Safe Money Radio with Brad Pistole

In this insightful episode of Safe Money Radio, host Brad Pistole explores the often unpredictable nature of retirement planning. Drawing from his extensive experience, Brad shares compelling personal stories and real-life client experiences to highlight the critical role of market timing and the unforeseen challenges that can disrupt even the best-laid plans. Listeners will gain valuable insights...

Taxes don’t retire when you do, which is why smart planning now can save you stress and money later. We sit down with attorney and retirement expert Sarah Brenner to unpack the most powerful moves you can make before year-end and the major rule shifts arriving in 2026. From using qualified charitable distributions to cut adjusted gross income to timing your first RMD and designing “many mini” Roth...

What if the biggest risk to your retirement isn’t market volatility, but waking up to a calendar with nothing that matters on it? We dig into the side of planning most people ignore—how to design days that feel purposeful, healthy, and connected—and show why money alone can’t deliver a satisfying life after work. We unpack a hard-hitting cautionary tale of “doing everything right” financially and...

Your retirement doesn’t fail because of one bad market day; it fails when you trust the wrong person. That’s the hard lesson we bring home by connecting a weekend of tactical training to the choices that make or break your nest egg. Awareness, technique, and preparation save lives in dangerous moments, and they save wealth when salesmanship masquerades as expertise. We unpack the Dunning Kruger ef...

The fastest way to stall your finances isn’t a market downturn—it’s the quiet habits that drain your cash, time, and energy. We unpack seven common behaviors that keep people stuck and the simple, repeatable systems that wealthy people use to build and protect their money. From saying no to depreciating toys and high-interest debt to paying yourself first and buying assets that cash flow, we spell...

Imagine turning a paid-off roof into a flexible, tax-free safety valve that protects your retirement from market swings, big tax bills, and rising costs. That’s the promise of today’s deep dive into reverse mortgages—especially the FHA-insured HECM—and why they’re no longer a last resort but a serious planning tool for homeowners in their 60s and beyond. We start by clearing the air: your name sta...

Picture-perfect retirements often hide sharp edges. We kick off with a vivid beach story—beautiful sunset, calm water, then a sudden hit from a rock you couldn’t see—and use it to reveal the biggest threats waiting beneath the surface of your financial life. From sequence of returns risk and market volatility to inflation, healthcare shocks, fraud, and gray divorce, we unpack how a single event at...

A pond that swings from overflowing to bone dry can teach you everything about retirement. We open with a vivid farm story—feast, famine, and the long wait for rain—to show how markets rise, stall, and plunge in repeating seasons, and why lasting financial peace comes from structure, not prediction. From there, we dig into inflation the way you’ve actually felt it: the $4.04 pizza buffet that now...

From humble beginnings in a single office during the 2008 financial crisis to a thriving practice with 40 team members across multiple states, the journey of Brad Pistole's financial planning firm represents a true American success story. Today marks a significant milestone as Brad announces the evolution of Trinity Insurance and Financial Services into the Ozarks Retirement Group. This transforma...

What happens when the unexpected derails your retirement plans? In this eye-opening conclusion to our three-part series on Dr. Wade Pfau's retirement research, we reveal how to transform your 401(k) or IRA into a lifetime income stream that can weather any storm – including those you never see coming. The retirement landscape has changed dramatically. It's no longer just about accumulating assets...

Send us a text To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com

Have you ever wondered why generic retirement advice feels so uncomfortable? The answer might lie in your unique Retirement Income Style.  In this illuminating conversation with Dr. Wade Pfau, renowned retirement income expert and creator of the Retirement Income Style Awareness (RISA) framework, we uncover how understanding your personal financial psychology transforms retirement planning. Dr. Pf...

The retirement landscape is changing dramatically, with a hidden threat lurking in the shadows of your Medicare premiums. In this eye-opening episode, Paul Morrison, co-founder of IRMA University, returns to unpack the growing crisis of Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMA) – what he calls "the shadow tax" silently eroding retirees' Social Security benefits. Medicare premiums are skyroc...

The financial world is shifting beneath our feet. As market volatility returns with alarming regularity, traditional retirement planning approaches built solely on stocks and bonds are revealing critical vulnerabilities. This eye-opening conversation with Curtis Cloak—pioneer of the Deferred Income Annuity and architect behind Tom Hegna's 13-annuity retirement strategy—challenges everything you th...

What happens when a single financial misstep derails your entire retirement strategy? In this thought-provoking conversation between Brad Pistole and financial expert Jeffrey Levine, we dive deep into the critical elements of retirement planning that most advisors miss. Levine, who brings his unique perspective as both a CPA and CFP, explains why the new Tax Planning Certified Professional designa...

Have you ever traded in a perfectly good vehicle simply because it no longer met your changing needs? Most of us have upgraded cars, homes, and even jobs as our circumstances evolved—yet strangely, we rarely apply this same practical thinking to our retirement plans. The retirement strategy that served you well at 25 likely won't provide the security and income you need at 65. As Brad Pistole expl...

What happens when a financial storm hits and you're in the wrong vehicle? Recent market volatility has many Americans revisiting their retirement strategies with renewed anxiety. As Brad Pistole explains, choosing the right retirement vehicle could mean the difference between weathering the storm safely or finding yourself stuck in the mud. Drawing from a powerful real-life experience at his local...

Regular financial checkups aren't just good practice—they're essential for navigating life's ever-changing landscape. Just as you wouldn't drive your car for decades without maintenance, your retirement strategy needs consistent evaluation to ensure it still fits your evolving circumstances. Drawing from his bestselling book "Bulletproof," certified financial fiduciary Brad Pistole explains why ta...

Most retirees focus exclusively on their investment accounts—the 401(k)s, IRAs, and brokerage accounts they've accumulated over decades. But as Brad explains, these "piles of money" can be lost, stolen, depleted in market downturns, or divided in divorce. What truly matters is having guaranteed lifetime income that continues regardless of what happens in the world or your personal life. Through po...

Unraveling the complexities of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) reveals a powerful tax-saving opportunity that many retirees completely miss. Starting with a client's confusion about Medicare eligibility versus RMD requirements, this episode dives deep into the strategic use of charitable giving from IRAs to minimize taxation while supporting caus...

What if your entire retirement plan could collapse as easily as a line of dominoes? In this eye-opening episode, I share a painful personal story from Silver Dollar City that perfectly illustrates how one unexpected event can trigger a devastating financial chain reaction. Drawing from over 15 years of experience as a Certified Financial Fiduciary, Tax Planning Certified Professional, and Retireme...

What does it mean when the creator of the 401(k) recommends putting half your retirement savings into annuities? Something revolutionary is happening in retirement planning, and it's backed by unanimous economic consensus. The financial world's most brilliant minds—PhDs from Wharton School of Business, world-renowned economists, and even the father of the 401(k) himself—are all delivering the same...

Your retirement plan might be more fragile than you realize. Just as one falling domino can topple an entire sequence, a single unexpected event could devastate your financial security - regardless of how substantial your savings appear. I've spent 15 years as a retirement specialist examining thousands of financial plans, and I've discovered a troubling pattern: even the wealthiest clients can be...

Imagine having access to a growing reserve of tax-free retirement funds that most financial advisors never mention. For homeowners age 60 and older, this hidden "fourth bucket" of retirement money exists in your home equity - and it could be worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars over your lifetime. In this eye-opening conversation with reverse mortgage expert Don Graves, we explo...

The retirement landscape is changing dramatically as we navigate the "Peak 65" era—where over 11,200 Americans are turning 65 daily in 2025, the highest rate in history. How prepared are we for this unprecedented demographic shift? Jason Fichtner, former Deputy Commissioner of Social Security and Executive Director of the Retirement Income Institute for the Alliance for Lifetime Income, brings his...