Ryan in Texas is in the 32% tax bracket. Where should he save for retirement so he’ll be in a lower bracket? Should Weronika in Texas pay the taxes now to convert to Roth for lifetime tax-free growth in the future, even though she’s in the 37% tax bracket? And Jerry in Phoenix wonders if there is a point where Joe would come to the conclusion that Roth conversions no longer make sense? Stay tuned for the 7 reasons to consider NOT converting to Roth, today on Your Money, Your Wealth podcast numbe...
Jun 24, 2025•27 min•Ep. 535
Ralph and Alice in Monument, Colorado have $4.6 million dollars saved at ages 63 and 58. Should they do Roth conversions? How do they avoid IRMAA? Mary Jo in Escondido, California wonders if she should use her 403(b) money to pay off her mortgage. And Lucas plans to spend from his brokerage, then his 401(k), then his Social Security and pension when he retires in 20 years. What do Joe and Big Al think of his strategy? Find out today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 534. Free financial resourc...
Jun 17, 2025•28 min•Ep. 534
Before she retires next month at age 52, Rowan in Georgia wonders how to maximize growth in her IRA, which will be funded with 72(t) early retirement withdrawals. What do Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA think of her substantially equal periodic payment plan? And how should she allocate it? Michael in Virginia isn’t interested in any international investments and is instead invested in stocks like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Berkshire. What adjustments would the fellas make to...
Jun 10, 2025•34 min•Ep. 533
Imagine being told you only have 12 months to live. What would you do with your time? Today on Your Money, Your Wealth podcast number 532, Big Al Clopine, CPA and Executive Producer Andi Last are thrilled to welcome Jonathan Clements back for his fourth appearance. For thirty years, Jonathan has been known for his personal finance writing: in his column “Getting Going,” which appeared in the Wall Street Journal over 1,000 times starting in 1994, on his website HumbleDollar.com, and in his many a...
Jun 03, 2025•20 min•Ep. 532
Tariffs killed Carl’s investment portfolio and left him wondering if he should claim Social Security early. Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball for him today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 531. Kelly and Steve in Pennsylvania ask for a three-fer spitball - when to claim their Social Security, whether they should contribute to Roth or convert to Roth for that lifetime tax-free growth on their investments, and if they’re on track for Kelly to retire in three years. Free...
May 27, 2025•26 min•Ep. 531
What should you do when the asset allocation of your retirement portfolio drifts? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball on rebalancing for DJ in St. Louis, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 530. Plus, Coach Dobber in Minnesota is curious about municipal bonds in a brokerage account, and Daniel in Stevensville, Michigan needs details on emergency funds. Also, can Tim the Enchanter do a Roth conversion and avoid the nasty big pointy teeth of capital gains tax? And, Duk...
May 20, 2025•37 min•Ep. 530
John in Boston is in the 32% tax bracket. Should he do Roth conversions? Flight Deck Dad and Irish Girl in Pensacola have a lot of tax-free pension income. Should they do Roth conversions? Bert and Ernie in New Jersey wonder if they should convert to Roth or take advantage of zero percent capital gains tax rates. Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball for all of them today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 529. Plus, Michael and his wife in Bellevue are 34, in the 24% tax b...
May 13, 2025•37 min•Ep. 529
You’ve been jamming money into your retirement accounts for years now. When is it okay to slow down? Joe Anderson, CFP®® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball for Ron and Veronica in Indiana today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 528. Plus, how can Scott in Illinois bridge the gap from age 55 to retirement income at 57? How should Big Juan in Texas pay for college? Should he convert his TSP to Roth? Can he retire at 55 And finally, Frank and Jane Drebin in Wisconsin are 46 and 47 and wondering if ...
May 06, 2025•34 min•Ep. 528
What are the pros and cons if Chip uses the money in his taxable brokerage account for early retirement income? Jack and Sally ask Joe and Big Al to spitball on whether they can retire around age 55 or 60, and whether they should max out their Roth or convert to Roth, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 527 with Joe Anderson, CFP®, and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, April and Andy ask the fellas to spitball on their dividend investing strategy, and Don wonders if a separately managed account (...
Apr 29, 2025•42 min•Ep. 527
Just about every week here on YMYW, Joe and Big Al talk about converting your retirement savings to Roth accounts. But why? What’s the big deal? Today the “IRA guru” Ed Slott, CPA returns to Your Money, Your Wealth® in podcast number 526 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA to tell us why he calls the Roth IRA “the greatest account ever created.” (Here’s a hint: it’s all about having tax-free income in retirement - and beyond.) Plus, where to prioritize saving for retirement? Jerry To...
Apr 22, 2025•51 min•Ep. 526
Tariffs, inflation, healthcare costs... how do you shift from saving to spending in retirement while managing risks like these? Jamie Hopkins is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, an attorney, and best-selling author of Find Your Freedom and Rewirement: Rewiring the Way You Think About Retirement. He returns to the show today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 525 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA, to share insights on how to rewire your retirement plans. Plus, how shoul...
Apr 15, 2025•55 min•Ep. 525
Will your taxes go up? Stay the same? Go down, even? Jeffrey Levine is Chief Planning Officer at Focus Partners, Professor of Practice in Taxation at the American College of Financial Services, and the Lead Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com. In other words, he’s one of the savviest tax minds in the country. Jeff returns to the show today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 524 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA, with his thoughts on what will happen to taxes under the new...
Apr 08, 2025•47 min•Ep. 524
What are the three predictors of retirement happiness? Dr. Michael Finke, CFP® from the American College of Financial Services tells us what his research shows. He also shares his insights on the four percent rule for retirement withdrawals and whether there is anything we can do to stave off the effects of aging on our cognitive abilities. That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth podcast number 523 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, Joe and Big Al do some retirement spitballi...
Apr 01, 2025•43 min•Ep. 523
What is your retirement income style? Dr. Wade Pfau, CFA, RICP®, is the co-founder of RISAprofile.com, providing investors with retirement income style awareness. He returns to Your Money, Your Wealth® today on podcast number 522 to talk about four different styles of retirement income, distribution planning and the four percent rule. Plus, what does Dr. Pfau think will happen with President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, scheduled to sunset at the end of this year? What are Dr. Pfau’s thoughts on annui...
Mar 25, 2025•43 min•Ep. 522
What does the future hold for your Social Security under the new Trump administration and Elon Musk's DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency? Nationally-renowned financial thought leaders Jamie Hopkins, Jeff Levine, Eric Ludwig, and Steve Parrish share their insights with Big Al Clopine, CPA at the American College of Financial Services’ Horizons Conference in San Diego, CA on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 521. First, the College's President, George Nichols, gives a brief overview of t...
Mar 18, 2025•42 min•Ep. 521
Martin and Caterina in Green Bay are in their 40s and haven’t yet saved a million bucks. Are they on track to retire at age 58? Can Piggie and Kermit in California retire today at ages 50 and 57 and still build wealth for their children? Can Galahad and Zoot in Chicago retire early in their 50s, or do they need to keep working? Do Bo and Daisy have enough saved to retire now at 61 and 56? Plus, Chuck in South Carolina asks, if you can retire early, why wouldn’t you? Spitballing early retirement,...
Mar 11, 2025•50 min•Ep. 520
How much do Nick and Nora in Pittsburgh, and Doc Mc Muffin and her Mr. in Minnesota, need to have saved, and how much can they afford to spend in retirement? What are the disadvantages to Fred and Ethel in Virginia if Ethel collects her Social Security early? Are the Moonshiner and the City Girl in Florida so obsessed with avoiding RMDs and IRMAA that they're wasting too much savings on Roth conversions? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 519 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clop...
Mar 04, 2025•46 min•Ep. 519
Is it better to save for retirement in traditional 401(k)s and IRAs, or in Roth accounts? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 518 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, what are the rules around contributing to two different types of Roth accounts? If required minimum distributions will be staggered because of a couple’s age difference, should they convert their retirement savings to Roth, or leave it alone? But first, Joe and Big Al have a backdoor Roth conversion w...
Feb 25, 2025•40 min•Ep. 518
Should Nancy in Washington take out a 401(k) loan and invest it in her brokerage account to catch up on saving for her retirement? When Joe and Big Al talk about having a balanced portfolio of various asset classes like stocks and bonds, Brian in Naperville, Illinois wonders whether that asset allocation strategy takes into account the stabilizing effect of monthly Social Security payments? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 517 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus...
Feb 18, 2025•38 min•Ep. 517
What are the benefits and differences between exchange-traded funds and mutual funds? Mike in Colorado wants to know. How should Lauren in Florida approach the fixed-income portion of her investment portfolio? Would a balanced fund be good for asset allocation in the decumulation phase for DJ in Missouri? Plus, Karen wants to make a one-time roulette investment. Should she hire a broker or do it herself? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball on investing from the basics to the alte...
Feb 11, 2025•33 min•Ep. 516
Financially speaking, should Old Bear in Northern Kentucky marry his Honey? How should Sebastian in Virginia navigate the financial aspects of his separation? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 515 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, Famous Missourians want to know, how much is enough for retirement, and when can you take your foot off the gas? Can Paul with the Big Wallet Bridge the long gap between retiring and claiming Social Security benefits? And can Aspirin...
Feb 04, 2025•52 min•Ep. 515
Mike and his wife in Tampa are 39 and 36, they’ve got nearly a million bucks saved. Are they on track for retirement? Kate in California is 55 and hopes to retire in the next couple of years. How should she manage deferred compensation and retirement withdrawals? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 514 with Joe Anderson, CFP®, and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, Joe and Big Al answer questions from our YouTube viewers on considering IRMAA when making Roth conversions, paying Roth ...
Jan 28, 2025•31 min•Ep. 514
Today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 513 with Joe Anderson, CFP®, and Big Al Clopine, CPA, YMYW listeners in their 40s are ready to call it quits at work, become financially independent, and retire early. Can they afford to do it? Peter and Joanna want to retire in the next two years. "Burned Out and Ready to Retire" wants out of his toxic office. If Maryland Chicken Man never earns another dollar, how much can he withdraw from his retirement accounts each year? Plus, Suzanne in Massachuset...
Jan 21, 2025•36 min•Ep. 513
What is the risk with BDCs, or business development company funds? Edward in Illinois wants to know. Do Pebbles and Bam Bam in Kentuckystone have too much invested in T-bills? Are mutual funds or ETFs a better place for them to invest qualified money in the decumulation phase? Is there a difference between a traditional IRA and a rollover IRA? And Keith in Connecticut is 34 and wants a spitball on whether his investments are appropriate for his time horizon, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® pod...
Jan 14, 2025•37 min•Ep. 512
YMYW friends, welcome to 2025. Today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 511, we’re revisiting your favorite topics of 2024 as Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball on strategies for building up tax-free retirement income in Roth accounts, determining your appropriate mix of taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free savings (also known as tax diversification), and whether YMYW viewers and listeners can retire as soon as possible. Access free financial resources and the episode tra...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 511
Does it make sense for Alex and his wife in Massachusetts to do Roth conversions now to the top of their eventual tax bracket? Steve in San Diego got serious about saving for retirement after Joe and Big Al gave him some tough love 5 years ago. Is he good to retire now, and should he convert to Roth? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 510 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, can Barbara in New Jersey’s grandson move excess 529 funds to a Roth and withdraw t...
Dec 31, 2024•33 min•Ep. 510
When should Richie and Heather and Rebecca and Sam collect their Social Security benefits? Why is Dan’s benefit so much higher than his wife’s? PWare has a Roth conversion case for claiming Social Security AFTER age 70, and Jerry wonders how Donald Trump’s plan to stop taxing Social Security could impact claiming strategies. Plus, Joe rants about Rebecca and Sam’s $1 million single premium deferred indexed annuity, and the fellas also spitball on their Roth conversion and retirement strategy and...
Dec 24, 2024•43 min•Ep. 509
John in Pennsylvania doesn’t have bonds in his investment portfolio. Should he add them, and if so, where? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 508 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. The fellas also spitball on retirement plans for James in Tierrasanta, California, who has $4 million plus annuities, Esther in the San Francisco Bay Area, who has nearly $12M net worth, and Tiger and Lioness, who wonder about a safe level of lifestyle creep. Also, Charlie in Castler...
Dec 17, 2024•41 min•Ep. 508
Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball on paying the tax on your Roth conversions on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 507. If you take the money out of your retirement account, what does Joe mean that you’ll be “paying the tax to pay the tax to pay the tax”? Can you pay it from the Roth account itself, or from your monthly pension tax withholding? Are the fellas wrong on this whole topic altogether? They also spitball on withdrawing Roth 401(k) contributions that were rolled ...
Dec 10, 2024•35 min•Ep. 507
What’s a safe withdrawal rate for Wine Guy and Wine Gal in Sonoma California to have 35 years of “guaranteed” retirement spending? How aggressively should they convert their retirement savings to Roth IRA? Should the Bond family move from Silicon Valley to a no-income-tax state in retirement? Can Doc in San Francisco quit work in 8 years when his daughter starts college? Rob in Kansas City and his wife are in their late 30s and have 2 million saved. Can they retire early? Plus, Elisa in Fremont ...
Dec 03, 2024•51 min•Ep. 506
