Ep. 1955: The $315K Fork

Fresh from passing the CFP exam, Roxy Butner joins Tom to work through a classic retirement fork: take the richer lifetime teacher pension, or accept a $315,000 lump sum and invest it. The math matters, but so do longevity, survivor benefits, liquidity, investing temperament, and the temptation to spend the pile.Next comes a clever tax-payment question: can IRA withholding replace quarterly estimated payments during Roth-conversion years? They explain why paying conversion taxes from taxable money usually preserves more long-term value.The show closes with a 5.25% mortgage-versus-investing decision and a portfolio x-ray that finds a dividend-heavy international fund missing small companies, value stocks, and emerging markets.00:58 Roxy passes the CFP exam02:46 Teacher pension or $315,000 lump sum?08:36 Rolling a pension lump sum to an IRA09:33 IRA withholding versus estimated taxes13:48 Pay off a 5.25% mortgage or invest?17:34 Fixing an under-diversified retirement portfolio21:50 Living—and spending—with a sound planQuestions? Comments? Click!