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So I retired September 11 and thought that it would be great. Instead, I’m finding that I’m spinning my wheels in that I have reached all my goals that I had set forth before I retired. I have a lot o...
Divorce does not automatically change who will inherit your 401k. Make sure you know the rules and update your plans.
A few weeks ago, Michael Green published a post where he argued that the poverty line for a family of four in the U.S. wasn't $32,100 in annual income (as currently claimed by the Department of Health...
Your beneficiary designation will often control where your IRA goes once you pass away. Make sure you don't leave unintended people on the account like an ex-spouse.
This post is follow-up to our post of December 22, 2024 and will again highlight the benefits of using the Actuaries Longevity Illustrator (ALI) to help you develop reasonable lifetime planning period...
Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Fritz Gilbert back for his second appearance on the podcast. Fritz is an award-winning blogger and author of The Retirement Manifesto, one of the most influential retire...
Oh.What.Fun Film Review by Darrell Griffin, Pres PureAudacity.com Oh.What.Fun. is a holiday comedy that hilariously reveals the invisible labor of moms. Darrell Griffin, President of PureAudacity.com,...
It’s been a while, so let’s do another reader case, shall we? Hi Kristy and Bryce! At 53, I definitely don’t count as a Millennial. But my wife, who was born in 1980, just barely squeaks in, depending...
Michael Dell and his wife, Susan Dell, plan to give away billions of dollars to fund investment accounts for children in the United States.
Retiring with a pension changes everything about your retirement math. Most people think about retirement in terms of net worth—how close they are to a million, two million, or more. But if you have a...
Learn key factors to consider before filing for Social Security. Understand timing, earnings limits, and how to maximize lifelong benefits for you and your spouse....
Meera and her husband have $4.5 million in retirement accounts and a $430K income. They want guidance on when to start Roth conversions, how much to convert each year, and whether to continue 401(k) c...
I expect to retire in the next 12-24 months, and I’m looking for advice on how to handle multiple income streams. Like a lot of people, for almost 40 years, nearly all our household income has c...
I (M74) am really having a difficult time trying to decide how and who to handle our assets after my death. I have done most of our investing and financial management in the past. The majority is in b...
The ACA health plan premiums may decrease, stay the same, or even increase when one spouse starts Medicare. Here's why. Learn the Nuts and Bolts I put everything I use to manage my money in a book. My...
It’s not too early to start planning your spending for 2026 even though you haven’t yet determined your January 1, 2026 Funded Status. You or your spouse may be considering spending in 202...
A single misunderstanding about Social Security spousal benefits can cost couples thousands over retirement. This episode unpacks the real math behind how Social Security treats spouses, ex-spouses, a...
My wife and I (both retired, not working jobs) are strongly considering San Diego CA as our final living destination. Austin TX is just getting too hot, and it will only get worse. 8 months of summer,...
My wife and I have always been savers. Now in retirement I'm struggling to spend any money beyond the required bills, food, and payments. With our pensions and social security, the basics are way more...
Me? I'm a hunter, but I never shoot anything. I'll go out in the woods in the afternoon and sit and observe. Then, when it gets dark, I walk back to the car and go home or to my camp. Mornings, I go o...
Today we answer a question from Ken, a recent retiree at 63, about how his Social Security claiming decision impacts his wife's future spousal benefit. We break down how spousal benefits are calculate...
Rosemary's husband is scaling back to 32 hours a week as part of his transition plan before switching careers. With Social Security in mind, she asks: Will this reduced income impact their future bene...
Financial planning often feels like a numbers game—follow the math, and you'll make the best decisions, right? But what happens when the spreadsheet says one thing, and your peace of mind says a...
When should you claim Social Security? For high-net-worth retirees, this is not a simple decision. In this episode, we explain why Social Security is not just a monthly check but a strategic part of a...
For many affluent retirees, the biggest financial fear isn't market volatility or rising taxes. It's this simple question: What happens if I'm not the one here to manage the plan? In this episode, we ...
We asked a psychologist and a mediation expert for advice....
For those of you who are married which spouse retired first and what was the reason for this? How are the dynamics post-retirement? I will retire before my husband. I've always made less and as I stop...
My wife and I plan to retire at the end of 2028. While we both have good paying jobs now, for most of our adult lives, we've been barely making it - raising children and living paycheck to paycheck. O...
Answering listener questions about the pros and cons of traditional vs. Roth contributions, merging finances when a spouse has no income but owns an IRA, and how to maximize annual contributions to a ...
I’m 61 and “retired” 4 months ago. Arthritis is taking its toll and I wanted time before I’m not able to do more than hang out in front of a tv. My wife plans to work for 5 mor...
A high percentage of plans fall short of meeting their owners’ goals because central players in executing the plan didn't know key facts....
You may remember the post I did about 3 weeks ago about death of a spouse early in retirement. I figured it would be good for me and those of you who have not been through this to give an update. Mode...
Between my wife and I we both have accounts at Fidelity and Charles Schwab. They are a mix of rolled over 401K's, IRA's and Roth. I have been using Empower as a way to view all the accounts and keep a...
If so, what were the objections, and how did things turn out? I'm 65 and want to retire now. I have had good paying jobs for many years and we live frugally, so we have a good amount of money saved, b...
M65 & F67. We have 88% of our retirement assets in always taxable accounts. 75% of that is in the M65 accounts. We have plenty of room for conversions this year through 2027 for sure. Possibly lon...
Earlier this year my wife asked, “Where is our money?”That question sent me down a path of simplifying everything — starting with our emergency fund....
Bit of a strange one — my wife and I both retired recently, and I didn’t expect this part to be the hard bit. We get on fine, but suddenly we’re in the same space all day, every day,...
Wondering how others approached this. I am 57, my wife is 46. I could retire at 62, 65 easily but how do I not work for the 10 years that my wife has to work? Just a moral dilemma I am trying to plan ...
As I finish lunch at the office, looking forward to another 10 years before I can retire, I often read the stories of the people in this community and daydream a little bit about what my wife and I wi...
M64 wife is 57, no kids. We have just north of 4 mil in liquid assets split between 3 in after tax and 1+ in 401k. How much should we have in real estate vs bonds,equities and annuities? I’m ant...
My wife died last week. We spent 15 years planning our ideal retirement, started to implement 3 years ago by snowbirding/winding down work to a part time schedule. And we fully committed to retirement...
This is a small pension that my wife has from a previous job. Papera came in last week...take a lump sum rollover of $21,500 or wait until she is 65 (2033) and take the $274 per month until she has pa...
Spouse and I are retiring soon and have both greatly reduced our work schedules. We are fortunate to have kids and grand kids living nearby and we also have a 6 month-old Lab puppy. We did not want to...
So, my story is a little different. I stopped working when I was 59 due to medical reasons. I was lucky enough to have had an insurance guy who insisted I take out a private disability when my wife wa...
I'm in the final stage of deciding "the date" I drop the mike and head out to the next chapter. I think the spouse and I have most things we need to consider in place (she's going to slug it out one m...
We recently added a pressure-treated lumber ramp at the front door for my wife's wheelchair. We live in the snow belt along Lake Erie, so I am concerned about how to keep this free of snow and ice. I ...
It's important you get involved in financial planning now so you're prepared and confident to make decisions when you potentially become your own financial manager....
I (61F in a couple weeks) retired in March. My spouse retired 4 years ago. We live in an area with world class medical reasearch and a lot of universities. There are quite a number of local studies th...
My spouse and I are retiring soon and are in that mode of “our house is too big”, “our kids aren’t moving back home”, and “we don’t want to retire here”...
I reflected on the expensive possessions I own, while my wife and children seem indifferent to them. Additionally, I’ve developed new interests, leading me to start selling and buying various it...