsheet, or signing up for a platform like PensionBee, the key is to stop putting it off.

Retirement isn’t something you prepare for later. It’s something you build little by little, starting now.

If your retirement accounts are scattered and your future feels fuzzy, it’s time to bring it all into focus.

Whether you use PensionBee or another strategy: get organized, stay consistent, and think long-term. 

That’s how you build real peace of mind.

It’s the advice that stuck with me.

And it’s the same advice I’m passing down to my kids.

Your investment can go down as well as up. This post, and any associated customer testimonial or third party endorsement, is provided solely for informational and educational purposes, should not be taken as tax, legal, financial or investment advice and is not an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any securities or investments. Ian Builds Wealth is not a PensionBee Inc. customer and received payment for their endorsement.

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