Common Curiosities: Retirement

If you want your retirement to feel more comfortable and able to spend more, then smart tax planning may make a big difference for you! If you can pay less in taxes, you should be able to spend more on things you enjoy in retirement, right?! In this episode, Michael CFP®, EA breaks down key retirement tax strategies worth considering. It’s designed specifically for the crucial retirement tax plann...

What in the world is an inverted yield curve and should you actually care? In this episode, Michael and Jacqueline break down what a yield curve is, what it means when it inverts, and why headlines love to turn it into a recession panic button. Instead of reacting to alarming charts or social‑media hot takes, we focus on the actual mechanics behind interest rates, bonds, mortgage markets, and futu...

Becoming an attending is a major turning point, and Jacqueline is right in the middle of that transition as she finishes medical school. She’s starting to think through what strategies doctors may use to help reach their financial goals, try to mitigate taxes wisely, and build a foundation that actually supports the life the physician wants. Topics include: 💭 What changes financially when you bec...

Should physicians attack medical school loans immediately or pursue Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)? That question drives this episode. Student loans are not just math. They often shape how you live, how you work, and how much flexibility you may have over your future. This episode is designed for residents and future attendings who are trying to balance debt, life goals, and long term fina...

Stepping into medicine changes a lot including your relationship with money. In this episode of Common Curiosities, we rewind to the very beginning of the financial journey for resident physicians and future doctors. From student loan overwhelm to first paychecks, we explore the big questions that show up when debt, income, and long term planning all collide at once. Topics include: 💭 The two big...

We’re digging into three big questions that involve incentives, trade‑offs, and possible ripple effects few talk about. 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞: 💭 A proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates 💭 Who may benefit and who could lose when credit card rates are limited 💭 How lower interest rates could affect rewards, approvals, spending and stock prices 💭 Why Fannie and Freddie buying mortgages may push...

Why did my tax bill go up… even though little changed at work? As interest rates have gone up, a lot of people started earning more on cash sitting at the bank. And at tax time, that surprise can show up in a real way. In this episode, Michael, CFP®, EA walks through one of the most common and overlooked reasons people owe more than expected: ordinary income taxes on savings, CDs, and money market...

We’re taking a closer look at the loudest housing headlines currently happening. Are we actually on the brink of another 2008-style crash, or is the story more complicated? Could 50‑year mortgages be a lifeline for buyers or a slow‑burn problem in the making? And how do you figure out whether a home truly fits your life, not just what a lender says you can qualify for? Topics include: 💭 What a 50...

Ever wonder whether you’re on track for your retirement goals? In this episode, Michael walks through the question from a couple in their mid‑40s who hope to retire at 62 and spend about $120,000 a year in today’s dollars. They’ve built a strong foundation by saving early, and now they’re asking a great question: Can we ease up a bit and enjoy more life today without getting off course for tomorro...

In this episode, Michael, CFP®, EA tackles Q&A questions ranging from the new inherited IRA rules, why a reverse mortgage may not make sense right, key Roth IRA and 401(k) contribution rules, and juggling student loans, saving for a home, and building an emergency fund. Topics: 💭 How inherited IRA rules changed and what the 10 year rule really means 💭 Why tax bracket management matters when...

We hear it all the time. Roth this and Roth that. "Convert now before it’s too late" and many more. We think Roth conversions can be powerful in the right situations. But what most people don't talk about is that sometimes they may actually do more harm than good to your lifetime tax bill. In this episode of Common Curiosities Retirement, Michael CFP®, EA discusses the conversation a...

Should you take your Social Security at 62 or wait? Some say it's a "no brainer", but is there really a “no brainer” age to take your Social Security? There's many moving parts to consider. Your choice should impact your retirement income, taxes you'll pay, investment strategy, health costs, inheritance, and many more. Michael walks through this common retirement question. Mi...

In this episode Michael, CFP®, EA tackles three big listener questions. 1. How should we save for kids beyond a bank account, 2. Whether a 26‑year‑old really needs life insurance, and 3. How much life insurance should a family actually carry? Topic overviews: 💭 Investing money for kids 💭 Why a brokerage/Non-Retirement account could be a useful family planning vehicle 💭 Tax ideas that are availa...

We cover some big financial topics people often ask about in this episode. 1.) What families should know to get money from the government for their kids. 2.) How could certain strategies make your HSA work harder for you? 3.) Whether an influencer's retirement investment plan makes sense to professional and how it might actually hold up in the real world! Topics include: 💭 Why Michael tries to pu...

In this episode, Michael Custer, CFP®, EA, unpacks annuities in plain English, no sales pitch attached. While he admits they’re not his favorite financial tool, he takes a candid look at what annuities are and how they work. You have probably seen commercials, gotten dinner invites, or maybe even own one yourself. Annuities spark a lot of curiosity, and today we dig into what they really are, when...

The IRS rolled out new 2026 retirement contribution limits and, yes, more new rules! Who's excited?! Not a huge shocker, but we think some are good! They made some things more complicated though. From new income limits, new catch ups, a super catch up window that only exists from ages 60 to 63, and the mandatory Roth catch up for higher earners, it feels like the IRS is writing plot twists just to...

If you have ever seen those ads saying things like “be your own bank” or “the rich use this secret strategy,” today’s conversation might spark some curiosity. We talk through the Kyle Busch lawsuit and why this famous NASCAR driver is saying he was promised one thing with an index universal life policy (IUL) and now he's claiming he lost millions of dollars and wants to warn others. In recent...

If you've ever wondered "why do interest rates move and how does it impact me?” this episode is for you. We gave Michael CFP®, EA a challenge: can he explain how and why interest rates change? This impacts everyday lives so we're interested to know. How come so quickly a mortgage rate goes up? Could it come back down? We asked Michael to explain it so that a 10‑year‑old might get it!...

We’re addressing one of the most frequent mistakes we see among high‑income earners and a lesser‑known Roth IRA and Trad. IRA rule that even seasoned advisors are overlooking! The different income limits that can quietly trigger a 6% penalty every year if left uncorrected, catching families off guard far too often. Topics Covered 💭 💭 The Roth IRA income limits that trips people up 💭 What “phasi...

In this episode we kept the November sports theme alive. Lions jerseys and volleyball sweatshirts. A little friendly banter about who is a true Lions fan and who joined the party once the wins showed up. But once the sports talk wrapped up we shifted into a topic that comes up constantly for parents and soon to be parents. The 529 account! 529's have more flexibility than most people realize and t...

Coffee in hand and the dogs supervising. Jacqueline wants Michael to take a slow walk through the wild vocabulary of finance words that people will throw around like everybody was born knowing what they mean. We start right at the beginning. Stocks. Bonds. Why they are not the same thing. Why one makes you an owner and the other makes you a loaner. Why bonds move with interest rates even though th...

In this questions from listeners episode we take on three big topics that come up often! Questions Michael, CFP®, EA & Jacqueline discuss: 💭 Could doctors write off scrubs, stethoscopes, and other medical essentials if they form an LLC? 💭 Can parents set up and fund Roth IRAs for their kids before the kids are official adults? 💭 They look at how taxes shift depending on whether a doctor is...

In this episode of Common Curiosities Retirement, we break down one of the most common debates we see on social media: What is the actual difference between the S&P 500 index and the Total Stock Market index? Influencers love shouting what one you should have, sho the past returns alone but what would a trained professional want to know about them? Michael a CFP®, EA and a professional investm...

If you have ever looked at your accounts and wondered, “Should I start pulling back the risk in my investments?” this episode is for you. Michael, CFP®, EA unpacks portfolio de-risking. We look at what happens when your time horizon shrinks, why the often forgot about sequence of returns risk can quickly wreck a person's plan, and how to think about shifting from growth mode to enjoy your savings...

In this episode, Michael and Jacqueline welcome a special guest: Michael’s grandpa Larry. Long before Dave Ramsey made his financial classes famous, Larry was already living it. He stretched a teacher’s salary to provide for his family, steering clear of debt like it had fangs, and had the foresight to invest early with a long‑term mindset. They discuss: 💭 Larry growing up in a low income family...