The Retirement Planning Podcast

In this episode of The Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darren McComas and Jason Fox shift their focus from the technical side of retirement to the essential "return on life." They discuss the psychological shifts that occur when leaving a career, the "Peak 65" wave, and practical strategies to build a meaningful, purposeful life after work. 1 Key Takeaways: The "Monday...

The Hidden Danger of Sequence of Returns Risk The Retirement Planning Podcast | Season 2, Episode 2 Hosts: Darrin McComas & Jason Fox In this episode, Darrin and Jason tackle the "roller coaster" volatility currently hitting the markets in early 2026. With the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow all seeing significant pullbacks due to geopolitical uncertainty and inflation, the hosts explai...

S2E1: 2026 Retirement Strategies - Moving Beyond Cookie-Cutter Portfolios Episode Overview As we head into 2026, the financial landscape is shifting. With market pundits split between "Dow 60,000" and "market crash" predictions, the "set it and forget it" strategies of the past are being put to the test. In this season premiere, Darrin and Jason discuss why traditiona...

In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox are joined by Kirsten Schlumbohm from C2P, to discuss the pressing topic of long-term care insurance. The conversation covers the high likelihood of needing long-term care, the evolution of insurance policies to provide better options than in the past, and the importance of planning and protecting oneself and fa...

In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, host Darrin McComas, along with Jason Fox, explores crucial aspects of retirement planning with a focus on capital gains tax opportunities introduced by 'The One Big Beautiful Bill.' They discuss various tax funnels, emphasizing the benefits of Roth conversions and strategic portfolio liquidation. The episode includes detailed examples,...

In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox celebrate Life Insurance Awareness Month by discussing the vital aspects of life insurance with Stoyan Petev, VP of Advanced Markets at C2P. The episode delves into the differences between term and cash value life insurance, alongside detailed explanations of living benefits, tax advantages, and effective financ...

OBBB: Maximizing Tax Efficiency for Retirement with Roth Conversions and More In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox offer expert insights into optimizing retirement planning with a focus on Roth conversion strategies. They discuss important concepts like the different tax treatment of various income sources and illustrate how Roth conversions can pr...

In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox are joined by social security expert Heather Schreiber (IRMAACP™, RICP®, NSSA®). They discuss the complexities of retirement planning, including investment strategies, risk management, and maximizing social security benefits. Heather shares insights on changes in social security laws, common misconceptions, and...

In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox welcome Jason Smith, CEO of Prosperity Capital Advisors and author of 'The Bucket Plan'. Jason shares his journey of founding Prosperity Capital Advisors and developing the Bucket Plan, a holistic wealth management process. He discusses the significance of integrating financial, tax, legal, and insuran...

Welcome to Episode 12 of the Retirement Planning Podcast with your hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox. In this episode, we dive into the new 'One Big Beautiful Bill' (O Triple B) act signed by President Trump, which makes the tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. We discuss how this crucial change provides a generational opportunity for proactive tax planning. Key highlights...

Retirement Planning Insights with guest Tom Hegna, CLU, ChFC, CASL: The Myths, Risks, and Solutions and How to Retire "Happy" In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox welcome special guest Tom Hegna, a bestselling author and host of CNBC’s “Financial Freedom with Tom Hegna.” Tom discusses common misconceptions about retirement planning, empha...

In episode 10 of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox delve into the topic of risk in retirement portfolios. They discuss the importance of understanding the amount of risk you're taking on, how much risk you should be taking, and aligning it with the current market environment. The hosts share personal updates and emphasize the significance of shifting from an...

Episode 9: The Importance of Dedicated and Ongoing Service in Financial Planning In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox discuss the vital role of dedicated and ongoing service in financial planning. They start with personal updates, then outline their comprehensive four-step planning process: Discover, Design, Delivery, and Dedicated Service. The con...

Safeguarding Your Retirement: Protecting Your Nest Egg from Unexpected Events In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox of Evergreen Wealth Advisors discuss the importance of protecting your nest egg that you took your entire life to accumulate.  The series wraps up the three-part series, 'It's Not What You Make, It's What You Keep,'...

In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, host Darrin McComas from Evergreen Wealth Advisors discusses the critical aspect of tax planning in retirement, as part of the series 'It's Not What You Make, It's What You Keep'. Darrin emphasizes the importance of having a long-term retirement plan rather than chasing stock market returns. He highlights the necessity of bein...

In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox discuss the importance of preserving wealth during retirement rather than focusing solely on high returns. The episode is part one of a three-part series titled 'It's Not What You Make, It's What You Keep.' They introduce the Bucket Plan financial process, which includes strategies for invest...

In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox from Evergreen Wealth Advisors delve into strategies for managing recent market volatility using the Bucket Plan financial process. The episode includes a discussion on mitigating risks in the stock market, insights from a recent mastermind retreat and advanced training, and the importance of having a long-term...

In this episode of the Retirement Planning Podcast, hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox dive into comprehensive retirement planning. Darrin shares news about his upcoming training in the Bahamas and Jason's recent achievement of passing the Series 65 exam, making him a fiduciary financial advisor. They emphasize the importance of having a well-structured plan, utilizing the bucket plan system...

Join our hosts Darrin McComas, BPC and Jason Fox as they continue breaking down The Bucket Plan® financial planning process step by step. This episode covers step two of The Bucket Plan® process, known as the “Design” phase, where we analyze all your assets and how they come together to formulate your holistic plan. Key Topics Discussed: Overview of The Bucket Plan® Process: A recap of the previou...

Join hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox, as they continue breaking down The Bucket Plan® financial planning process.  This episode covers step three of The Bucket Plan® process, the “Deliver” phase, where we present and deliver the personalized, holistic financial plan we’ve developed for you. Key Topics Discussed:  Understanding Your Risk Tolerance: Learn about our Volatility Tolerance Analysis,...

Hosts Darrin McComas and Jason Fox explore the intricacies of the holistic wealth management process through the widely acclaimed financial process, The Bucket Plan®.   Their discussion offers a comprehensive look into the first, crucial step of financial planning called the discovery phase. This episode is a must for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of what to expect during the...