Ricochet J in Colorado and her husband want to retire as soon as humanly possible. Are they on track? Should they save their surplus funds to a brokerage account or a solo 401(k)? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 505 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, Micah in South Dakota wonders whether having a $40,000 a year pension is basically the same as having a million dollars in bonds, according to the four percent rule. What do Joe and Big Al think? Barney and...

Can Ted and Georgette convert $1.6M in an inherited trust to Roth without distributing it? Should the trust own their home so they can use the home equity? Melissa was added as joint owner on her parents’ bank accounts after a medical event, but what have they done? Should Ralph and Alice use the required minimum distribution from their inherited IRA to pay Roth conversion taxes? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 504 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, can...

When should Jack and Swan in Florida pay off their home, retire, and convert their savings to Roth for lifetime tax-free investment growth? Jennifer in Colorado wonders whether she should take taxes into account when calculating her expenses, and whether she should pay off her home to be debt-free in retirement? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 503 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, should Kevin in Scottsdale collect Social Security in 2025, or postpone and...

Can Bauer in Illinois retire at age 57, and when should he collect Social Security? More importantly, can he afford a $300,000 motor home? Can Brad in Michigan coast for the next 10 years and still reach the promised land of retirement somewhere around age 53? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball early retirement, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 502. Plus, it seems weird to Elizabeth in Connecticut that nearly all of her $5M is in taxable accounts. Is that good or...

Should Suzanne in Michigan do Roth conversions in 2025 and 2026 since she’s widowed and won’t be married filing jointly? How should she pay the tax on her conversions? Jennifer in Washington state is 55 and her husband is 70. Should she retire now and do aggressive Roth conversions before her husband passes? We’re talking about the widow’s tax, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 501 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, answers to questions from our YouTube...

For 499 episodes of YMYW, Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA have been making fun of finance. On episode 500, we’re celebrating The Top Funniest Moments From the Your Money, Your Wealth® Podcast, Vol. 2. (Check out episode 300 from way back in November of 2020 for Vol. 1.) For this episode, Executive Producer Andi Last compiled some rare, never before seen, can’t-miss Derails, jokes, stories, screw-ups, and outtakes... from two talking heads sitting at a desk. We appreciate you...

Are real estate investment trust (REIT) ETFs a good way for Leon to begin investing in real estate? Can AI Seth stay retired at age 52, and should he do Roth conversions? Jenn in Ohio wants the fellas to be brutally honest about whether she should move with work, take a break, or retire now. And "George and Weezy" are in their mid-50s - can they "move on up" to a deluxe retirement lifestyle in 2026, or even earlier? That’s all today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 499 with Joe Anderson,...

Hawkeye and Elle are age 61 and in the 32% tax bracket. How should they get money into their Roth accounts for tax-free retirement income? Clark and Ellen are 69 and 68, expenses will pretty much be covered by their fixed income, but they’d like to leave Roth money to their kids. Should they keep converting to Roth, or use required minimum distributions for their living expenses? Tom and his wife are 73, and fixed income will cover their retirement spending too. Is it advantageous to them to...

Should David in Ohio use 457 funds to do an in-plan Roth conversion in his 403(b) plan, and should he hire a financial advisor? Chris in DC needs a retirement and Roth conversion spitball analysis, and he needs help getting out of a variable annuity. Kim is anxious that she made a mess of her finances and she wonders how much she should convert to Roth, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 497 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, what’s the best way for Alissa in...

How much should you save in pre-tax accounts vs. post-tax accounts? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball on the "age plus 20" rule for retirement savings, Roth 401(k) contributions and distributions, and a Social Security claiming strategy for Ralph and Marie in Wilmington, Delaware. Shawn wonders if YMYW listeners are ignoring the WEP and GPO when it comes to Social Security, that is, the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. Plus, can Jake and Amy...

Today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 495, Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine CPA spitball on three different listeners’ strategies for paying the tax on a Roth conversion now, to have lifetime tax-free growth on that money in the future. Should Neo in San Clemente, California convert to Roth at the beginning or end of the year in his plan to make quarterly estimated tax payments on his conversion? Is it a good strategy for Tim in Minnesota to use reimbursements from his health savings...

TJ in Louisiana has been sitting on the sidelines, but now it’s time to get into the market. Should he dollar cost average, or just go all in? Margaret in California has an idea of selling a stock at a loss and buying a put option on that stock that expires after the 30-day waiting period. Does this work as a tax loss harvesting strategy? When is it worth it for Brian in Charlotte, North Carolina to diversify beyond a basic three-fund portfolio? Should Christine in San Diego convert her...

Can "Alanis" retire early at age 60? With "Barney and Betty’s" spending patterns, can they retire ASAP? "Daisy and Donald" need retirement income for 40 years. Can they retire now? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 493 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, we review the results of the 7th Annual YMYW Podcast Survey (congratulations to jemart for winning the Amazon e-gift card!) and Joe and Big Al take on some critical YouTube comments from Keith, following...

What is an exchange fund and is it a good thing if you have a lot of capital gains like Bryan in New York? That's today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 492 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, what should be the timing and ordering of Billy Joe and Bobby Sue’s Roth conversion strategy to help them achieve 33 years of retirement income? Is Boston overspending or underspending in retirement? Should Andy keep life insurance policies for her kids with ADHD?  How does the...

What do Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA think about alternative investments? Andrew in Ohio wants to know. Are real estate syndication deals for real, and a YMYW listener just chose poorly? And Stewart in Serra Mesa is curious whether Joe has changed his position on annuities lately, as rates have “normalized” in the past couple of years? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 491. Plus, when should Steve in Las Vegas’ friend quit her casino job and collect Social...

Can Claire and her husband retire early at age 60? Today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 490, Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball for them and explain how to calculate how much you’ll need in retirement. Plus, should Jeff invest his pension money more aggressively, and should he save to his thrift savings plan or his Roth? Should Paula save to her brokerage account or her 401(k)? When and how much should Ken and Fume Guzzler each convert to Roth? The IRS charged Lex...

The single biggest retirement planning mistake to avoid, the problem with tax professionals, and answers to some of the most frequently asked retirement questions we get on YMYW: should you name a trust as beneficiary on your retirement accounts? What’s the break-even point on a Roth conversion? What if you don’t have the money to pay the tax when you convert to Roth? Plus, find out the eye-opening amount of money good tax planning can save you! Someone has to be very knowledgeable,...

Is timing the market when you withdraw money from your retirement accounts or do Roth conversions an effective strategy to minimize tax and maximize returns for YMYW listener Robert? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 488 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, should Doug change his 60/40 asset allocation, and should he start a solo 401(k)? Jefe plans to withdraw from his retirement accounts beyond the top of the 24% tax bracket for the first few years of...

Should Terry and his siblings take out a whole life insurance policy on their parents before they inherit their folks’ $10 million worth of farm land? Is Terry on track for retirement? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 487 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, should Fred and Wilma use their 401(k) money for living expenses to bridge the gap until they collect Social Security benefits?  Should Glen claim his Social Security at age 65 and use it to fully fund...

How is Kimberly’s strategy for reducing her retirement taxes by doing Roth conversions and qualified charitable distributions? Is Patrick’s tax loss harvesting transaction a wash sale? At what marginal tax rate should Brian stop making Roth 401(k) contributions? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA are back this week on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 486 to answer these questions and to spitball on the importance of international stock in John in Seattle’s diversified investment...

He's 56, she's 32. How does this 24-year age difference impact retirement plans for "Bonnie and Clyde", and what strategies should they implement now for the most tax-efficient retirement possible in the future? While Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA are on vacation, Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast producer Andi Last enlists the help of Pure Financial Advisors' Managing Director Jake Greenberg, CFP®, ChFC® for a video case study (complete with visual aids!) on YMYW Extra number 6....

Will their $5 million nest egg get them to ages 85 and 100? Pa and GiDi are 65 and 60 and retiring now. As they consider moving to the no-income-tax state of Nevada in retirement, they have some decisions to make: should Pa take Social Security before age 70? How should they bridge the gap until Social Security? And most importantly, how can they minimize their taxes in retirement? Should they wait to do Roth conversions until after the move? That’s on this bonus episode of Your Money, Your...

How much do retirees really spend in retirement? Does the Social Security Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) continue to rise with inflation? Is all the talk about higher future tax brackets just fear-mongering? Can "Johnny Mercer" afford to leave money for his heirs, and what should his strategy be for converting his retirement savings to Roth IRA for tax-free growth on his money? While Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA each take some much-needed vacation time, Your Money, Your Wealth®...

Cinderella and her Prince Charming have a nest egg of $2.3 million and are hoping for retirement income of up to $150K/year. When can they afford to retire? How should they coordinate paying for some big purchases, paying off debt, and collecting Social Security benefits as they plan for retirement? While Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA each take some much-needed vacation time, YMYW producer Andi Last enlists the help of senior financial advisor Jack Dugan, CFP®, from Joe and Big...