There they are. The young. The (often) beautiful. The experts traveling around the world (Davos, CES, Dubai) to share their insights with the world. Power to them. Their veneer is often a bit thin, whereas their bravado is punchy and sharp. The “honestly” is a joke, right?

Young Experts

I was working with a company recently and noticed that every member of the team around the table was either a Director or Sr. Manager of some department. The entire team, including the CEO, was under 35 years old. I said to myself, “Okay, wake up. This IS the real world today.”

As we began talking about their marketing plans and challenges I was impressed by the energy and conviction of some of the ideas being pasted on our ideation whiteboard. These young people knew their stuff. Their niche of the world was obvious to them. The rest of the world is a bit more ambiguous. Let me give an example of a successful youthful influencer who appears to be popular and rich, as a result of her smart moves.

Money with Katie is a pretty good practical blog about saving money and making money. All good and well. The promos, however, tell an oddly immature pitch. I’m going to pick on Katie for a moment and show a bit of her youthful attitude that probably does serve her target demographic using the hashtag #richgirlnation.

Here is Katie. Proudly retired. “Um, wait, what?”

This is where my journey began with Katie and her “RETIRED” shirt. A similarly aged woman was playing tennis in a cardio workout class with me, and I asked her, “So, you’re retired already?” I was trying to understand her shirt. She took it as a challenge. “Not yet, but soon!”

I’m sorry, but in my life (now 61) retirement has never been my goal. Most of my “retired” friends look, well, retired. Not like Katie above, who looks happy and confident. But what she’s selling in this branding of RETIRED to me is a huge miss.

I don’t want to retire. I want to love my work. I want to make money for my play. And I hope to continue being relevant and engaged for another 20 or 30 years. If I retired today, let’s say NVIDIA stock went 100X tomorrow, what would I be doing more of and less of?

MORE OF THIS

• writing, recording, and playing music live
• writing, editing, and publishing more books
• more time on the tennis court, ski slopes, and nature walks
• more shared experiences with my kids or my girlfriend

LESS OF THIS

• work for hire, doing stuff I don’t really love
• work for bad managers or companies that push bogus products or values
• commuting
• meetings that could’ve should’ve been an email
• television in all forms
• arguing on social media, or just all social media in general

I don’t need Katie’s strategies to get me there. I’ve had a successful career. I’m spending a good 50% of my time these days doing exactly what I want. I still have a few of those “cash flow” items I must do to support my other passions. So, on we go.

If I had been pointed toward RETIREMENT when I was 25 years old, I might have taken a different path. I’m not sure that mindset is the healthiest idea for young people.

If RETIRE EARLY is the rally cry of the #richgirlnation I’m not sure I can support my young tennis player’s attitude. She didn’t want to talk about it. I tried, playfully, to keep the conversation going but it quickly devolved into something resembling an all-out defensive attack. She mumbled something about “never having kids” and “making a ton of money in UX design.” I didn’t pursue the conversation when I understood she was waving a red cape at me.

Okay, back to Katie.

Let’s also make note of the fine print on Katie’s website.

<disclaimer>

While I love diving into investing- and tax law-related data, I am not a financial professional. I have no formal financial education. I am not a financial advisor, portfolio manager, or accountant. This is not financial advice, investing advice, or tax advice. The information on this website is for informational and recreational purposes only. Investment products discussed (ETFs, index funds, etc.) are for illustrative purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or otherwise transact in any of the products mentioned. Do your own due diligence. Past performance does not guarantee future returns. Some content may contain affiliate or referral links. I only feature credit cards, services, and apps that I personally use and love, and unless otherwise explicitly noted, the references to services and products are unpaid and unsponsored. Money with Katie, LLC.

</disclaimer>

Notice the LLC. Katie is well-protected from any financial pirates going after her youthful advice. Heck, she’s even partnered with a CFP as a referral driver. So, she’s got her site locked down and her cashflow/affiliate action going as well. Good for her.

Her FAQ of topics.

And her best-of highlights.

And finally, where the rubber meets the road. Here is what Katie is offering her visitors. I’m guessing these packages come with a free RETIRED t-shirt, colors and sizes TBD.

GOOD: $2,500, BETTER: $4,500, and BEST: $7,500.

Okay, so there you go, Katie wants to become your financial advisor without being a financial professional. She wants to coach you. That’s cool. And she’s obviously successful at what she’s doing.

Again, what has she RETIRED FROM? It looks to me like Katie is hustling quite hard to be our youthful #richgirlnation advisor. And, sure, if you want to talk to a CFP (certified financial planner) you can go to her affiliate link. I’m guessing actually becoming a CFP would be a bit too much work for Katie. Besides, who needs the accreditation or education? She’s a celebrity with followers, like my young tennis buddy, wearing her mantra on their chests.

RETIRED.

Sorry, that’s not my goal. I’m not sure I’m going to advise my 21-year-old daughter to read Katie’s blog anytime soon. Well, except for the one where she cut down on all her *bs* girlie expenses that were keeping her broke. My daughter could use that one post. But RETIRE EARLY shouldn’t be anyone’s strategy. In my opinion. Love what you do. Do what you love. Figure out money as you go along. And make smarter and smarter decisions based on your life experience.

If you’re 28-ish, you’re life experiences are going to be a bit thin. Yes, thanks for flying to Davos on a tax-deductible junket, to give us your opinion on world issues. I’m sure your life experience has a unique perspective on the topic. But, before you give me retirement advice, I’d like to see your CFP credentials. Heck, Katie, how about your life coaching credentials?

John McElhenney — let’s connect online
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