Retirement Planning Education, with Andy Panko

#226 – "Real" person retirement planning chat with Mike Oct 15, 2026 4707 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Mike. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as how he learned important investing insights from Paul Merriman, how he adapted going from accumulation to decumulation mode, how he used a health sharing organization in lieu of traditional health insurance pri

#225 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Dan VanDusen talk about 529s vs Trump accounts vs UTMA brokerage accounts, common errors on tax returns, the current state of the bond market and MORE! Oct 8, 2026 4735 Andy and Dan VanDusen from Objective Wealth share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about:How to decide between investing money for a child or grandchild in a 529 vs Trump account vs UTMA brokerage account ( 9:19 )What errors and missed items they commonly see in reviewing tax returns ( 18:28 )Their tho

#224 - The basics of bonds: what they are, how they work, and how to use them in retirement planning Oct 1, 2026 5242 Andy discusses the basics of bonds, including:Basic features and functions of bondsThe risks in bondsBond issuers and maturitiesHow bonds can be usedHow and why bond prices changes, and how interest rates impact pricesBonds vs bond fundsLinks in this episode:Tenon Financial's October 1 newseltter - The basics of bonds: what they are, how they work, and how to use them in retirement planningAn

#223 - Q&A edition...the 4% rule, Artificial Intelligence and the planning world, RMDs vs annuity income, TIPS, and MORE! Sep 24, 2026 3601 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Follow up thoughts on a previous question about whether it's better to use $27k of cash to make a mega backdoor Roth contribution, or to do a $100k in-plan Roth conversion and use the $27k to pay the taxes on it ( 4:01 )Why the 4% rule isn't called the 3% rule, when working with an advisor who charges 1% of assets under management ( 13:52 )His tho

#222 - All about pensions...what they are, how they work, how to decide between taking lifetime payments or a lump sum, and MORE! [replay of Andy's appearance on the Catching up to FI podcast] Sep 17, 2026 6259 In this replay of Andy's recent guest appearance on the Catching up to FI podcast, Andy and hosts Bill Yount, MD, and Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC®, talk all about traditional defined benefit pensions. What they are, how they work, how to decide between taking payments vs a lump sum and much more!Links in this episode:The original audio version of the Catching up to FI podcast episode - h

#221 - Retirement planner chat with Ryan Langan from Your Path Fi Sep 10, 2026 5807 Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Ryan Langan, CFP®, from Your Path Fi. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as tax planning, distribution strategies, investing, annuities, long-term care insurance, what consumers often overlook in retirement planning and much more!Links in this episode:Ryan's advisory company website - https://www.yourpathfi

#220 - How to move to a new state...tax compliantly Sep 3, 2026 5089 Andy discusses what all is involved in moving to a new state, from a tax perspective...properly changing your "domicile" and "residence" to the new state. Spoiler alert: It's not necessarily as simple as buying a house and spending at least six months and a day in the new state!Links in this episode:My in-depth write-up of changing state domicile and residence, examples an

#219 - Q&A edition...paying down a mortgage vs paying tax on Roth conversions, Social Security survivor benefits, converting ALL pre-tax money to Roth, updating account beneficiaries, and MORE! Aug 27, 2026 3926 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Whether to use money in a 457b to pay down a mortgage or to pay taxes on Roth conversions ( 7:56 )How Social Security survivor benefits work, and the optimal ages for spouses to each claim their own Social Security ( 18:54 )His thoughts on why the Social Security trust fund hasn't been allowed to invest in equities ( 25:36 )Creating spreadsheets to rep

#218 – "Real" person retirement planning chat with Mark Aug 20, 2026 6105 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Mark. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as when he started getting serious about planning for retirement, how he got comfortable going from accumulation to decumulation mode, how he and his wife are navigating health insurance prior to Medicare eligibil

#217 - Q&A edition...unrealized gains in brokerage accounts, variable withdrawal strategies, unused 529 funds, protecting against fraud from advisors and MORE! Aug 13, 2026 4158 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: How to sell and rebalance positions in a brokerage account when they have unrealized gains and you're trying to be tax-efficient about it ( 7:06 )His thoughts on a few different variable portfolio withdrawal strategies, namely Amortization Based Withdrawals ("ABW"), Total Portfolio Allocation Withdrawals ("TPAW") and Big ERN's

#216 - Trump accounts: what they are, how they work, and use cases Aug 6, 2026 5766 Andy discusses the ins and outs of Trump accounts:Legislative backgroundHow to open themHow to fund themInvesting inside themHow to distribute from themReporting around themTaxation of themThe two potential worthwhile use cases I see for themLinks in this episode:My in-depth write-up of Trump accounts, including all of the links I referenced in the show - Trump accounts: what they are, how they wo

#215 - Summary of the 2026 annual Social Security trustees report Jul 30, 2026 3315 Andy summarizes the recent 2026 annual Social Security trustees report, including what it would actually mean if the system's trust fund were to deplete, and what changes can be made to ensure that doesn't happenLinks in this episode:The full 2026 Social Security trustees report - hereSummary of the recently proposed PROMISE Act - hereThe recent episode of Inspired Money with me, Wade Pf

#214 - Q&A edition...Roth conversions, directionality vs precision, separately managed accounts, tax return extensions and MORE! Jul 23, 2026 4110 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Should Roth conversion analysis look at marginal or effective tax rates ( 4:21 )His thoughts on why qualified Roth account distributions might eventually be included in certain measures of Modified Adjusted Gross Income ("MAGI") ( 8:28 )What other MAGIs are potentially impacted and should be watched out for with doing Roth conversions ( 12:38 )The

#213 – "Real" person retirement planning chat with Tom Jul 16, 2026 4645 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Tom. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as when he started getting serious about planning for retirement, why he went back to work as a consultant a year after retiring, why their plans of relocating to a different state have since changed, what his Roth

#212 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Tanya Nichols talk about having mortgages in retirement, when to start spending down HSAs, what might happen to Social Security and MORE! Jul 9, 2026 5885 Andy and Tanya Nichols from Retire Agile share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about:How we help clients get over the hurdle of actually spending their savings ( 10:27 )Their thoughts on having mortgages in retirement ( 22:27 )What they think is likely to happen to the Social Security system, and what

#211 – 8 common tax planning mistakes often made in retirement Jul 2, 2026 4413 Andy discusses common tax planning mistakes often made in retirement. Additionally, he shares insight on how to attempt to prevent such mistakes, and/or fix them after they've happenedThe 8 common mistakes are:Not paying enough income tax timely throughout the year, and having underpayment penalties as a resultMissing or not taking the correct amount of Required Minimum Distributions (“RMDs”)

#210 - Q&A edition...Mega backdoor Roth contributions, nonqualified annuities, exceptions to the IRA early withdrawal penalty, when to hire an advisor, how much is too much to pay for an advisor and MORE! Jun 25, 2026 4176 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Are tax return amendments needed if info from a 1099-R was left out but doesn't impact the return's gross or taxable income ( 4:08 )What are the pros and cons of using average cost basis tracking for mutual funds ( 8:36 )Tax implications of nonqualified annuities and surrendering vs annuitizing it ( 13:55 )Is there a more optimized way to pay taxe

#209 – "Real" person retirement planning chat with Mark Ross from the Rock Retirement Club Jun 18, 2026 5235 Andy and Mark Ross from the Rock Retirement Club talk about Mark's journey in retiring to become an "encorepreneur" by starting a coaching business, and spending more time creating art. They also address some of standard "real person" planning questions such healthcare before Medicare, Social Security claiming, the emotional transition to leaving the corporate world, and m

#208 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Adam Grossman talk about analyzing annuities, retiring to a different state, bonds vs bond funds, inflation and MORE! Jun 11, 2026 6090 Andy and Adam Grossman from Mayport Wealth Management share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about:How to analyze an existing annuity and whether to keep it, exchange it to another annuity or surrender it ( 11:44 )The different things to factor in when considering retiring to a different state ( 23:18

#207 – Roth conversion analysis: more than meets the eye Jun 4, 2026 4734 Andy discusses the various areas of consideration and analysis that go into deciding whether Roth conversions might potentially be of value. Furthermore, he explains why it's impossible to actually quantify how much tax savings, if any, Roth conversions might potentially create. And what to consider when figuring out how much to convert in any given yearLinks in this episode:Vanguard's &

#206 - Q&A edition...Social Security spousal benefits, tax withholdings on Social Security, bonds vs bond funds, separating basis out of IRAs and MORE! May 28, 2026 3280 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Claiming your own Social Security benefit at 62 and then later switching to collecting a spousal benefit after your spouse starts their benefit ( 5:45 )It's said by comedians that there are just a small number of basic jokes and everything else is just a variation. The same could be said about financial planning, where there are just a few core topics,

#205 – "Real" person retirement planning chat with Daryl May 21, 2026 3952 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Daryl. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as when he started getting serious about planning for retirement, how he's gotten comfortable spending from his nest egg, what he's doing for health insurance since he's not yet on Medicare and wha

#204 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Brad Flood talk about portfolio withdrawal strategies & sequence of returns risk, financial planning software limitations, balancing optimization and simplicity, and MORE! May 14, 2026 5442 Andy and Brad Flood from Tenon Financial share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about:Portfolio withdrawal strategies for addressing sequence of returns risk ( 10:44 )Using financial planning software and dealing with its limitations ( 26:25 )Thoughts on Medicare surcharges known as IRMAA, and how much

#203 – Options for holding cash and cash equivalents May 7, 2026 4875 Andy discusses the different options for holding cash and cash equivalents (i.e. things that are principal protected, offer some amount of interest and are highly liquid and readily accessible)The options are:Physical bills and coinsChecking accountsSavings accountsCertificates of Deposit, or CD'sMoney Market Mutual Funds or Exchanged Traded Funds that invest like Money Market Mutual FundsMul

#202 – Guest host Mark Rosinski discusses Treasury obligation interest, basis in inherited IRAs, RMD aggregation rules, doubling up contributions to 457 plans, and ways to invest during the Social Security delay period Apr 30, 2026 4233 Guest host Mark Rosinski, CFP®, CPA, RICP®, from Dunes Financial does a "hot topics" episode where he talks about:US Government obligation interest and what to look for on your consolidated 1099 to make sure you properly reflect the state income tax treatment on your tax return ( 9:06 )Understanding and tracking after-tax "basis" in inherited IRAs ( 20:14 )Required Minimum Dist

#201 - Q&A edition...A.I. and financial planning, the "withhold and replace" method of paying taxes, step DOWN in basis, TIPS ladders and MORE! Apr 23, 2026 3486 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Correction to a previous Q&A episode regarding taxation of lump sum Social Security benefits paid in one year for benefits attributable to the prior year ( 9:54 )His thoughts on artificial intelligence and how it can impact the financial planning industry ( 13:00 )The "withhold and replace" method of paying taxes when doing IRA distributions o

#200 – 200th episode special edition: my observations about the financial services industry Apr 16, 2026 4019 Special edition 200th episode where Andy shares some of his observations about the financial services industry from his time working in it:Creating good and consistent content is hard to do and do well ( 9:32 )A lot of content is just clickbait to get your views and/or advertise something to you, and not actually good content ( 13:15 )Personal finance is a lot more personal than it is finance ( 17

#199 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Jonathan Vance talk about opportunities in the current market environment, 2026 tax updates, questions to ask advisors and MORE! Apr 9, 2026 5736 Andy and Jonathan Vance from Vance Financial Planning share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Given current world affairs and their impacts on the markets, should you do anything different with your investments, or are there any other planning opportunities to consider ( 14:20 )Tax updates for 20

#198 - Whether to take a pension as a lump sum or monthly payments Apr 2, 2026 3939 Andy discusses the pros and cons of taking a lump sum vs taking monthly payments for your pension, questions to ask yourself to help figure out if it might be better for you to take one vs the other, and other considerations to keep in mind in making the decisionLinks in this episode:www.ImmediateAnnuities.comwww.PBGC.govTenon Financial's April 2026 newsletter - Whether to take a pension as a

#197 - Q&A edition...how often to rebalance, tracking Roth IRA contributions, are RMDs really that bad, paying off mortgages before retirement and MORE! Mar 26, 2026 4235 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: How often to check your accounts for rebalancing, and how often to check on your bigger picture finances and plan ( 2:32 )What to do with old positions you no longer want in a brokerage account but they all have large unrealized gains ( 16:03 )How Medi-Cal benefits interact with a high deductible health plan and an HSA (spoiler alert...I don't know!) (

#196 – "Real" person retirement planning chat with Jim Kellerman Mar 19, 2026 5411 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Jim Kellerman. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as when he started getting serious about planning for retirement, how he now spends his days in retirement, what he's doing for health insurance since he's not yet on Medicare and why he's

#195 - Retirement planner chat with Bradley Hilton from Sonas Financial Planning Mar 12, 2026 7163 Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Bradley Hilton, CFP®, TPCP®, MBA from Sonas Financial Planning. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as tax planning, distribution strategies, investing, annuities, long-term care insurance, what consumers often overlook in retirement planning and much more!Links in this episode:Bradley's advisory company web

#194 - Gifting, gift taxes, annual gift exclusion and gift tax returns (IRS Form 709) Mar 5, 2026 3966 Andy discusses the ins and outs of gifting, the annual gift exclusion, gift splitting, gift taxes, gift tax returns (IRS Form 709) and more!Links in this episode:Tenon Financial's March newsletter/blog about gifting - hereIRS Form 709 - hereTenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in Retirement)YouTube ch

#193 - Q&A edition...Social Security lump sum for retroactive payments, whether to pay off a mortgage, step-up in basis, gifting without having to file a gift tax return and MORE! Feb 26, 2026 4359 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Income tax treatment of buying bonds in a normal non-qualified brokerage account when you buy or sell bonds in between coupon periods ( 8:37 )When still working, are 50 or older, are maxing out your 401(k) contributions, and are high income and therefore would need to have your catch-up contribution go into your Roth (instead of pre-tax) 401(k), would it be

#192 – "Real" person chat with Kevin Sebesta from the Rock Retirement Club, discussing FIRE...Financial Independence, Retire Early Feb 19, 2026 4668 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. This week Andy is joined by Kevin Sebesta from the Rock Retirement ClubKevin retired at 43 as part of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) concept. He shares his planning and retirement journey, and discusses more about FIRE including the FIRE community and thoughts everyone (not just FIRE folks) should

#191 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Jason Cutitta talk about inheritances, Die With Zero, TSP in-plan conversion, taking RMDs and MORE! Feb 12, 2026 4736 Andy and Jason Cutitta from ToBa Financial share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: How to incorporate a potential inheritance into your retirement planning ( 12:30 )Limitations of the "Die With Zero" concept ( 18:55 )The upcoming ability to do in-plan Roth conversions in the federal Thr

#190 - All about "backdoor" Roth contributions Feb 5, 2026 3408 Andy does a deep dive into everything about "backdoor" Roth contributions, which is where you make an after-tax contribution to a traditional/pre-tax account, and then convert it to a Roth account. Looks simple on the surface, but there are a lot of angles and gotchas to watch out forLinks in this episode:IRS Form 8606 - hereCongressional meeting summary from December 2017 meeting on the

#189 - My background and prior experiences and how they shaped my views and approach to retirement planning and starting my own firm and creating this podcast Jan 29, 2026 4694 Andy shares his background and how/why that shaped his views, beliefs and approach to providing tax-efficient retirement planning and related content through the Retirement Planning Education website, podcast, YouTube channel, blog and Facebook groupLinks in this episode:Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxe

#188 - Q&A edition...Social Security spousal benefits, cognitive biases in investing, changing state tax domicile, naming minors as beneficiaries and MORE! Jan 22, 2026 4233 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Can a spouse claim spousal benefits while delaying the start of their own benefit ( 10:40 )What's the best way to view your accounts in terms of how much of them are actually yours after accounting for eventual taxes you have to pay on them ( 14:08 )Can a minor be named as the beneficiary of a retirement account ( 23:28 )His thoughts on dividend stocks

#187 – "Real" person chat with Kevin Lyles from the Rock Retirement Club, discussing six "Retirement Truths" Jan 15, 2026 4882 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. This episode is a bit different from our normal real people chats though. Andy is joined by Kevin Lyles from the Rock Retirement Club. Kevin is a retired corporate lawyer who has since become a certified retirement coach, focusing on helping people with the non-financial aspects of retirement.In the episode, Andy &

#186 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Cody Garrett talk about ACA tax credits, Roth conversions, tax gain harvesting, paying taxes in retirement, using HSAs and MORE! Jan 8, 2026 5357 Andy and Cody Garrett from Measure Twice Financial share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Affordable Care Act ("ACA") tax credits and income "cliffs" in tax planning ( 08:13 )Doing Roth conversions vs tax gain harvesting ( 22:30 )Paying taxes in retirement; estimated payments

#185 - My thoughts and commentary about what the financial markets did in 2025 Jan 1, 2026 3702 Andy shares his thoughts and commentary about 2025 returns and events for:U.S. stocksInternational stocksU.S. bondsGold & SilverBitcoinLinks in this episode:Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in Retirement)YouTube channel - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Retirement Planning Demystified)Retir

#184 - Q&A edition...consolidating accounts, tax withholdings vs estimated payments, QLACs, the 4% rule and MORE! Dec 25, 2025 3562 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Potential advantages or disadvantages of consolidating retirement accounts ( 4:28 )Paying taxes through IRA withholdings vs making estimated payments ( 13:08 )Whether a minister's housing allowance impacts Affordable Care Act subsidy eligibility ( 26:11 )When Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts ("QLACs") might make sense to consider ( 30:27

#183 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Jill Dec 18, 2025 5141 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Jill. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as leaving the workforce relatively early, keeping expenses moderate yet still doing and enjoying a lot in life, what she wishes she would have known and done sooner for her retirement planning, and more! Links i

#182 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Kevin Thompson talk about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the markets, IRMAA, senior exploitation and MORE! Dec 11, 2025 4120 Andy and Kevin Thompson from 9i Capital Group share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Thoughts on how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act complicates 2025 tax planning. And in particular whether people 65 or older should try to keep their income low to get some or all of the extra $6k bonus deduction

#181 - Q&A edition...understanding Roth IRA income limits, deciding between pension payment options, when to Roth convert vs distribute from an IRA and MORE! Dec 4, 2025 3680 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: A correction on something incorrect I said last week regarding deciding which spouse's pre-tax account to distribute or convert from ( 3:28 )Pros and cons of using a single total global stock market fund vs multiple other funds such as just US and just international ( 8:17 )What's in the calculation for Modified Adjusted Gross Income ("MAGI&

#180 - Q&A edition...Social Security spousal and survivor benefits, finding an advisor who doesn't require investment management, how a decedent's income is taxed and MORE! Nov 27, 2025 3365 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Starting Social Security benefits early so your minor children can claim dependent benefits, and how the earnings test can come into play if you're still working ( 5:53 )Social Security spousal benefits, and what happens when the lower earning spouse starts their own benefit early at a reduced amount, then later switches to spousal benefits ( 10:35)Soc

#179 – "Real" person chat with Beth Pinsker about her new book, My Mother's Money, A Guide to Financial Caregiving Nov 20, 2025 4420 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor), Beth Pinsker, a columnist for MarketWatch, about her new book, My Mother's Money, A Guide to Financial Caregiving.In the book, Beth details her personal experience in becoming her mother's financial caregiver, both during her mother's end of life and health decline, and beyond her mother's death and through the estate administrati

#178 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Ben Brandt talk about Monte Carlo, Donor Advised Funds, paying taxes on Roth conversions, how advisors dress and MORE! Nov 13, 2025 4336 Andy and Ben Brandt from Retirement Starts Today share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Thoughts on Monte Carlo analysis; the good, the bad, the ugly ( 9:10 )Why all retirement plans are ultimately wrong as soon as they're made, and need to be agile and adaptable ( 13:30 )How to try to help

#177 - 2025 year-end tax planning tips and items to consider Nov 6, 2025 3242 Andy shares some year-end tax planning tips, deadlines and things to consider around the following topics:contributions to qualified accountsRoth conversionsdistributions from qualified accountsRequired Minimum Distributions ("RMDs")charitable donationsQualified Charitable Distributions ("QCDs") from IRAsgiftingtax loss and tax gain harvestingdoing a projected/pro forma 2025 ta

#176 - Guest host Brian Tegtmeyer from Truly Prosper Financial Planning talks about the non-financial aspects of planning a great retirement Oct 30, 2025 2151 In this special guest host episode, Brian Tegtmeyer from Truly Prosper Financial Planning talks about how to address and plan for the non-financial aspects of retirement such as intellectual engagement, purposeful activities, health and fitness, relationships and more. And he also shares a quick exercise to do to see how you can measure your satisfaction in these various areas, and how to help in

#175 - Q&A edition...The CAPE ratio and US stock market valuation, good enough vs optimization in retirement planning, tax on foreign stock dividends and MORE! Oct 23, 2025 3747 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: The CAPE (Cyclically Adjusted Price to Earnings) Ratio as a measure of whether the US stock market is overvalued or undervalued, and drawbacks with the CAPE Ratio ( 4:32 )The meaning of Benjamin Graham's quote "In the short run, the stock market is a voting machine, but in the long run it's a weighing machine" ( 17:07 )Helping clients ov

#174 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Jackie Cummings Koski Oct 16, 2025 7052 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Jackie Cummings Koski.But Jackie isn't just the typical "real" person doing her own retirement planning. She went the F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence Retire Early) route and left her corporate job in her late-40s. She's since expanded on the financial knowledge

#173 – Retirement planner chat, with Allen Mueller from 7 Saturdays Financial Oct 9, 2025 4593 Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Allen Mueller, CFA, CFP® from 7 Saturdays Financial. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as tax planning, distribution strategies, investing, annuities, long-term care insurance, how to know when people have enough to retire, what consumers often overlook in retirement planning and much more!Links in this episode

#172 - The conflicts, pros, cons and use cases of the different advisory fee structures Oct 2, 2025 4617 Andy shares his views on the few different ways in which people in the financial services/financial advisory industry can receive revenue:Commission-onlyFee-onlyHybrid or fee-basedLinks in this episode:My article in Rethinking65 - How Much Are Your Services Worth?Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in Ret

#171 - Q&A edition...how much you can spend in retirement, Roth IRA 5-year rule, RMDs, accounts for grandchildren and MORE! Sep 25, 2025 3967 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: How to calculate how much money you can gift or donate in retirement without running out ( 8:47 )Does the five-year rule met by a previous Roth IRA carry over to a new Roth IRA ( 17:03 )Is it better to draw down an inherited IRA and delay starting Social Security, or vice versa ( 19:39 )Can distributions from an annuity in a 403(b) be used to meet Required

#170 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Scott Sep 18, 2025 3708 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Scott. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as leaving the workforce early than planned during COVID and later reengaging in part-time work to have social interaction, managing income for purposes of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, how life and fi

#169 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Justin Pritchard talk about target date funds, illiquid assets in 401(k) plans, firing an advisor and MORE! Sep 11, 2025 4155 Andy and Justin Pritchard from Approach Financial share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: The pros and cons of target date funds ( 11:05 )Their thoughts on the recent presidential executive order allowing private and illiquid investments to be offered inside 401(k) plans ( 23:26 )Can you make up

#168 - Helpful tools and interesting information from the recent IRS Tax Forum Sep 4, 2025 2952 Andy summarizes some helpful IRS tools and interesting IRS and tax return-related information after his recent attendance at the annual IRS Tax Forum/conferenceLinks in this episode:IRS Taxpayer Online Account - hereID.me - hereIRS IP PINs - hereIRS Document Upload Tool - hereIRS Interactive Tax Assistant - hereTenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Ret

#167 - Q&A edition...basis in inherited IRAs, Social Security break even analysis, coordinating RMDs and Roth conversions and MORE! Aug 28, 2025 3270 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: How to account on your tax return for the basis in inherited IRAs ( 7:00 )Is having large Required Minimum Distributions ("RMDs") really a bad thing ( 12:04 )Is there any merit to using a break-even analysis to help decide when to start Social Security ( 15:59 )When does it make sense for someone to consider working with a financial advisor ( 18:1

#166 - The most common retirement planning questions from "real" people Aug 21, 2025 3066 In this slight twist to the "real" person episode format, Andy doesn't interview a real person but instead addresses the most common retirement planning questions he gets from "real" people. The questions addressed are:Do I have enough to retire?When can I retire?How much cash should I have?When should I start my Social Security?How do I get money out of my portfolio?How d

#165 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Mark Rosinski talk about different withdrawal strategies, rule of 55 distributions, allocating the stock portion of a portfolio and MORE! Aug 14, 2025 4965 Andy and Mark Rosinski from Dunes Financial share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Thoughts on common withdrawal strategies and what they use in each of their firms ( 12:04 )The level of impact of some of the changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ( 30:51 )Things to consider when doing rule o

#164 - Summary of the 2025 annual Social Security trustees report Aug 7, 2025 2887 Andy summarizes the recent 2025 annual Social Security trustees report, including what it would actually mean if the system's trust fund were to deplete, and what changes can be made to ensure that doesn't happenLinks in this episode:The full 2025 Social Security trustees report - here My company's August 1 2025 newsletter summarizing the 2025 Social Security trustees report - hereT

#163 - Guest host Larry Pershing from Optimum Retirement Planning talks about managing and reducing concentrated stock holdings Jul 31, 2025 2790 In this special guest host episode, Larry Pershing from Optimum Retirement Planning talks about how to reduce and manage concentrated holdings in your investment portfolio. Particular emphasis is given to the tax implications and tax management of trying to reduce highly appreciated positions in normal brokerage accountsLinks in this episode:Optimum Retirement Planning's website - https://www

#162 - Q&A edition...more about bonds, taking distributions from a 401(k), when tax rates might actually go up (and by how much) and MORE! Jul 24, 2025 3671 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Why you know the return you'll ultimately realize if you hold a bond to maturity, but can't know the return you'll eventually realize if you instead hold a bond fund ( 7:13 )A commonsense intuitive answer why bond prices decrease (increase) when interest rates increase (decrease) ( 9:56 )His thoughts on holding only fixed maturity instruments

#161 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Jan Jul 17, 2025 3577 Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Jan. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as leaving the workforce early due to family caregiving needs, how health changes have impacted retirement, how to distribute money from an IRA particularly when looking to do Qualified Charitable Distributions, an

#160 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Lauren Hunt talk about the Social Security annual trustees report, the ever-increasing stock market, whether to take out loans or pay for things outright and MORE! Jul 10, 2025 4785 Andy and Lauren Hunt from Daybreak Wealth share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Their thoughts on the takeaways from 2025 annual Social Security Trustees report ( 7:17 )Some of provisions in the pending One Big Beautiful Bill Act that are likely to impact most people's tax returns ( 16:12

#159 - SPECIAL EDITION...Provisions of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" most likely to impact your tax return Jul 8, 2025 2734 In the SPECIAL EDITION episode, Andy summarizes the key provision of the recently signed into law One Big Beautiful Act that are most likely to impact you and your tax return. The topics summarized are:Permanency of the current federal tax ratesPermanency, and a slight increase, to the current standard deduction amountsA new temporary personal exemption up to $6,000 per person 65 or olderPermanenc

#158 - How investment custodians make money Jul 3, 2025 3487 Andy discusses the main ways in which investment custodians like Scwhab, Vanguard and Fidelity make money (even when you often don't outright directly pay them anything...)Links in this episode:Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in Retirement)YouTube channel - Retirement Planning Education (formerly

#157 - Q&A edition...bonds and the bond market, paying estimated taxes, converting ALL pre-tax money to Roth and MORE! Jun 26, 2025 3712 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: A short explanation of bonds and "the bond market" ( 2:48 )Are actively managed bond funds better than passive bond funds ( 21:53 )What are the pros and cons of making all of the year's estimated tax payments in the first quarter ( 30:30 )Why insurers don't offer a long term care product with a 2-3 years elimination period or deductible

#156 - Three "real" people discuss how they handled the emotional transition into retirement and how they now find fulfillment, meaning and satisfaction Jun 19, 2025 5130 Andy chats with three different "real" people to discuss how they handled the non-financial/emotional transition from working to retirement, and what they do now to provide a sense of fulfillment, meaning and purpose and in retirementLinks in this episode:Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in R

#155 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Larry Pershing talk about the Big Beautiful (tax) Bill, US debt, concentration in the S&P 500 and MORE! Jun 12, 2025 6529 Andy and Larry Pershing from Optimum Retirement Planning share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: The pending "Big Beautiful Bill" tax bill that recently was approved by the House; what's in it, what's not in it, practical planning considerations around it, etc. ( 8:12 )Potenti

#154 - What retirement-focused financial and tax planning firms do for their fee, using my firm as an example Jun 5, 2025 3767 Andy discusses what financial firms do for their fee, using his own firm, Tenon Financial, as an exampleLinks in this episode:Tenon Financial's website - https://tenonfinancial.com/Tenon Financial's June 2025 newsletter - hereAndy's article explaining how it's impossible to quantify the value of advisory services in - How Much Are Your Services Worth?Tenon Financial monthly e-n

#153 - Guest hosts Mike Powers and Kirsten Ashbaugh from Manuka Financial talk more about data and cybersecurity best practices May 29, 2025 4684 In this special guest host episode, Mike Powers and Kirsten Ashbaugh from Manuka Financial talk cybersecurity best practices.Links in this episode:Manuka Financial's website - https://www.manukafinancial.com/Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in Retirement)YouTube channel - Retirement Planning Educa

#152 - Q&A edition...how to deal with market declines, Social Security spousal benefits, vacation home sale impacts on IRMAA and MORE! May 22, 2025 3215 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Why more fund managers don't offer mutual fund-to-ETF conversions ( 5:02 )How my firm helps clients prepare for severe market declines, and how we communicate bad markets to them ( 8:48 )Who's the voice of the intro and outro to this podcast ( 16:06 )For spouses claiming Social Security, what's a good claiming strategy when one spouse doesn&a

#151 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Rob Berger May 15, 2025 3736 Andy chats with real people (not advisors) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Rob Berger, the creator of the Rob Berger YouTube channel, the founder of the former DoughRoller website, published author and more!. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as when he started getting serious about retirement planning and a variety of financial t

#150 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Brian Tegtmeyer talk about retiring in a down market, concerns about Social Security, making estimated tax payments and MORE! May 8, 2025 3792 Andy and Brian Tegtmeyer share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Should someone delay their planned retirement if the markets are bad ( 6:50 )Should someone cancel or delay taking a big trip in retirement if the markets are bad ( 13:48 )Should someone start Social Security earlier than they were

#149 - Tips and best practices to protect your ID and financial information May 1, 2025 3443 Andy provides some tips and best practices to help keep your ID and financial information secure. Specifically:Check your credit report regularlyFreeze your creditGet a tax return filing PIN from the IRSUse strong and unique passwords for all websites and online accountsUse a password managerUse two-factor (if not multi-factor) authentication wherever possibleUse a VPN (Virtual Private Network) wh

#148 - Q&A edition...buffer ETFs, direct indexing, bucketing strategies, kiddie tax and MORE! Apr 24, 2025 3784 Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Buffer ETFs and whether they can be used as replacements for CDs in building a ladder for upcoming years' expenses ( 4:29 )His thoughts on direct indexing and whether it's worth doing to try to make non-qualified accounts for tax-efficient ( 14:11 )Whether or not it's practical to implement a bucketing strategy ( 23:38 )Considerations to put

#147 – Chat with four "real" people, sharing what they wish they would have known or done differently during their divorces Apr 17, 2025 5274 In this special edition "real" person chat, Andy talks with four different people who went through "gray" divorce (i.e. divorcing later in life; typically over the age of 50), to learn what they wish they would have known or done differently as they were going through the divorce process. Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Retir

Episodes

Recommended