As we celebrate the 4th of July, I want to explore a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention—how to withdraw money from different types of retirement accounts. Specifically, we’ll look at sequential vs. proportional withdrawals, and how your strategy can impact your taxes, your legacy, and your long-term retirement success. We’ll walk through a hypothetical scenario to compare the outcomes, and the good news is—you can run this kind of analysis for yourself using the new Withdrawal Strate...
Jul 03, 2025•15 min•Ep. 457
In today’s episode, we’re diving into the latest press release from the Social Security Board of Trustees. The numbers this year look worse than last year—and that has real implications for your retirement. To find links and resources mentioned in today's podcast, visit SoundRetirementPlanning.com and click on episode #456. The Retirement Budget Calculator is an intuitive tool that promises ease and accuracy. However, like any tool, user error could potentially lead to costly mistakes. To avoid ...
Jun 20, 2025•11 min•Ep. 456
The number one question people ask as they approach retirement is: “Have we saved enough?” Can we retire confidently without running out of money? In today’s podcast, we’ll explore how having a solid retirement plan can help you understand your likelihood of success—and the probability of avoiding a catastrophic financial shortfall. To find links and resources mentioned in today's podcast, visit SoundRetirementPlanning.com and click on episode #455. The Retirement Budget Calculator is an intuiti...
Jun 03, 2025•10 min•Ep. 455
One of the most common Social Security questions we get is this: “If my spouse starts her Social Security at age 62 and I wait until age 70 to start mine, can she receive a higher spousal benefit when I start?” When it comes to Social Security, most people know you can qualify for retirement benefits based on your own work history — the taxes you paid into the system over the years. But what many don’t realize is that you might also be eligible for a spousal benefit, even if you didn’t work enou...
May 08, 2025•11 min•Ep. 454
In today’s episode, I’m sharing a time-tested strategy that can boost your confidence when it comes to withdrawing money in retirement—the barbell strategy. Also known as the two-bucket approach, this method is designed to help you navigate market volatility while staying focused on long-term growth. I'll walk you through the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the barbell strategy—so by the end of this episode, you'll have a clear understanding of how it works and whether it’s a fit for you...
Apr 24, 2025•16 min•Ep. 453
If you're feeling stressed about what's happening in the market right now—you're not alone. Market volatility never feels good, but there is a better way to invest: one grounded in planning, discipline, and long-term thinking. In today’s episode, I’ll share 8 important things to consider as you navigate this market, so you can make confident decisions and stay focused on what truly matters. Learn more at https://soundretirementplanning.com/...
Apr 04, 2025•13 min•Ep. 452
I recently came across a fascinating paper by Hendrik Bessembinder titled “Which U.S. Stocks Generated the Highest Long-Term Returns?” The research is based on nearly 100 years of stock market history, and it delivers some surprising and important lessons for retirees.
Mar 27, 2025•11 min•Ep. 451
When markets get wobbly, people panic. It’s natural. We’ve all seen it—headlines screaming recession, market crashes, and doomsday predictions. The fear can be overwhelming. But what if I told you that you could structure your retirement investments in a way that makes all of this noise irrelevant? That’s what today’s episode is about—building Margins of Safety so you can worry less and live more.
Mar 20, 2025•20 min•Ep. 450
I’m so glad you’re joining me for episode 449, where I have the privilege of interviewing Eduardo Repetto, Chief Investment Officer at Avantis. In today’s episode, we dive into recent market volatility, Warren Buffett’s growing cash reserves, and the investment philosophy behind Avantis Investors. To find links and resources mentioned in today's podcast, visit SoundRetirementPlanning.com and click on episode #449. I created the Retirement Budget Calculator as a tool to help people build a solid ...
Mar 14, 2025•58 min•Ep. 449
In 2019, two pastors from my church approached me with a request: would I be willing to create a foundation or endowment to raise money for the Christian school our church operates? Without hesitation, I said yes. Both of my children had attended the school, and it had a profound impact on our family. While I had experience serving on nonprofit boards, I had never started a nonprofit from scratch. This was entirely new territory. I spent the first year immersed in research—consulting legal exper...
Feb 24, 2025•55 min•Ep. 448
Imagine you could give to charity, lower your tax bill, and satisfy your Required Minimum Distributions—all at the same time. Most retirees don’t realize that there’s a smarter way to donate to charity using their IRA. In today’s episode, I’ll show you how one simple strategy—Qualified Charitable Distributions—can save you thousands in taxes while supporting the causes you care about. To find links and resources mentioned in today's podcast, visit SoundRetirementPlanning.com and click on episode...
Feb 12, 2025•11 min•Ep. 447
Big changes are on the horizon for retirees impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law on January 5, 2025, is expected to increase benefits for millions of retirees while introducing new challenges for the Social Security system. In todays podcast, I will break down what this means for you and how to adapt your retirement strategy to these changes. Plus, be sure to listen to the end to learn about ou...
Jan 24, 2025•18 min•Ep. 446
In todays podcast I am going to examine how the S&P500 historically has performed after back to back years of 20% plus gains. We are going to look at an interesting recent story about retirement, wealth and contentment. I am going to share a couple of good financial habbits for you to consider as you kick off the new year. I want to share with you a few milestones we accomplished this year and I will give you the top episode downloads for Sound Retirment Radio for 2024. And finally I want to...
Jan 02, 2025•20 min•Ep. 445
In today’s podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jann Freed, an expert in helping people live intentionally and reflect on their impact. Dr. Freed shared powerful insights on building meaningful relationships in the second half of life and explained how embracing the reality of our mortality can inspire us to live more fully. Her words reminded me of something my mentor used to tell me: “Jason, life is not a dress rehearsal. This is the real deal, baby. You get one shot—so give it ever...
Dec 17, 2024•38 min•Ep. 444
In today’s podcast, I’ll be discussing retirement investing and the importance of broad global diversification. I’ll explain the reasoning behind our approach and share a few of the strategies we use to help minimize risks. Some of the core ideas I want to share with you are recency bias, home country bias, the concentration of the S&P 500, why price matters, global market capitilazation and Vanguard forecast for the next 10 years. To find links and resources mentioned in today's podcast, vi...
Dec 11, 2024•21 min•Ep. 443
In todays podcast I’m going to share some of my favorite things in 2024. It’s time to get your wallet out and start shopping for Christmas gifts. So I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite things as well as some of my favorite experiences. I'm so grateful that we get to do life together. Thank you for tuning into Sound Retirement Radio. I hope these ideas inspire you as you search for meaningful gifts for your loved ones and plan enjoyable moments with the people who matter most to you....
Dec 06, 2024•14 min•Ep. 442
What if I told you that having a net worth of 3 million dollars was not enough to retire. In today's podcast we are going to uncover how this could happen. We’re diving into the first principles thinking and how it is applied to retirement planning and then focusing on what I believe to be the most important foundational number for a successeful retirement. At the end of todays show I am also going to give you some questions you can ask your spouse after the relatives leave and you have time to ...
Nov 26, 2024•15 min•Ep. 441
I can’t believe it—I’ve officially hit the big 5-0! I was pretty sure my wife would have taken me out long before I made it this far. Not only am I still here, but in a few months, we’ll be celebrating 28 years of marriage. To mark this milestone birthday, I decided to write a list of things I’ve learned up to this point in my life. I'm writing it as if I were speaking to my kids.
Nov 17, 2024•17 min•Ep. 440
One of the top concerns we're hearing from clients regarding retirement planning and investment management is the potential impact of the upcoming presidential election on their investments. In today’s podcast episode, I want to provide some historical context by looking at what has happened in the days, weeks, and years following four of the last presidential elections. For articles, links and resources mentioned in todays show visit https://soundretirementplanning.com/ The Retirement Budget Ca...
Oct 23, 2024•18 min•Ep. 439
Imagine if a few small changes to your retirement plan could result in hundreds of thousands more at the end of your life! In today’s podcast, I’m going to walk you through three powerful strategies that can optimize your plan and potentially increase your savings by hundreds of thousands of dollars. These are: Roth conversions Social Security Timing Withdrawal Order The Retirement Budget Calculator is an intuitive tool that promises ease and accuracy. However, like any tool, user error could po...
Oct 11, 2024•14 min•Ep. 438
A common consideration for people living in colder climates is purchasing a second home in a warmer region to escape the winter months. However, in March 2022, the Federal Reserve began increasing interest rates to combat inflation. This move caused many potential buyers to hit pause on their plans for a second home. Recently, on September 18, 2024, the Fed announced its first rate cut, lowering the Federal Funds rate to 4.75%-5%, marking a half-percent decrease. Mortgage rates, which had soared...
Oct 04, 2024•34 min•Ep. 437
In today’s podcast, I have the pleasure of speaking with Martin, who retired at the age of 56. He shares his experiences, including how he spent the first two years traveling the country in an RV, what made him realize it was the right time to retire, and why he’s glad he made the decision to retire early. Martin also opens up about some of the challenges he’s encountered along the way.
Sep 27, 2024•58 min•Ep. 436
You are listening to episode #435 and the title is: Pay Off Your Mortgage at Retirement or Invest? Pros and Cons Explained! This is one of the most common questions people face: Should you pay off your mortgage at retirement, or should you invest the money instead? This decision can have a significant impact on your financial security and peace of mind in retirement. The Retirement Budget Calculator is an intuitive tool that promises ease and accuracy. However, like any tool, user error could po...
Aug 21, 2024•17 min•Ep. 435
In today's podcast I want to talk about expectations and the recent market volatility and give you some historical data to help put some of this recent volatility into context.
Aug 08, 2024•10 min•Ep. 434
In today's podcast, I’m excited to share what I am calling the Pyramid of Investing Success. We will begin by exploring the foundation of the pyramid and then progress layer by layer until we reach its pinnacle.
Aug 01, 2024•21 min•Ep. 433
If you are getting ready to retire one of the most important things that you need to understand is how to manage retirement income. At the end of the day retirement is simply making sure you have enough income to cover all of your expenses. In today's podcast we are going to look at Retirement Income. Discover the power of planning with the Retirement Budget Calculator Pro v. 4.0!
Jul 02, 2024•18 min•Ep. 432
In today's podcast I interview Tane Cabe regarding reverse mortgages. In addition to doing a general overview of what they are we discuss how reverse mortgages can be used to increase cashflow in retirement, how a reverse mortgage can be used for the purchase of a home, we talk about taxes and fees associated with these mortgages, how some people are planning to use a reverse mortgage to help with long term care planning. We also share several stories that illustrate how people are using reverse...
Jun 25, 2024•56 min•Ep. 431
Health savings accounts are the most incredible tool available for retirement savings. Unfortunately, too many people I meet are missing out on using HSAs as part of their retirement strategy. We are going to do a deep dive into HSAs, but... They are best for people who do not have a lot of health care costs every year and have the money to make the maximum contributions to an HSA. They have triple tax advantages in that your contributions are tax-deductible, earnings grow tax-free, and withdraw...
May 31, 2024•31 min•Ep. 430
In today's podcast episode, Jason shares three key numbers essential for retiring with confidence. He's interviewed by Ashley Micciche from the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast. Don't forget to check out Ashley's podcast: Retirement Quick Tips. Articles, Links & Resources mentioned in today's show can be found at https://soundretirementplanning.com . If you enjoy todays podcast be sure to share it with a friend and leave us a 5 star review. The Retirement Budget Calculator is an intuitive tool ...
May 21, 2024•40 min•Ep. 429
In today's podcast episode I have the good fortune to interview Joe Hancock and Katie Warren who are with HighGround Advisors regarding Donor-Advised funds and charitable giving strategies. We cover a lot of the mechanics of donor advised funds such as how to set one up, how they work, fees associated with them and some of the tax benefits that come along with them. One interesting aspect we discuss is how donor advised funds can be used as a tool for multi-generational giving and passing on phi...
May 06, 2024•53 min•Ep. 428
