All Episodes

#212 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Tanya Nichols talk about having mortgages in retirement, when to start spending down HSAs, what might happen to Social Security and MORE!

#211 – 8 common tax planning mistakes often made in retirement

#210 - Q&A edition...Mega backdoor Roth contributions, nonqualified annuities, exceptions to the IRA early withdrawal penalty, when to hire an advisor, how much is too much to pay for an advisor and MORE!

#209 – "Real" person retirement planning chat with Mark Ross from the Rock Retirement Club

#208 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Adam Grossman talk about analyzing annuities, retiring to a different state, bonds vs bond funds, inflation and MORE!

#207 – Roth conversion analysis: more than meets the eye

#206 - Q&A edition...Social Security spousal benefits, tax withholdings on Social Security, bonds vs bond funds, separating basis out of IRAs and MORE!

#205 – "Real" person retirement planning chat with Daryl

#204 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Brad Flood talk about portfolio withdrawal strategies & sequence of returns risk, financial planning software limitations, balancing optimization and simplicity, and MORE!

#203 – Options for holding cash and cash equivalents

#202 – Guest host Mark Rosinski discusses Treasury obligation interest, basis in inherited IRAs, RMD aggregation rules, doubling up contributions to 457 plans, and ways to invest during the Social Security delay period

#201 - Q&A edition...A.I. and financial planning, the "withhold and replace" method of paying taxes, step DOWN in basis, TIPS ladders and MORE!

#200 – 200th episode special edition: my observations about the financial services industry

#199 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Jonathan Vance talk about opportunities in the current market environment, 2026 tax updates, questions to ask advisors and MORE!

#198 - Whether to take a pension as a lump sum or monthly payments

#197 - Q&A edition...how often to rebalance, tracking Roth IRA contributions, are RMDs really that bad, paying off mortgages before retirement and MORE!

#196 – "Real" person retirement planning chat with Jim Kellerman

#195 - Retirement planner chat with Bradley Hilton from Sonas Financial Planning

#194 - Gifting, gift taxes, annual gift exclusion and gift tax returns (IRS Form 709)

#193 - Q&A edition...Social Security lump sum for retroactive payments, whether to pay off a mortgage, step-up in basis, gifting without having to file a gift tax return and MORE!

#192 – "Real" person chat with Kevin Sebesta from the Rock Retirement Club, discussing FIRE...Financial Independence, Retire Early

#191 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Jason Cutitta talk about inheritances, Die With Zero, TSP in-plan conversion, taking RMDs and MORE!

#190 - All about "backdoor" Roth contributions

#189 - My background and prior experiences and how they shaped my views and approach to retirement planning and starting my own firm and creating this podcast

#188 - Q&A edition...Social Security spousal benefits, cognitive biases in investing, changing state tax domicile, naming minors as beneficiaries and MORE!

#187 – "Real" person chat with Kevin Lyles from the Rock Retirement Club, discussing six "Retirement Truths"

#186 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Cody Garrett talk about ACA tax credits, Roth conversions, tax gain harvesting, paying taxes in retirement, using HSAs and MORE!

#185 - My thoughts and commentary about what the financial markets did in 2025

#184 - Q&A edition...consolidating accounts, tax withholdings vs estimated payments, QLACs, the 4% rule and MORE!

#183 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Jill

#182 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Kevin Thompson talk about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the markets, IRMAA, senior exploitation and MORE!

#181 - Q&A edition...understanding Roth IRA income limits, deciding between pension payment options, when to Roth convert vs distribute from an IRA and MORE!

#180 - Q&A edition...Social Security spousal and survivor benefits, finding an advisor who doesn't require investment management, how a decedent's income is taxed and MORE!

#179 – "Real" person chat with Beth Pinsker about her new book, My Mother's Money, A Guide to Financial Caregiving

#178 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Ben Brandt talk about Monte Carlo, Donor Advised Funds, paying taxes on Roth conversions, how advisors dress and MORE!

#177 - 2025 year-end tax planning tips and items to consider

#176 - Guest host Brian Tegtmeyer from Truly Prosper Financial Planning talks about the non-financial aspects of planning a great retirement

#175 - Q&A edition...The CAPE ratio and US stock market valuation, good enough vs optimization in retirement planning, tax on foreign stock dividends and MORE!

#174 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Jackie Cummings Koski

#173 – Retirement planner chat, with Allen Mueller from 7 Saturdays Financial

#172 - The conflicts, pros, cons and use cases of the different advisory fee structures

#171 - Q&A edition...how much you can spend in retirement, Roth IRA 5-year rule, RMDs, accounts for grandchildren and MORE!

#170 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Scott

#169 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Justin Pritchard talk about target date funds, illiquid assets in 401(k) plans, firing an advisor and MORE!

#168 - Helpful tools and interesting information from the recent IRS Tax Forum

#167 - Q&A edition...basis in inherited IRAs, Social Security break even analysis, coordinating RMDs and Roth conversions and MORE!

#166 - The most common retirement planning questions from "real" people

#165 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Mark Rosinski talk about different withdrawal strategies, rule of 55 distributions, allocating the stock portion of a portfolio and MORE!

#164 - Summary of the 2025 annual Social Security trustees report

#163 - Guest host Larry Pershing from Optimum Retirement Planning talks about managing and reducing concentrated stock holdings

#162 - Q&A edition...more about bonds, taking distributions from a 401(k), when tax rates might actually go up (and by how much) and MORE!

#161 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Jan

#160 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Lauren Hunt talk about the Social Security annual trustees report, the ever-increasing stock market, whether to take out loans or pay for things outright and MORE!

#159 - SPECIAL EDITION...Provisions of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" most likely to impact your tax return

#158 - How investment custodians make money

#157 - Q&A edition...bonds and the bond market, paying estimated taxes, converting ALL pre-tax money to Roth and MORE!

#156 - Three "real" people discuss how they handled the emotional transition into retirement and how they now find fulfillment, meaning and satisfaction

#155 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Larry Pershing talk about the Big Beautiful (tax) Bill, US debt, concentration in the S&P 500 and MORE!

#154 - What retirement-focused financial and tax planning firms do for their fee, using my firm as an example

#153 - Guest hosts Mike Powers and Kirsten Ashbaugh from Manuka Financial talk more about data and cybersecurity best practices

#152 - Q&A edition...how to deal with market declines, Social Security spousal benefits, vacation home sale impacts on IRMAA and MORE!

#151 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Rob Berger

#150 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Brian Tegtmeyer talk about retiring in a down market, concerns about Social Security, making estimated tax payments and MORE!

#149 - Tips and best practices to protect your ID and financial information

#148 - Q&A edition...buffer ETFs, direct indexing, bucketing strategies, kiddie tax and MORE!

#147 – Chat with four "real" people, sharing what they wish they would have known or done differently during their divorces

#146 – Retirement planner chat, with Mark Rosinski from Dunes Financial

#145 - Understanding mutual fund capital gain distributions

#144 - Q&A edition...Rule of thumb for retirement income needs, qualified vs ordinary dividends, Social Security taxation and MORE!

#143 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Jim Jones

#142 - "Hot topics" edition...Andy and Mike Powers talk about tariffs, TIPs, international stocks, data/cyber security and MORE!

#141 - Determining how much Roth conversion to do in a given year

#140 - Q&A edition...Donor Advised Funds, back door Roth IRA contributions, 10-year Treasury bonds, crypto and MORE!

#139 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, John McLaurin

#138 – Retirement planner chat, with Liz Yoder from Dependent Financial Planning

#137 - 7 scenarios where it might be beneficial to do Roth conversions

#136 - Guest host edition...Mike Powers walks through his retirement planning checklist

#135 - Q&A edition...understanding financial advisor's titles, repeal of Social Security WEP & GPO, umbrella insurance and MORE!

#134 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Brian Alexander

#133 – Retirement planner chat, with Eric Niergarth from Retirement Roadmap Financial Planning

#132 - Why the value in financial advisory services can't actually be measured

#131 - Q&A edition...mutual funds vs ETFs, traditional vs rollover IRAs, how much umbrella insurance to get and MORE!

#130 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Peter Townsend

#129 – Retirement planner chat, with Andrew Gray from Gray Wealth Strategies

#128 - How to decide whether to own or rent your home in retirement

#127 - Q&A edition...concentration in the S&P 500, direct indexing, how to transfer accounts from one broker to another and MORE!

#126 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Jane

#125 – Retirement planner chat, with Jamie Lima from Woodson Wealth Management

#124 - The basics of taxes and tax planning in retirement

#123 - My thoughts on 12 common financial and retirement planning rules of thumb

#122 - Q&A edition...tracking Roth IRA contributions, what to do with leftover RMD money, using total bond market funds and MORE!

#121 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Doug Mann

#120 – Retirement planner chat, with Erik Barnes from Retirement Portfolio Partners

#119 - Andy's appearance on Rob Berger's YouTube channel, talking about taxes in retirement

#118 - Q&A edition...Itemized sales tax deductions, pension vs lump sum, surviving spouse tax increases and MORE!

#117 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Alison

#116 – Retirement planner chat, with Roger Whitney from the Retirement Answer Man podcast

#115 - How to give to charities tax-efficiently

#114 – Retirement planner chat, with me...Andy Panko from Tenon Financial

#113 - Q&A edition...how to find a retirement tax planner, Medicare premium surcharges, bullet maturity bond ETFs and MORE!

#112 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Jane

#111 – Retirement planner chat, with Victor Medina from Palante Wealth

#110 1/2 - ONE MORE pro of rolling over employer plans (like a 401(k)) to an IRA

#110 - Pros and cons of rolling over employer plans [like a 401(k)] to an IRA

#109 - Q&A edition...how to know if your 401(k) is good, how much tax to withhold from Social Security, should you invest in International stocks and MORE!

#108 – Retirement planning chat with "real" people, Ali & Alison Walker

#107 – Retirement planner chat, with Mike Powers from Manuka Financial

#106 - How to decide the optimal time to start your Social Security benefits

#105 - Q&A edition... having mortgages in retirement, understanding Medicare coinsurance, when to consider long term care insurance and MORE!

#104 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Laura Maione

#103 – Retirement planner chat, with Angie Furubotten-LaRosee from Avea Financial Planning

#102 - Highlights of the 2024 Social Security Trustees Report

#101 - Q&A edition...Choosing a custodian, 401(k) contribution limits, gift tax exclusion limits and MORE!

#100 – 100th episode celebration!!! Andy's 100 words of retirement planning wisdom

#099 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Al DiSalvio

#098 – Retirement planner chat, with Lauren Hunt from Daybreak Wealth Management

#097 – Inherited IRA Required Minimum Distribution ("RMD") rules

#096 - Q&A edition...US government debt concerns, Health Savings Accounts, how to estimate taxes and MORE!

#095 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Judy Ocaya

#094 – Retirement planner chat, with David and Mary Oransky from Laminar Wealth

#093 – Advisory fees...the good, the bad, the ugly

#092 - Q&A edition...determining state tax residency, tax underpayment penalties and MORE!

#091 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Tom Santi

#090 – Retirement planner chat, with Devin Carroll from Carroll Advisory Group

#089 – Understanding the S&P 500 index and why it's NOT the right benchmark for your portfolio

#088 – Retirement planning considerations for women, with Laura Adams

#087 - Q&A edition...tax return filing statuses, advisor succession plans and MORE!

#086 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, Bill Stevenson

#085 – Retirement planner chat, with Brian Tegtmeyer from Truly Prosper Financial Planning

#084 – Understanding Target Date Retirement Funds

#083 - Q&A edition...Solo 401(k)s, tax gain harvesting, bonds vs bond funds and MORE!

#082 – Retirement planning chat with a "real" person, David Folts

#081 – Retirement planner chat, with Larry Pershing from Optimum Retirement Planning

#080 – How to lower your taxes in 2024

Retirement Planning Education is coming back!

Retirement Planning Education is going on hiatus

#079 – The non-financial or “softer” side of retirement planning, with Kevin Lyles (Part 2 of 2)

#078 – The non-financial or “softer” side of retirement planning, with Kevin Lyles (Part 1 of 2)

#077 - Understanding cash value life insurance and how it's sold, with Kevin Lao

#076 - What exactly is "Financial Planning?"

#075 - Qualified Charitable Distributions ("QCDs")

#074 - How to break up with your financial advisor

#073 - What does it actually mean to be a "fiduciary," and does it matter?

#072 - The benefit of "step up in basis"

#071 - Understanding the $250k or $500k gain exclusion on selling your primary residence

#070 - Q&A edition...dividend reinvestment, gifting stocks, Social Security survivor benefits and MORE!

#069 - Highlights of the 2023 Social Security Trustees Report

#068 - What happens to my investments if my broker goes under?

#067 - Why are banks failing and should we be concerned about more failures?

#066 - Common tax forms retirees get at tax return time

#065 - 7 Social Security myths, with Devin Carroll (Part 2 of 2)

#064 - 7 Social Security myths, with Devin Carroll (Part 1 of 2)

#063 - Q&A edition...401(k)s & Highly Compensated Employees, interest rates & Social Security, inherited 401(k) distributions and MORE!

#062 - Introduction to Investing (Part 6 of 6) - Creating and managing your portfolio

#061 - Introduction to Investing (Part 5 of 6) - Cash and alternative investments

#060 - Introduction to Investing (Part 4 of 6) - All about mutual funds and exchange traded funds ("ETFs")

#059 - Introduction to Investing (Part 3 of 6) - All about bonds

#058 - Introduction to Investing (Part 2 of 6) - All about stocks

#057 - Introduction to Investing (Part 1 of 6) - Background considerations and explanation of account types

#056 - New RMD rules and other retirement planning changes in SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022

#055 - Financial planning and divorce, with Amy Colton (Part 2 of 2)

#054 - Financial planning and divorce, with Amy Colton (Part 1 of 2)

#053 - What is tax planning?

#052 - Q&A edition...457(b) plans, Roth 401(k) conversions, wash sales, Treasury notes and MORE!

#051 - Introductory overview of the Federal income tax system

#050 - What I'm thankful for (from a retirement planning perspective)

#049 - The basics of estate planning

#048 - Q&A edition...the Social Security "Earnings Test," 401(k) RMDs, tax gain harvesting and MORE!

#047 - Everything you wanted to know about Medicare, with Danielle Roberts (Part 2 of 2)

#046 - Everything you wanted to know about Medicare, with Danielle Roberts (Part 1 of 2)

#045 - Will the 8.7% 2023 Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment apply to me?

#044 - Q&A edition...RMDs on inherited IRAs, deducting LTC expenses, planning for unknowns and MORE!

#043 - Everything you wanted to know about reverse mortgages, with Josh Blum (Part 2 of 2)

#042 - Everything you wanted to know about reverse mortgages, with Josh Blum (Part 1 of 2)

#041 - The Net Investment Income Tax and how it may impact your retirement planning

#040 - Q&A edition...delaying Social Security, when to start a pension, RMDs on inherited IRAs, where to save cash and MORE!

#039 - Health insurance options if you're retired and not yet eligible for Medicare

#038 - Understanding Affordable Care Act ("ACA") health insurance and premium tax credit subsidies

#037 - There's a lot value in retirement planning, but it can't actually be measured

#036 - Q&A edition...Roth conversion optimization, tax on crypto, when to start annuity payments and more!

#035 - Everything you wanted to know about long term care insurance, with Kerry Peabody (Part 2 of 2)

#034 - Everything you wanted to know about long term care insurance, with Kerry Peabody (Part 1 of 2)

#033 - Summary of different portfolio withdrawal strategies

#032 - Q&A edition...spousal Roth IRAs, 401(k) to Roth IRA conversions, self-funding LTC and more!

#031 - What is a bond ladder?

#030 - Dividend Investing and Equity Income Strategies, with Chris D'Agnes (Part 2 of 2)

#029 - Dividend Investing and Equity Income Strategies, with Chris D'Agnes (Part 1 of 2)

#028 - What is a LIRP, or Life Insurance Retirement Plan?

#027 - What is Modified Adjusted Gross Income, or MAGI?

#026 - Highlights of the 2022 Social Security Trustees Report

#025 - Introduction to Social Security

#024 - What should retirees or near-retirees do as a result of the bad markets and high inflation?

#023 - What is Tax Loss and Tax Gain Harvesting?

#022 - All about annuities, Part 3; Variable annuities, Indexed annuities and withdrawal riders

#021 - All about annuities, Part 2: Income annuities and payment options

#020 - All about annuities, Part 1: Introduction and MYGAs

#019 - What are I Bonds?

#018 - What is Monte Carlo simulation?

#017 - What are the alternatives to bonds and bond funds?

#016 - What are bonds and bond funds?

#015 - What do all of the letters mean after financial advisors' names?

#014 - How to do your own tax return or find a preparer

#013 - What are all of the forms in a retiree's tax return?

#012 - What are mutual fund capital gain distributions?

#011 - How do financial advisors get paid?

#010 - When do I have to take distributions from inherited retirement accounts?

#009 - What are Required Minimum Distributions, and when do I have to take them?

#008 - When can I take money out of my Roth IRA without tax or penalty?

#007 - What's the difference between tax-deferred, Roth and normal brokerage accounts?

#006 - What's a "backdoor" Roth?

#005 - Will I have to pay extra Medicare premiums?

#004 - Should I rollover my employer retirement plan?

#003 - Should I take my pension as payments or a lump sum?

#002 - What's the 4% Rule?

#001 - How much money do I need to retire?