Financial Strategies

Should you start collecting Social Security at 62, wait until full retirement age, or hold off until 70 for a larger monthly benefit? In this episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew and Daniel Agemy explain why Social Security is far more complicated than simply choosing the biggest check. They explore how claiming decisions can affect your lifetime income, taxes, survivor benefits, and overall r...

When financial headlines warn about falling bond prices, it's easy to assume bonds are a bad investment. But is that really the whole story? In this episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew and Daniel Agemy explain why individual bonds and bond funds aren't interchangeable, and why that distinction matters for investors approaching or already enjoying retirement. They explore how bonds wor...

When is the right time to stop growing your retirement savings and start putting them to work for you? In this episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew and Daniel Agemy explore why today's combination of accumulated market gains and attractive income opportunities may create an important moment for individuals approaching retirement. They discuss the difference between relying on market apprec...

Markets change. Technology changes. But investor behavior has a habit of repeating itself. In this week's episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew and Daniel Agemy explore what past market cycles can teach today's retirees—and why “the market always comes back” may not answer the most important retirement-planning question. They discuss lessons from previous booms and downturns, the emotio...

AI can give you a financial answer in seconds. But is it the right answer for your retirement? In this week’s episode of Financial Strategies, Andrew & Daniel Agemy explore the growing role of AI in financial decision-making—and why a confident response shouldn't automatically be mistaken for a personalized strategy. From AI “hallucinations” to market algorithms and retirement-income decis...

“I’ll spend less when I retire.” “Social Security and my pension will be enough.” “I’ll figure everything out when I’m ready to retire.” They’re common assumptions—but should you build your retirement around them? In this episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew and Daniel Agemy tackle some of the biggest myths surrounding retirement planning. They discuss why spending may shift rather than simply...

Renewable energy gets plenty of attention—but what about renewable retirement income? In this episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew and Daniel Agemy use rental properties, apple orchards, and chickens laying eggs to illustrate a simple retirement principle: instead of continually selling the assets you’ve accumulated, what if those assets could produce the income you need? They explore the diff...

What would you say if your boss offered you a raise with no additional hours or responsibilities? Most people would accept it immediately. Yet in retirement, many investors may unknowingly turn down opportunities to increase the income their assets generate. In our latest episode of the Financial Strategies Podcast , Andrew and Daniel Agemy explain the concept of getting a “real raise” in retireme...

Everyone wants to know their retirement number. Is it $1 million? $2 million? $5 million? In this episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew and Daniel Agemy explain why your total savings may not be the number that matters most. They examine four important areas retirees should understand: personal risk tolerance, Roth conversion and tax considerations, total investment fees, and the amount of inco...

The five years before retirement and the five years after it are often called the retirement danger zone—and the decisions made during this period can have a lasting effect on your financial future. In this episode, Andrew and Daniel Agemy explain why the rules change once you transition from saving money to withdrawing it. They explore sequence-of-returns risk, the limitations of relying on long-...

Many investors spend decades focused on growing their account balance—but retirement calls for a different approach. In this episode, Andrew and Daniel Agemy explain why retirees may benefit from thinking less like traders chasing capital gains and more like lenders generating dependable income. They discuss the difference between speculative growth and contractual cash flow, explore several incom...

Retirement isn't just about accumulating wealth—it's about turning your savings into dependable income. In this week's episode, Andrew and Daniel Agemy discuss three income-generating alternatives that can help retirees build consistent cash flow beyond traditional savings accounts and stock market investments. They explain how different income-producing assets work, why diversificatio...

Retirement should bring more confidence—not more uncertainty. In this episode, Andrew and Daniel Agemy discuss four essential areas that every retiree should understand: investment risk, tax exposure, hidden fees, and dependable retirement income. Learn why understanding your personal risk tolerance matters, how taxes and investment costs can quietly reduce your retirement wealth, and why building...

Whole life insurance is often viewed as nothing more than a death benefit—but is there more to the story? In this episode, Andrew and Daniel Agemy discuss why participating whole life insurance from strong mutual companies has been used for generations as a financial asset by business owners, retirees, and families seeking long-term stability. They explain how properly designed policies can provid...

Retirement is about more than reaching a certain account balance. In this week's episode, Andrew & Daniel Agemy discuss what it really means to prepare for retirement and why every retirement plan should begin with understanding your personal goals, lifestyle expectations, and income needs. The conversation covers retirement income planning, healthcare considerations, long-term care strate...

Inflation and taxes may not make headlines every day, but they can have a significant impact on your retirement over time. In this episode of Financial Strategies, Andrew & Daniel Agemy discuss how these two often-overlooked forces can quietly reduce purchasing power and increase the amount retirees ultimately pay to the government. The conversation covers the long-term effects of inflation, t...

In this episode of Financial Strategies, Andrew & Daniel Agemy tackle one of the most important questions in retirement planning: How do you create income that lasts without spending down your life savings? The discussion explores the evolution of retirement planning from pension-based income to self-directed retirement accounts and the challenges that shift has created for today's retiree...

In this episode of Financial Strategies, Andrew & Daniel Agemy continue the conversation from “When Safe Becomes Dangerous” by diving deeper into inflation, passive investing, and the long-term risks facing retirement portfolios. The episode explores how today’s investing landscape may be changing as trillions of dollars flow into passive index funds, while fewer investors actively analyze the...

In this episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew & Daniel Agemy explore a growing concern in today’s financial markets: what happens when “safe” investing becomes dangerous? The discussion centers around the rise of index investing and passive investing strategies like S&P 500 index funds. While indexing originally started as a brilliant low-cost way to participate in market growth, the ho...

What does it actually take to feel confident about retirement? In this episode, Andrew & Daniel Agemy explore the three key pillars of retirement confidence —and why so many people fall short. Inspired by a study showing that most medical diagnoses change after a second opinion, they explain why retirement planning deserves the same level of scrutiny. You’ll discover: Why understanding your tr...

What if the biggest risk to your retirement isn’t the market crashing… but the way your portfolio is built? In this episode of the Financial Strategies Podcast, Andrew and Daniel Agemy explore the concept of bull and bear market cycles and how they’ve shaped investing history for over a century. They explain why many retirees are unknowingly exposed to long periods of low or no market growth — and...

Most people spend their lives earning a paycheck—but very few learn how to build one for retirement . In this episode of the Financial Strategies Podcast, Andrew and Daniel Agemy explore the critical difference between relying on withdrawals versus generating true passive income . They explain why traditional retirement strategies can fall short and how income-focused investing can provide greater...

This episode of Financial Strategies with Andrew & Daniel Agemy explores what it truly means to be a wise steward of your wealth in today’s unpredictable world. Using the biblical parable of the talents , the discussion centers on the importance of taking intentional action with your money instead of leaving it idle or relying on hope . The hosts contrast traditional investing approaches drive...

In this episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew and Daniel Agemy discuss what it really means to get paid in retirement. Rather than relying on the traditional model of withdrawing from principal, they explain how retirees can use dividends, bonds, and other income-producing investments to create dependable cash flow without constantly selling assets. You’ll learn why sequence of returns can be s...

In this episode of Financial Strategies , Andrew and Daniel Agemy discuss the proposed “Trump Accounts,” a program designed to give newborn children a $1,000 investment account funded by the U.S. government . They explore how the accounts could work, who may qualify, and how compound interest could potentially turn that initial investment into significantly more over time. The conversation also hi...