Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters

Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters

Catching Up to FI is mindset, money, and life show for late starters of any age and for any reason, on the journey to Financial Independence (FI). The show is hosted by two late starters that have clawed their way back financially and share a passion for financial literacy and education. Bill Yount, MD is an emergency room physician that is still working and Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is a financial educator that reached FI and manage to retire at the age of 49 even after getting a late start. Together they talk to experts, other late starters, and explore topics that help listeners catch up and move closer to achieving their money and life goals. Our past guests have been thought leaders in the FI community with a special lens toward late starters, such as JL Collins (Simple Path to Wealth & Pathfinders), Brad Barrett (ChooseFI), Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache), Paula Pant (Afford Anything), Mindy Jensen & Scott Trench (BiggerPockets), Jeremy Schneider (Personal Finance Club & Necatrine) and more.

Episodes

July 13, 2025 41 mins

Bogleheads favorite Jon Luskin, CFP® drops in for a masterclass on keeping money moves “so dull they sparkle.” He specializes in providing hourly advice to do-it-yourself investors and is a long-time advocate of simple, low-cost investing. In this episode he shares with us:

  • Why every la...
Mark as Played

You asked and we answered! In this episode we tackle listener questions with more than just a one-sentence response… we go deeper and give you answers with our thoughtful insights, ideas and considerations important to late starters. These are the questions we cover on today’s show:

 

✅ Bill’s costly mistake with whole-life insurance; what should you do instead?

✅ How does the $19,000 annual gift tax exclusion work?

✅ Do I ha...

Mark as Played

On this mid-week episode we join the upbeat creators of 'Rebel Finance School', Alan and Katie Donegan, for a turbo-charged pep rally aimed at every late-starter who's ever whispered "it's too late for me." We kicked off the Donegans' free 10-week course that's helping thousands around the world on their journey to FI.  

 

📩 Sign up for our newsletter  NEW!

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 

Mark as Played

Jillian Johnsrud—mini-retirement evangelist, mother of five, and author of 'Retire Often'—returns to show us why pressing pause can be the ultimate career accelerator. In this episode she explains the three hallmarks of a bona-fide mini retirement and the three ways to snag one:

Read more

Mark as Played

On this mid-week episode, we're switching it up again. This time Bill joins the 'Finance for Physicians' podcast with host Daniel Wrenne, CFP®. In this vulnerable interview, Bill owns up to every late-starter mistake—credit-card splurges, 'free' advisors, and lifestyle creep after a twin-sized home upgrade. Then he slings real-world antidotes: pause-plan-pivot, backward budgeting, downsizing the McMansion...

Mark as Played

In this episode we are joined by Cary Carbonaro, an award-winning author, and Certified Financial Planner™ with over 25 years of experience. Her specialty is empowering women to discover their unique path to financial independence. One thing we love the most about Cary is how radically transparent she is with her clients. Just call her the "Queen of Transparency" because she shares her tax return, investm...

Mark as Played

This mid-week episode is the recording of a session done with the smart women of the WE (Women Empowered) Wealth Collective, titled: What Every Woman Should Know About Minimizing Taxes in Retirement. ‘Catching Up to FI’ co-host and author of ‘F.I.R.E for Dummies', Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC®, continues through an easy to follow checklist of tax considerations in retirement. She demo-drives 72(t) and RMD calculato...

Mark as Played

Mention financial independence and one of the first names that come up is JL Collins, author of the bestselling book 'The Simple Path to Wealth'. In fact, he is affectionately known as the Godfather of FI. One million copies and 10 years after its original publication, JL back with a shiny new, revised and expanded edition... and it just hit the New York Times Bestseller list!!!

We kn...

Mark as Played

Tax talk without the snooze-fest! This mid-week episode is the recording of a session done with the smart women of the WE (Women Empowered) Wealth Collective, titled: What Every Woman Should Know About Minimizing Taxes in Retirement. ‘Catching Up to FI’ co-host and author of ‘F.I.R.E for Dummies' Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC®, turns this insightful discussion into a masterclass on trimming Uncle Sam's tab at every ...

Mark as Played

Wall Street has us all on edge right now, so we called in one of the smartest people we know when it comes to stock market to help us make sense of it all, Sam Stovall. Sam is CFRA's Chief Strategist and a market historian that knows his stuff! He joins us in this episode to discuss:

  • What stock market history tells us about the shaky situation we're in today 
  • Read more
Mark as Played

We just hit 1 Million Podcast Downloads... that puts us in the top 1% of podcasts world wide!!! And we have you to thank 💞 This is a special message from Bill and Jackie to everyone that helped the podcast grow to this level. We are so grateful for the support and looking forward to the next million downloads with our regular Sunday episodes and occasional pop-up episodes on Wednesdays. 

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 

<...

Mark as Played

In this episode we are joined by Julien and Kiersten Saunders, co-creators of rich & REGULAR and authors of 'Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away'. What started as a blog in 2017 has grown into a multimedia powerhouse, all centered around their mission… to inspire better conversations about money. Hear why Julien walked out of corporate life before he had 'FU money,' and how Kiersten's Valenti...

Mark as Played

Childhood crushes can bloom into full-blown FI fairy tales, and Paul and Amanda Mollenkopf are living proof. They join us to tell their story and showcase the world premiere of Paul's first book, ‘Once Upon a FI.’ What started out as letters to his daughter grew into a delightful collection of short stories inspired by timeless classics and fables. The book is a refreshing approach to spreading the messag...

Mark as Played

Aussie paramedic-turned-life-coach Tasch Rogers joins us to unpack the head-on crash that shattered her body, her finances—and ultimately her limiting beliefs. After a 30-year career as a first responder, she had to leave it all behind and start over. She became intimately familiar with the effects of trauma and PTSD, having personally navigated through her own healing journey. Now as a life coach with ex...

Bill hops onto Jesse Cramer's 'Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors' (formally The Best Interest) podcast to spread the message that it's never too late to start. In this episode he shares:

  • The messy, shame-to-FI journey that inspired Catching Up to FI
  • His three-step "Pause-Plan-Pivot" playbook
  • His trademark mix of candor, nerdy humor, and high-five optimism

 

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 

Mark as Played
George Kinder is the pioneering mind behind Life Planning and founder of the Kinder Institute. He joins us for the second half of our enlightening conversation about the essence of financial freedom from last week. George is best known as the Father of Life Planning and creator of The Three Kinder Questions that probe deeper into our hopes, dreams, and fears. This episode brings you:
  • The real meaning behind the Kind...
In part one of this enlightening two-part series, we are joined by George Kinder, founder of the Kinder Institute. He’s best known as the Father of Life Planning and creator of The Three Kinder Questions that probe deeper into our hopes, dreams, and fears. In this episode we discuss:
  • The essence of financial maturity
  • The profound practice of living in the present moment to achieve true freedom
  • The power of envisioni...
Mark as Played
Today on the show we welcome Janine Firpo, an accomplished speaker, author, and social entrepreneur, dedicated to empowering women through values-aligned investing. She has a relentless drive to make a difference and poured it all into her book, 'Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a Better World'. In this episode, you will learn:
Mark as Played

In this episode, Bill & Jackie joined Doc G (Jordan Grumet) on the 'Earn & Invest Podcast' to talk about what it feels like to be a late starter in these uncertain times. Questions about a recession are looming and it's scary, especially for those just waking up and trying to catch up. They discuss the ups and downs and how late starters can still stay on track.

 

Mark as Played

Amy Minkley is the founder of FI Freedom Retreats, a passion project that was born out of her love and gratitude for the F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement and community. In this episode, she shares her journey to achieving financial independence (FI) while living in Bali, Indonesia. Amy gives us a glimpse into her lavish yet affordable lifestyle, spending only $30k a year. She details her...


Popular Podcasts

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

    24/7 News: The Latest

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    Latino USA

    Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S. centering Latino stories, hosted by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Maria Hinojosa Every week, the Peabody winning team brings you revealing, in-depth stories about what’s in the hearts and minds of Latinos and their impact on the world. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.