Take Back Retirement

"Do your research. Do your planning yourself until you get that confidence to project it to the world, and whatever they say will bounce off your armor because you know you're doing the right thing." -Shannon Russell   Thinking about trading your day job for a business of your own? You ' re not alone—and you ' re not crazy.   Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, talk with Shannon Russ...

"We're talking about giving space to practice. Not only practice the relationships but also practice managing money." -Sean Maher   Most people plan their estate down to the last dollar, but forget to prepare for the emotional fallout that almost always comes from a lack of proper communication between family members.   Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, sit down with husband and wi...

"In a blended family, fairness and mutual understanding are key, especially when navigating the complexities of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements." -Donna Kendrick   Navigating love after loss or divorce comes with a host of emotional and financial complexities, especially when blending families.   Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, speak with Donna Kendrick, a financial planner...

Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines sit down with Steve and Jill Marshall of Silver Path Consulting to discuss all things future care, from housing, to finance, to family support.   Jill and Steve lament the current lack of societal preparedness for a growing senior population, often referred to as a " silver tsunami" that ' s growing bigger each year.   They stress the importance of s...

Congratulations on your remarriage! How do you ensure that your finances are in order as you step into this next phase of your life?   Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines explore the vital legal and financial considerations of remarriage, from beneficiary designations to tax implications, with guidance from fellow Financial Planner at Sofia Financial, Janice Guinn!   There are legal co...

There is no one right way to retire. Even if you don't do everything you had hoped to do, you can still build a plan so that you can do more of the things you want and less of the stuff you don't. In this episode, we're Taking Back Retirement by redefining the old image and definition of this phase of life. Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines break it down in this rerun episode dating...

"It's nice to get millions when you're 65, but wouldn't it be better if you gave [your children], say, 10s of 1000s when they are in their 20s and 30s?" -Meir Statman   Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, are joined by world-renowned behavioral finance expert Dr. Meir Statman to explore the intricate dance between human behavior and financial decision-making!   Dr. Statman is a pione...

Picture a world where your money isn't controlled by any government, but rather exists in the form of digital code. That's the idea behind Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, where freedom meets cryptography, and transactions are recorded transparently on a blockchain.   But we get it–to those looking to add cryptocurrency to their portfolio, the subject of decentralized finance can be pretty intimidating...

"It really does cost us in terms of our ability to learn about money, embrace failure, the mistakes that we made and we learn from them, to actually get closer to the people in our lives, whether that is our adult children, whether that's a partner, whether that's a friend. So there's a lot of ways in which money silence kind of keeps us locked up in a way that I don't think is useful." - Kathleen...

Volatility and recession and crashes! Oh, my! Today, our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines give their best strategies for successful investing when the world ' s feeling dangerous.   They kick things off with some pointers on riding out market ups and downs. It all comes down to sticking to a long-term investment plan, no matter what ' s happening around you. Remember the 2008 financial...

Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines discuss the emotional side of money management with Meghan Dwyer, a Certified Financial Planner and the host of the "Money Isn't Scary" Podcast.   Meghan's vision-mission is all about challenging societal norms and empowering women to take charge of their finances with confidence. She helps us uncover the hidden emotional influences that shape our fi...

"Prevention is better than cure. Don't feel overwhelmed by all this. Would you remove your own kidney? You would go to a professional to get it done." -Denise Appleby   Renowned IRA and retirement plans expert Denise Appleby joins our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines for a crucial conversation on managing your retirement accounts effectively, especially as 2024 comes to a close.   Havin...

Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines sit down with Pam Starsia, who swapped her corporate lawyer gig for the world of estate planning, and now runs a firm alongside her husband. Once a pro in high-stakes mergers and acquisitions, Pam ' s now all about creating personalized, relationship-focused estate plans. Listen in as she takes us through the sometimes-tricky and always-emotional lan...

" We ' re nothing if not resourceful. That ' s our generation ' s superpower." -Kevin   In celebration of the 100th episode of Take Back Retirement, our hosts Stephanie and Kevin Gaines reflect on the defining characteristics of their very own generation–Gen X–and key lessons that women in this age bracket can put into practice today in preparing for retirement.   From the seismic shift from pensi...

"Suddenly you've got to create the content of your life, and that's a completely new enterprise for most people we work with, and it's scary until you can get your hands in the clay and feel confident about having a process." -Elizabeth Parsons   How do you deal with the massive shift that comes with stepping away from a high-powered career and into retirement?   Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and...

" Age is just another journey that we need to learn to love and embrace, and see as the gift it is!"   Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines are joined by Ande Lyons, host of the Don't Be Caged by Your Age podcast. She ' s redefining what it means to thrive after 65, and teaches us how to combat ageism at every level—whether it's institutional, societal, or internalized.   Finding and ma...

"Most pre-retirees and retirees need and want help with the critical retirement decisions they face, but they're not always certain where to find it."   Is your retirement plan only scratching the surface? Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines uncover the common pitfalls that have kept retirees unprepared for the realities of their post-work years.   Drawing from the groundbreaking Stanf...

"Financial infidelity is in the category of infidelity and the root of it is a hiding and a lying about the truth."   Join our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines as they chat with Jess Bost, CFP at Lake Avenue Financial. She ' s spent over 15 years coaching people to get from where they are to where they want to be. It ' s a passion that finds its roots in her inspiring journey to overcom...

"W e believe that a simpler financial life, a less fraught financial life is one where you align your dollars with what's most important to you, with the life you want to lead, with your values." - Stephanie Have you ever found yourself asking if the perfect moment to retire will ever come? Or whether you ' ll even have enough to live on when that moment arrives?   These are tough questions that c...

"Think about practicing for retirement long before you get there." -Mary Jo Hoffman   Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines sit down with aeronautical engineer-turned-artist Mary Jo Hoffman. Renowned for her captivating photography project, Still, Mary Jo shares her extraordinary journey from a 17-year career as a scientist into becoming a renowned essayist and found nature photographer!...

"It wasn't nearly as traumatic for me as I was expecting it to be. I was a little concerned about how I would transition from having to get up and having that routine to creating a new one." - Sharon   Welcome to another edition of Real Retirement Stories - a series of Take Back Retirement. Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines chat with Sharon Johnson. After an illustrious 22-year caree...

"Each dollar today buys less than the same dollar did 10 years ago. Which is why a lot of financial advisors are so focused on helping clients grow their money over time. It's not to become wealthy and die with the most money, it's because the cost of living goes up over time." - Stephanie   Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines demystify the often-frustrating world of inflation and its...

" If the average life expectancy for a woman is around 86, 87, fully 50% of women live longer than that. So, you can't plan just to age 87."   Can a simple quiz change the way you think about retirement? Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines uncover the hidden gems (and not-so-shiny stones) within retirement planning quizzes and surveys, especially a revealing retirement income literacy...

"Human beings going into retirement will find every excuse to not spend their money" - Dan Haylett   Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines sit down with financial advisor Dan Haylett. As the host of the " Humans Vs Retirement" podcast, Dan tells us how he inspires retirees to grab life by the horns and experience true wealth in their later years.   Listen in as Dan breaks down the five F...

"Dad, you trusted me with everything. I'm trusting you with the truth." -Nancy May   Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines sit down with Nancy May, who drops some real truth bombs relating to eldercare and supporting aging parents and relatives. Nancy's personal journey sheds light on the complexities and sacrifices involved in this critical role. This candid discussion unpacks the essen...