A Smarter Way To Retire with Tony Leonardi, CFP®

New tax law alert! The One Big Beautiful Bill Act could save you thousands in 2025. Join CFP Anthony Leonardi to learn how lower rates, a $6,000 senior deduction, and a 23% business break impact your retirement. Download our free 2025 Tax Planning Checklist at LeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com!#RetirementPlanning #TaxTips The One Big Beautiful Bill Act , signed July 4, 2025, is shaking up taxes for ret...

Join Tony Leonardi, CFP® from Newtown, Connecticut, on A Smarter Way to Retire for an episode recorded July 04, 2025. Celebrate America’s 249th with insights on financial independence amidst a Fed rate cut hint (20% Julychance), oil dropping to $68.9-$70, and S&P 500 highs. Learn how a plan counters PCE (0.1% rise), jobless claims, and the 2025 TCJA sunset, while boosting health. Key Takeaways...

The Critical Need for a Retirement Financial Plan Join Tony Leonardi, CFP® from Newtown, Connecticut, on A Smarter Way to Retire for an episode recorded June 25, 2025. As summer heats up, discover why the number one retirement mistake—retiring without a plan—can lead tooverspending, underspending, risky investments, or missed tax savings. With the Fed holding rates steady despite 2.7% inflation an...

Join Tony Leonardi, CFP® from Newtown, Connecticut, on A Smarter Way to Retire for an episode recorded June 18, 2025. Amid last week’s market dips from Middle East tensions and oil price surges, Tony reveals how to secure retirement beyond savings. Explore timing Social Security for your health and needs, choosing pension payouts (single-life, joint, or maximization with life insurance), and diver...

Welcome to A Smarter Way to Retire , hosted by Tony Leonardi, CFP® from Fairfield County, Connecticut. In this episode, recorded with insights from years of guiding retirees, Tony dives into the five biggest retirement planning mistakes that can jeopardize your financial future—and how to sidestep them. Discover why retiring without a clear strategy can leave you vulnerable, how underestimating a...

💪 Tony Leonardi, CFP® from Fairfield County, CT, welcomes Philip Pape of Wits & Weights , to explore the health-wealth connection in retirement. Recorded for A Smarter Way to Retire , this episode dives into why fitness matters more as we age. Learn how strength training, not cardio, is the foundation for retirees, plus Philip’s non-negotiables: protein, lifting, and recovery. Get actionable...

🌞 Welcome to A Smarter Way to Retire with Tony Leonardi, CFP® from Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut!  Tony reflects on a memorable Memorial Dayweekend—raising a flag, firing up his pizza oven with garden mushrooms, andcelebrating family (Tony’s engagement and a new baby!). Dive into a mid-2025check-in: Are your finances and health goals on track? Explore the S&P500’s 23% trough-to-peak...

🌿 Welcome to A Smarter Way to Retire with Tony Leonardi, CFP® from Fairfield County, Connecticut! On May 21, 2025, Tony shares a personal update—his sons’ travels, a garden rebuild after a flood, and spring in CT—before diving into Memorial Day’s 1868 origins and itsmeaning: honoring 1.1M fallen soldiers. Then, explore the Moody’s May 16 downgrade of US bonds to Aa1, driven by a $37T debt (up 50%...

Feeling rattled by recent market volatility? 📉 In this episode of A Smarter Way to Retire , Tony Leonardi, CFP® based in Fairfield County,Connecticut, shares three positive economic updates from May 2025 that arelifting markets and spirits. From the US-UK trade deal boosting sectors likemanufacturing, to a new US-China agreement easing trade tensions, and abipartisan pharmaceutical pricing policy...

Save thousands for your 2025 retirement with Tony Leonardi, a CERTIFIEDFINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, in this A Smarter Way to Retire episode. Discover 5 tax-smart moves—Roth conversions, timing withdrawals, QCDs,bunching deductions, and low-tax states—plus a 2026 rate hike alert. HearTony’s client stories and a fun $18,000 gifting tip! Based on ASmarter Way to Retire and MoneyGuidePro. Sign up...

Ready for a smarter 2025 retirement? In this final A Smarter Way to Retire episode, Tony Leonardi, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, recaps his 10-step process to build a secure retirement plan. From organizing finances to optimizing taxes, get actionable insights based on Tony’s book A Smarter Way to Retire and MoneyGuidePro tools. 🔥 Sign up for our FREE 2025 Retirement Reset Checklis...

Your retirement plan evolves! Tony Leonardi, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, shares retirement adjustments for 2025 in Step 10. Tweak investments, budgets, or savings to hit 70–90% success probability. 📈 Small changes boost your plan by 20%! Get your free 2025 Retirement Reset Checklist and 2025 tax webinar at LeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com (Webinar tab) or YouTube @LeonardiFamilyWealt...

Tax season got you down? In this lively episode of A Smarter Way to Retire , host Tony Leonardi dives into the wild history of the federal income tax. Discover how a 3% Civil War “temporary” tax became permanent, why Al Capone was nabbed for tax evasion, and how top rates once hit a staggering 94%. Tony also reveals the hidden cost of tax prep—13 hours and $290 per person annually—and what it mean...

Is it time to rethink America’s trade policies? In this episode of A Smarter Way to Retire , we explore how tariffs have shaped the U.S. economy, from post-WWII wealth redistribution to today’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. We break down how uneven trade policies impact American jobs, manufacturing, and the wealth gap—while also questioning whether new tariffs are the right solution. 🔹 What’s inside...

How do you know if your retirement plan is truly on track? In this episode of A Smarter Way to Retire , we break down Step 9: Measure Your Probability of Success. ✅ What does “probability of success” really mean in financial planning? ✅ How do financial planners stress-test your retirement plan? ✅ What factors—like market conditions, inflation, and spending habits—affect your long-term outlook?...

Are your investments working for you? In Step 8 of A Smarter Way to Retire , we break down how to analyze your current investment portfolio to ensure it aligns with your retirement goals. ✅ Are you taking the right amount of risk? ✅ Do your investments support your long-term financial plan? ✅ How can you adjust your portfolio for a more secure retirement? In this episode, I’ll guide you through...

How much risk are you really comfortable taking in your investments? In this episode, we break down risk tolerance —what it is, why it matters, and how it shapes your retirement strategy. We’ll explore the emotional and financial aspects of risk, how market volatility impacts different investors, and why aligning your investments with your comfort level is key to long-term success. Are you taking...

A successful retirement isn’t just about saving—it’s about knowing where your income will come from once you stop working. In this episode, we break down the key sources of retirement income, including Social Security, pensions, and personal savings. We’ll discuss how to optimize your income streams, make smart decisions about pension payouts and Social Security timing, and ensure you have a predi...

Episode 6: Define Your Retirement Goals Retirement isn’t just about saving money—it’s about having a clear vision for what you want your future to look like. In this episode, we break down the process of defining your retirement goals into three key categories: needs, wants, and wishes. By prioritizing what’s most important, you can create a financial plan that supports your ideal retirement lifes...

Episode 5 – Determine Your Retirement Timeframe How do you know when you’re ready to retire? In this episode of A Smarter Way to Retire , we dive into the critical step of determining your retirement timeframe. Understanding when you want to retire is just as important as how long your retirement might last. Your timeframe isn’t just about when you stop working—it’s also about how many years you n...

Episode 4: Expectations and Concerns Retirement is one of life’s biggest transitions, and with it comes a mix of excitement, uncertainty, and plenty of questions. In this episode, we dive into the common expectations and concerns people have when planning for retirement. Will I have enough money? What if the market crashes? How do I balance spending and saving? We’ll explore the realities of retir...

Episode 3: Building Your Financial Model – The Key to a Confident Retirement A secure retirement doesn’t happen by accident—you need a plan. In this episode of A Smarter Way to Retire , Tony Leonardi walks you through the essential step of building your financial model . You’ll learn: ✅ What goes into your financial model—income, expenses, assets, and liabilities ✅ Why understanding your full fi...

Episode 2: Getting Organized – The Foundation of a Smart Retirement Before you can build a solid retirement plan, you need to get organized. In this episode, Tony Leonardi walks you through the essential steps to take control of your financial life—gathering key documents, understanding your assets and liabilities, and setting the stage for a confident retirement. A little organization now can mak...

Welcome to the first episode of A Smarter Way to Retire! In this episode, host Tony Leonardi introduces himself, his new book, his background in financial planning, and the mission behind this podcast. Learn how A Smarter Way to Retire: 10 Steps Towards a Confident Financial Future will help you navigate retirement planning with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re nearing retirement or just sta...