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Many retirees enter their golden years with the goal of financial security, but what if the biggest risk isn't running out of money—it's not spending enough of it? A surprising new study reveals that retirees are withdrawing just 2% a year from their savings—barely half of what's traditionally considered safe.

This cautious approach might seem responsible, but it often leads to unnecessary frugality, mis...

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Are you spending too little in retirement, worried you might outlive your savings? Many retirees struggle to strike the right balance, often holding back on enjoying the wealth they've worked a lifetime to build. I'll show you how to overcome those fears and spend with confidence while still planning for the future.

What about real estate? Whether you're thinking about renting instead of owning, leveragi...

Major charitable-giving changes are set to take effect next year under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As a result, 2025 may be the best—and possibly last—great year to make a big charitable gift and get the full tax benefit in the same year. 

Listen in to hear the changes that take place in 2026 that could make 2025 the best year to use donor advised funds.

In our listener question segment, Christie inquires about buying a home in...

A new report says retirees who use a so-called "bridge strategy" can actually spend more and need fewer assets to retire securely.

That's right. By delaying Social Security and using other savings to "bridge the gap," you could improve your lifetime income, reduce longevity risk, and build more peace of mind into your plan. 

We will break down the research and find ways to make Social Security work harder for you.

After that, I'll ...

If something promises higher returns, it comes with higher risk — even if that risk isn't easy to see. And if something promises to protect your downside, it's usually charging you for it through fees, limited upside, or long-term lockups.

Today's headline from Ben Henry-Moreland fits that idea perfectly. "Why 'Downside Protection' ETFs Don't Protect Portfolios As Well As A Stock-Bond Mix (In The Long Term)". 

After that, I'll answ...

A few episodes ago, we covered Derek Tharp's research suggesting that not everyone should delay until 70 — especially those with shorter life expectancies or limited assets.

This week's headline brings the opposite perspective: Michael Finke argues that for higher-income retirees who expect to live longer, claiming early is almost always a mistake — and that fear-based decisions about Social Security's solvency can cost retirees hu...

Do lower-cost funds tend to outperform pricier ones over time?

Jeffrey Ptak analyzed fifteen years of performance data covering virtually every U.S. mutual fund and ETF. He divided them into five "cost buckets," from the cheapest 10% all the way up to the most expensive 10%. He then compared each group's average monthly return against its peers within the same category.

The result? A clean, almost perfect staircase of performance. 

Vanguard Research put out a paper called "The Emotional and Time Value of Advice" (June 2025). 

It claims that there are "emotional benefits and time-saving value that paid professional financial advice provides to clients." 

In other words: The benefit isn't the portfolio or financial advice, but the emotional and time-saving value getting paid professional advice can provide. 

Then for our listener question: Gary wants to know ho...

Only about 4% of retirees actually wait until age 70 to claim Social Security, despite the financial benefits of delaying them.

This comes from an article by Derek Tharp at Kitces.com titled "The Flaws In Using A 0% Discount Rate To Justify Delaying Social Security". It takes a hard look at why the common advice to "wait until 70" might not always hold up in the real world. 

Tharp argues that the assumptions baked into much of the ...

Our retirement headline is from a ThinkAdvisor article titled "Ed Slott: Roth Conversions Are Trickier Under New Tax Law" by Melanie Waddell.

"With the extended tax cuts under President Trump's recently passed tax and spending law, 'Roth conversions should be accelerated to take advantage of more years of low tax rates,' according to Ed Slott of Ed Slott & Co. 

'You never want to leave a low tax bracket unfilled,' he said. 'Low tax...

Should I collect Social Security early & invest the proceeds into the stock market? This is the age-old question I see on a nearly daily basis in retirement forums.

An article from Morningstar - written by Christine Benz and features a conversation with Social Security expert Mary Beth Franklin - gives me the basis for sharing six obstacles for claiming instead of waiting. 

Also, we share a listener question about whether retirees ...

Inflammatory headlines are "Clickbait", and I am not immune to falling for them.

"Social Security recipients set to face an $18,000 benefit cut in just seven years" is the most recent culprit in my Google feed - with an image of a Social Security check with a wrecking ball smashing straight through it.

The good news is the headline is pretty far from reality for most people, and I explain why.

Listen in to understand who might actu...

"Only 5% of retirees say they're living the dream and 19% are living the nightmare." says Deb Boyden in an article from Yahoo Finance. Deb provides three lessons to protect your future, which we dig into to see how it applies to your retirement:

Lesson 1: You're Probably Not Saving Enough
Lesson 2: Expect the Unexpected
Lesson 3: Winging It Won't Get You There

In our Listener Question segment, we talk about the pro rata rule and Ro...