The Perfect Retirement Plan?

Most people decide when to claim Social Security in about 15 minutes. For many couples, that decision is worth over a million dollars. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith breaks down the Social Security claiming decision in plain terms, walking through what you're actually choosing between at 62, 67, and 70, and why getting it wrong is a permanent reduction you&apo...

If you have a financial advisor but you're searching YouTube for retirement answers at 10 PM, that's not a coincidence. That's a gap worth paying attention to. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith breaks down the difference between portfolio management and actual retirement planning, why that distinction starts to matter more as you get closer to retiremen...

You're 63. You've done the right things. And now the market is doing what the market does, and it doesn't care about your timeline. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith speaks directly to the person two years out from retirement who's watching their portfolio move and wondering whether the plan they built still means what they thought it meant. This i...

The IRS decides when you're required to start taking money out of your retirement accounts and most people aren't ready for what comes next. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith breaks down Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), what they are, how they're calculated, and why they trigger a chain reaction most retirees don't see coming. Whether you&apo...

Do you have old 401(k)s, multiple IRAs, a Roth account, maybe even an inherited IRA…and you’re not quite sure what to do with all of them? In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, we answer one of the most common retirement planning questions for people close to retirement: What do I do with all these retirement accounts? If you’ve changed jobs over the years, you may have accumulated mult...

Paying taxes on purpose sounds backwards...until you understand why Roth conversions are one of the most talked-about retirement planning strategies for people nearing retirement. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith explains what a Roth conversion actually is , why some retirees use them to reduce future taxes, and when they make sense (and when they don’t). This is a n...

The hardest part of retirement isn’t saving the money. It’s knowing how to withdraw income for 30+ years without constantly worrying about market swings, taxes, or running out too soon. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith breaks down retirement withdrawal strategies that work in real life , not just on paper. We unpack why the popular 4% rule became so appealing, where...

You can do all the math and still miss retirement if the pieces are out of order. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith explains why retirement success is less about formulas and more about coordination, timing, and rhythm. Using a simple layup analogy, we explore how Social Security timing, IRA withdrawals, pensions, Medicare, and housing decisions need to work together,...

If you’re about to retire (or already retired) and relying on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance, you’ve probably seen the headlines: “The ACA subsidy is going away.” In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith cuts through the noise and explains what is actually changing in 2026, what is not changing, and why this matters so much for retirement planning between ages...

How to Retire Without Chasing Hot Investing Trends Practical, tax-smart guidance for people about to retire or recently retired Hot stock trends are like pumpkin spice season: loud, overhyped, and gone before you finish your latte. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith of Tidepool Wealth Strategies explains why chasing the latest investment craze can sabotage your retirem...

You spent decades saving. Now you have to start spending. Why does that feel so hard? In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, Phillip Smith explains the psychology of retirement income for people about to retire or recently retired in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Learn why the paycheck-to-withdrawal shift triggers anxiety, how couples can stay in sync, and how to design a simple inco...

You’ve hit 62 and you’re ready to clock out, but Medicare doesn’t start until 65 and COBRA coverage costs more than your first car. What now? In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith of Tidepool Wealth Strategies explains how to bridge the gap between early retirement and Medicare without draining savings or triggering surprise taxes. You’ll learn how to blend your three ret...

Cash feels safe—until it quietly starts working against you. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith of Tidepool Wealth Strategies explores why “cash is king” can be both comforting and costly for people about to retire or recently retired . You’ll learn how too much cash can lose value to inflation, trigger extra taxes, and delay smart decisions like investing or Roth conv...

Have you heard the pitch: “Use whole life insurance, borrow tax-free, and be your own bank” ? In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith of Tidepool Wealth Strategies breaks down the truth behind the “infinite banking” trend and what it really means for people about to retire or recently retired . Learn how policy loans actually work, why early costs and commissions can drain...

About to retire or recently retired and worried a market drop could derail your plan?  In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, Phillip Smith explains how to build a retirement strategy that still works when stocks fall. You’ll learn how sequence-of-returns risk hurts new retirees, why a 3–4 year cash reserve buys time, and how flexible “guardrails” withdrawals, smart rebalancing, and tax...

[Should I Roll Over My Roth 401(k) to a Roth IRA When I’m About to Retire?] – Clear, tax-smart guidance for people close to retirement About to retire – or recently retired – and wondering if you should move Roth 401(k) dollars into a Roth IRA? In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith explains why a Roth 401(k) is great while you’re working, but why the rules at retirement c...

Medicare IRMAA can blindside people who are about to retire  - and especially those who have recently retired. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, Phillip Smith (Financial Planner with Tidepool Wealth Strategies breaks down IRMAA in plain English and shows how smart retirement planning in your low-tide tax window can lower lifetime premiums and taxes.  You’ll learn about the 2025 IRMA...

Running a consultancy, LLC, or S-Corp in the Pacific Northwest and getting close to retirement? This episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? is built for you. Phillip Smith, Financial Planner with Tidepool Wealth Strategies, shows late-career small business owners how a Solo 401(k) can cut today’s taxes, accelerate savings in your final 5–7 working years, and stay flexible when income is lumpy.  W...

5 Mistakes to Avoid as You Get Close to Retirement – Clear, Tax-Smart Guidance for People Close to Retirement Are you close to retirement – or recently retired – and wondering how to dodge the biggest (and priciest) errors people make in their final working years? In this episode, Phillip Smith, CRPC®, financial planner at Tidepool Wealth Strategies, breaks it down in plain English. What you’ll le...

If you're about to retire and researching retirement wirhdrawl strategies online, you'll see retirement calculators thay say you must replace 70%-80% of paycheck.  That rule can torpedo real retirement confidence.  In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Marine Corps veteran and financial planner Phillip Smith shows why your target isn’t a percentage. It’s 100% clarity that eve...

Trade-war headlines spiking your stress? Discover how tariff turmoil can shake markets, and how a solid retirement plan keeps you steady. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , Phillip Smith of Tidepool Wealth Strategies unpacks import taxes, retaliation risks, and the 2018 China tariff shock, then shows late-career professionals exactly how to protect (and even grow) their nest egg. Yo...

Ready to squeeze every dollar from Social Security? This episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? is a must-listen for career professionals getting close to retirement. Want bigger lifetime benefits and lower taxes? Phillip Smith, financial planner and Marine veteran, shows how the right filing sequence can add six figures to lifetime household income and help bolster the surviving spouse’s check....

Ready to crank your nest egg into overdrive? This episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? arms late-career professionals with five quick moves to help pump thousands of extra dollars into retirement accounts before the paycheck stops. Phillip Smith – financial planner and Marine veteran – reveals how to: Max out 2025 401(k) and IRA catch-up contributions, including the new SECURE 2.0 super catch-u...

Thinking about retiring DIY-style because “why pay 1% for something I’ve managed for decades?” In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? podcast, Phillip Smith,  financial planner and Marine Corps veteran, asks the hard question: Do you really save money going solo, or does a skilled financial advisor quietly pay for themselves? We dive into why career professionals love the do-it-yourself a...

Are you getting the most out of your Health Savings Account (HSA)? In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? , titled “How Do I Maximize My HSA for Retirement?,”  financial planner Phillip Smith of Tidepool Wealth Strategies walks late-career professionals (ages 55–65) through the powerful, often-overlooked features of the HSA, and how to use it as a tax-advantaged retirement tool. You’ll le...