See The Forest Through the Trees

Social Security spousal benefits can be confusing, especially when you hear that you may be eligible for up to 50% of your spouse’s benefit. But that doesn’t mean you receive half of your spouse’s check on top of your own benefit. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® explains how the 50% Social Security spousal benefit actually works, how your own benefit factors into the calculation, what happens if...

If you’re retired and thinking about paying cash for your next car, you may want to reconsider before writing that check. Paying cash might feel like the financially responsible choice—no monthly payment, no interest, and no debt. But depending on where that money comes from, paying cash could actually cost you significantly more than you realize. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® explains why ret...

If you have a pension, how much do you actually need to invest for retirement? Do you still need to save 15%, 20%, or even 25% of your income—or could your pension mean you're already saving enough? In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® explains how to look at your pension, Social Security, 401(k), IRA, and other investments as one complete retirement plan. Rather than chasing an arbitrary savings num...

Many investors believe an S&P 500 index fund gives them all the diversification they need. After all, owning the S&P 500 means owning approximately 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States. But the S&P 500 is market-cap weighted, and its ten largest companies now represent a significant portion of the entire index. Investors may also unknowingly increase that c...

Some purchases can make you look wealthy while quietly reducing your financial freedom. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® explains six purchases that wealthy retirees tend to approach carefully—not because they refuse to spend money, but because they understand the difference between intentional spending and permanent financial obligations. The six purchases include: • Vacation homes • Timeshares...

A retirement tax strategy can look smart on its own and still create a larger tax bill somewhere else. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® explains three common retirement tax mistakes: failing to use the 0% long-term capital gains bracket, triggering the Social Security tax trap, and converting too much—or too little—from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Retirement withdrawals, capital gains, Socia...

Your Social Security estimate may not be as fixed as you think. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® explains five ways you may be able to increase your Social Security benefit—even if you are already in your 60s or have started collecting. Social Security uses your highest 35 years of covered earnings to calculate your retirement benefit. Missing years are counted as zeros, while new high-earning ye...

If you've ever wondered, "Am I really ready to retire?", this video is for you. Many people don't retire too late because they don't have enough money—they retire too late because they lack confidence in their retirement plan. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® explains how to build retirement confidence by stress testing your financial plan, practicing your retirement income strategy, and understa...

Many people assume the goal of retirement planning is to accumulate as much money as possible. But there comes a point when continuing to work may no longer improve your life—it may simply exchange some of your healthiest years for additional wealth you may never need. In this video, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Colin Exelby explains why age 58 often represents a major shift in retirement planning...

The IRS has released the new 2026 tax brackets, standard deductions, and inflation adjustments that will affect retirees, seniors, and pre-retirees. But understanding your tax bracket is only part of the story. Many retirees accidentally pay more taxes than necessary because they overlook how IRA withdrawals, Roth conversions, Social Security taxation, Medicare IRMAA surcharges, and retirement inc...

Many retirees assume their taxes will go down once they stop working. But for many households, the biggest retirement tax problems don't begin until later in life. Many financial planners refer to part of this problem as the Retirement Tax Torpedo—a chain reaction where Social Security taxation, RMDs, Medicare IRMAA surcharges, and other retirement income sources interact in ways many retirees don...

Many retirees do not overspend because of one major purchase. More often, retirement spending increases quietly through small recurring changes: higher insurance premiums, home repairs, family support, travel, convenience spending, and lifestyle creep. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® analyzes why retirees may be spending more than they think, how normal expenses can slowly become permanent lifes...

A lot of retirees spent decades believing that reaching $1 million would mean financial security. But today, many retirees with $1 million saved still feel financially stressed. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® gives his expertise on why retirement feels different than people expected — even for households that did “everything right.” We’ll discuss: How inflation changed retirement expectations W...

Many retirees move to states like Florida, Tennessee, Texas, or Nevada assuming “no state income tax” automatically makes them the best places to retire financially. But retirement taxes are only one piece of the equation. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® explains the 5 best and 5 worst states to retire in financially as of 2026 based on the full financial picture — including retirement income ta...

A lot of retirees know what their Social Security check is...but very few know where that check actually ranks.   In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® explains Social Security benefit check rankings, including:   what’s considered below average, what qualifies as a top-tier Social Security benefit, and the key decisions that can permanently increase or reduce your retirement income. We’ll cover:   Aa...

If you’ve been following the traditional 60/40 portfolio… this may surprise you. Recently, Vanguard released guidance suggesting that many investors—especially those nearing retirement—may actually be taking on too much risk. In some cases, what used to be considered a balanced portfolio (60% stocks / 40% bonds) may now need to be closer to 30% stocks / 70% bonds depending on your situation. But d...

Most retirees spend decades doing everything right — saving, investing, and building a large retirement portfolio. But what many don’t realize is that success inside tax-deferred accounts can create a hidden problem later on. It’s called the RMD tax trap. Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) can force you to take income in your 70s and beyond — whether you need it or not. And when that income sta...

Baby Boomers are reaching retirement age… and millions of them are struggling financially. Not because they didn’t work hard. Not because they didn’t try to save. In this video, Colin Exelby, CFP® breaks down the real reasons so many retirees ended up financially unprepared—from the shift away from pensions to 401(k)s, to decades of market timing challenges, missed compounding years, and major eve...

Many people think the biggest mistakes in retirement are financial. They’re not. Many people assume the biggest risks in retirement are financial — running out of money, poor investment returns, or rising taxes. But when you talk to people at the end of retirement, a different pattern emerges. The most common regrets are not about money. They are about how life was lived. In this video, I break do...

Many retirees believe Roth conversions are simply about whether they are “good or bad.” But the real question is, when a Roth conversion actually makes sense? For many households, there is a short period in early retirement when income — and taxes — may temporarily fall. Missing that window can mean paying significantly higher taxes later once Social Security and required minimum distributions beg...

If you're trying to decide when to take Social Security, you’ve probably heard that claiming benefits at age 62 is a mistake. The logic seems simple: if you delay your benefit, you receive a larger monthly check for the rest of your life.   But the reality is more complicated.   In this video, Certified Financial Planner Colin Exelby explains five situations where taking Social Security at 62 can...

Many retirees eventually face the aging-in-place decision in retirement planning — whether the home they raised their family in still fits their retirement life. In this video I walk through a real retirement planning conversation I recently had with someone in their early 70s who was trying to decide whether to stay in their long-time home or move to a 55+ community. This is not a real estate dis...

If one spouse has a much higher Social Security benefit, claiming age can permanently affect the surviving spouse’s retirement income.   Many married couples approach Social Security claiming as a simple “62 vs 67 vs 70” decision. In reality, the claiming age of the higher-earning spouse often determines the lifetime income of the surviving spouse.   In this video, I walk through a real retirement...

If you already have a Roth IRA, certain common behaviors — especially early withdrawals of contributions — can permanently reduce future tax-free retirement income. In this video I explain how Roth IRA contribution withdrawals, skipped contribution years, and uninvested cash balances quietly damage long-term compounding and retirement tax flexibility. This video walks through the real-world Roth I...

Also called: Selective Indifference in Investing. In this video, CFP® professional Colin Exelby explains the concept of “selective indifference” in investing — the practice of intentionally ignoring short-term market information that does not affect long-term financial outcomes. Many investors believe success comes from predicting markets or reacting quickly to economic news. In reality, long-term...