Learning After 50: My Story
I’ve always been learning something.
Drag racing. Locksmithing. Scuba diving. Electronics. Automotive technology. Financial planning. Computer certifications. Playing the drums.
I’ve written four non-fiction books, earned my FAA Part 107 commercial drone pilot license, visited 45 states and lived in 5, driven the full length of the Pacific Coast Highway, and taken a one-year sabbatical to figure out what I wanted to do next.
Some people discover lifelong learning in retirement. I’ve been doing it my whole life.
My name is Bill. I’m in my early seventies, and I retired four years ago after 35+ years in financial services. I have degrees in Electronics Technology, Business Management with an Economics minor, and Accounting. I’m a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC).
Learning new things isn’t a retirement hobby for me – it’s how I’ve always lived.
But here’s what changed when I retired in March 2022: suddenly, I had nearly unlimited time to learn, and the world had unlimited things to teach me. AI tools are launching weekly. There are online courses and videos on everything imaginable. New skills are calling my name. And no one is helping people my age sort through the noise.
So, I kept doing what I’ve always done – I continued learning everything. I got my AI Specialist certificate and learned to build an AI digital clone. I’ve started learning Spanish. I’m testing ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Perplexity, and Gemini to understand what they can actually do. I bought two drones and started flying them. I’m writing more books. And after taking dozens of courses over my lifetime, I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting which ones are worth your time and which ones aren’t.
Here’s the truth: retirement is more expensive than I expected, even after 45 years of planning. And sorting through hundreds of learning options – courses, apps, tools, platforms – takes time and money. I’ve wasted both, so you don’t have to.
That’s why Learning After 50 exists.
What You’ll Find Here
I focus on three areas that matter most in this stage of life:
AI & Technology – No hype, no scare tactics, just honest testing and real answers. I’ve spent years learning AI. I have an AI Specialist certificate. I know how to build a digital clone and set up AI Agents. I share what actually works for people like us – no technical background required.
Hobbies & Skills – From music to traveling to drones to writing books, I’ve learned dozens of skills over my lifetime. I know what works at different ages, how learning changes as we get older, and why learning after 50 is different than learning at 30 (and often better). I document my current learning projects and share what I discover.
Retirement Planning & Living – I spent over 35 years as a financial professional. Now I’m living in retirement, and I can tell you: financial planning is just the foundation. Retirement requires purpose, ongoing growth, and honest guidance about the real costs and challenges nobody mentions in the brochures.
What Makes This Different
I’m not selling courses, and any affiliate links you see are for products I’ve used myself. I’m in my early seventies, I’ve been a lifelong learner since long before it was trendy, and I’m sharing what I’ve actually tested, tried, and liked.
Everything I recommend comes from personal experience. I’ve taken the courses, earned the certifications, used the tools, traveled the roads, made the mistakes, and figured out what’s worth your time and money at this stage of life.
Think of me as someone who’s been learning his whole life and wants to help you cut through the hundreds of options to find what actually works.
Join Me
If you’re approaching retirement, living it, or years into your new life – and you’re not ready to stop growing – you’re in the right place.
Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, where I share what I’m learning, give honest recommendations based on my testing, and insights from decades of learning new things.
Let’s figure out this next chapter together.