Retirement Starts Today Radio

Tax season is here. This yearly duty is something that a good portion of citizens put off until the last minute, with some even requesting an extension to file later. However, today I have 8 reasons for you to consider filing your taxes early. Listen in to discover why you might want to bite the […] The post 8 Reasons to File Your 2021 Tax Return Early, Ep #232 appeared first on Retirement S...

You may be worried about money in retirement, but are you worried that you won’t spend enough of it? Today’s retirement headline comes from Neil Templin over at Barrons.com and it examines how people’s core spending and saving habits from their working years continue in their retirement years. Listen to this episode to hear the author’s suggestion […] The post Retirees Aren’t Spending Enough...

Tax scams are as old as taxes themselves, so are you doing everything you can do to avoid them? In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we’ll explore what the IRS labels, ‘the dirty dozen’ tax scams. You’ll learn who is targeted by the various scams and then you’ll discover what you should do to […] The post Americans Urged to Watch Out for Tax Scams During the Pandemic, Ep #227 appeared...

Do you have gold as a part of your investment portfolio? Several years ago there were loads of infomercials about investing in gold, but after today’s retirement headline you may want to think twice about complicated investment strategies. Don’t miss out on this real-world cautionary tale which provides an example of how and why owners […] The post A “Gold IRA” and a $300,000 Tax Mistake… Ep...

You may have noticed how the spirit of giving changed your mood this holiday season. That is because giving can actually increase your happiness. This week’s retirement headline from BigThink.com is titled How Generosity Changes Your Brain, and it discusses recent research on how giving to others promotes happiness. On this episode of Retirement Starts Today, […] The post My Favorite Retirem...

Would you want to raise your standard of living for half of what you live on now? Tim Leffel did, which is why he chose to uproot his family from their life in Nashville to move to a small city in Mexico. Tim is the author of the book A Better Life for Half the […] The post Could Living Abroad Save You Money? with Tim Leffel [Rebroadcast] appeared first on Retirement Starts Today Radio .

Despite the economic downturn, 2020 turned out to be a fantastic year for charitable giving. In this episode, we’ll look at how people chose to give and you’ll learn about the efficiency of giving through donor-advised funds (DAFs). In the listener questions segment, you’ll learn how to survive a bear market in retirement. We’ll investigate […] The post Fidelity & Schwab Donors Set Reco...

We’ve all been sitting at home for the past year and now everyone is getting the travel bug. That’s why today we’re kicking off the Summer Travel Series with an interview with Lee Huffman. Lee hosts a podcast called We Travel There and he writes a frugal travel blog at BaldThoughts.com. I’ve been curious about the world of […] The post Summer Travel Series: Travel Hacking with Lee Huffman [R...

What is the number one travel goal for people approaching retirement? Disney! People young and old alike love to go to Disney. In my 15 years of retirement planning, I have discovered that a multi-generational trip to Disney is at the top of most people’s bucket lists. That is why I have brought the world’s […] The post Planning Multi-Generational Disney Trips with Lou Mongello [Rebroadcast]...

Since travel is on many soon-to-be retirees’ must-do lists I have created this summer travel series with various travel experts. Danielle Desir from the Thought Card podcast joins me today to discuss how to travel to any destination on a budget. Recognized by Flight Network as one of the best travel hackers in the world, Danielle has […] The post Bucket List Travel on Any Budget with D...

Now is a great time to start financial and tax planning for the next year. To do so, you must first look at any changes that were made to tax laws. We’ll do that by exploring 2 articles from Forbes and CNBC which take a closer look at any imminent changes to the tax code. Then we’ll dive into […] The post Tax & Retirement Planning Changes for 2022, Ep #219 appeared first on Retirement S...

Have you ever filled out a questionnaire at your financial advisor’s office? If you have, it was probably a risk tolerance questionnaire. I have my own opinions about them, but you’ll have to wait until the end of this episode to hear what it is. On this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we’ll explore an […] The post Risk Tolerance Questionnaires Don’t Work, Ep #218 appeared first on Retir...

Do you let news headlines affect your choices? The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College wanted to learn more about this question, so they conducted a study to find the answers. In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we’ll take a look at the findings of this study and analyze how people’s misconceptions can […] The post The Media Will Decide Your Social Security Claiming Age,...

Our chances of death are 100%, so that means at some point in your life you will probably experience the death of a loved one, and you’ll need to prepare for your own passing. Choosing the right executor can make a traumatic time more bearable. The role of executor is not an easy one, which […] The post Executor Help – How to Settle an Estate, Pick an Executor, and Avoid Family Fights...

If you are like many Americans who watch the news, inflation is probably on your mind. Since the Covid 19 pandemic began costs have been rising. We are still facing the effects of the supply chain breakdowns brought on by the pandemic in addition to extreme, worldwide weather events. These events have led to an […] The post Inflation in Retirement and Breaking Social Security News! Ep #215 a...

The end of the year is coming up right around the corner, and you know what that means: it’s time for end-of-the-year tax planning! However, this year’s tax planning may look a bit different with new tax legislation making its way down the congressional pipeline. Many wealthy individuals are nervous about what the current regime […] The post Tax Moves You Should Be Making Before Year’s...

Do you wish that you could have a mulligan when it comes to taking your Social Security benefit? Once you file for Social Security, it seems like your decision is set in stone. But what if I told you that you have options to reverse your decision? In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we’ll […] The post 3 Social Security Do-Over Options, Ep # 213  appeared first on Retirement Starts To...

Do annuities give retirees a different attitude towards spending in retirement? In this week’s retirement headlines, we’ll examine an article that discusses the psychological benefits that retirees who shift their assets from savings to lifetime income enjoy. This group of retirees has more of a license to spend attitude and ends up gaining more enjoyment […] The post Are Annuities a “Licens...

The annual Social Security beneficiary report was recently released and just like every other year that they release it, it has caused people to worry about their future. Social Security is a crucial, foundational element of most retirement income plans, so when you read headlines that it will run out soon how should you react? […] The post The Social Security Update, Ep # 210  appeared firs...

Have you been feeling the pull to retire? This feeling isn’t constrained to those nearing retirement age; many people have been feeling the desire to quit their jobs lately. So many workers are considering a job change that this wave of people has begun what is called “The Great Resignation.” I read about this phenomenon […] The post The Great Resignation, Ep #209 appeared first on Retiremen...

In retirement, you have all the time in the world, but are you using your time wisely? I recently read an op-ed article from CNBC about the power of delegation and it got me thinking about the way we spend our time. On this episode of Retirement Starts today, we’ll explore that op-ed article, I’ll share what […] The post Quit Cutting Your Own Grass, Ep #208 appeared first on Retirement...

Since travel is on many soon-to-be retirees’ must-do lists I have created this summer travel series with various travel experts. Danielle Desir from the Thought Card podcast joins me today to discuss how to travel to any destination on a budget. Recognized by Flight Network as one of the best travel hackers in the world, Danielle has […] The post Bucket List Travel on Any Budget with D...

Do you have bond funds in your portfolio? Many people understand the way that bonds work, but they may not know how bond funds work. El has written in to ask this question which I will answer in the listener questions segment. Before we get to that retirement question, we’ll take a look at a […] The post Should I Buy a Bond Fund? Ep #206  appeared first on Retirement Starts Today Radio .

Are you preparing for a successful retirement? If you are, you’ll need to consider more than just your finances because 80% of a successful retirement has nothing to do with money. However, when people focus on retirement planning, money is often the only thing they focus on. In the retirement headlines segment this week, we’ll […] The post Social Security Earnings Test, Ep #205 appeared fir...

Do you have a case of frugality syndrome? Many of us are so used to saving and living frugally that we have a hard time pivoting from the accumulation stage of retirement planning into the distribution stage. A recent retirement headline from Advisor Perspectives titled Overcoming the Frugality Syndrome caught my eye. This article discusses the difficulty […] The post Overcoming the Frugalit...