Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchThe Unexpected Exit at 55 — Finding Freedom, Purpose, and Identity
Episode 333
In this episode of Retirement Reality, meet Donovan, a 55-year-old retiree who turned an unexpected career exit into an opportunity for freedom, reflection, and new purpose. Donovan shares how one de…
Published on 23 hours ago
3 Steps to Build a Retirement Paycheck That Lasts
Episode 332
Early retirement income can feel complicated, but a steady paycheck from savings starts with a simple framework. This episode reframes withdrawal decisions, explains why a fixed 4 percent rule can be…
Published on 4 days, 23 hours ago
Your Tax Planning Window Won’t Last Forever | Top 3 Strategies to Prioritize
Episode 331
Retiring early isn’t just about having enough money, it’s about using the right tax moves in the right years. This conversation between James and Ari maps the three biggest levers for early retirees:…
Published on 1 week ago
Will Low Returns Ruin Your Retirement? (How to Interpret Goldman Sachs 3% Forecast) | Root Talks
Episode 330
What if the next 10 years bring just 3% returns from the S&P 500?
In this episode, we turn that forecast into a real-world retirement plan—not panic. You’ll learn how to stress test your portfolio, bu…
Published on 1 week, 2 days ago
3 Investments That Should Never Go In Your Retirement Portfolio
Episode 329
Think your retirement’s safer with a little gold, a favorite stock, and a home full of equity? Time for a reality check. In this episode, we put three “sacred” retirement assets to the test and show …
Published on 1 week, 4 days ago
We're 62 with $2M: Retire Now or Wait?
Episode 328
The real question isn’t “Can we retire?”, it’s “On how much, and when do the big costs fade so our savings can breathe?”
In this episode, James walks through one couples' retirement plan to show how t…
Published on 2 weeks ago
10 Ways Retirement Has Completely Changed in 30 Years
Episode 326
Forget the gold watch and glide path to the couch. Retirement has been rewritten. In this episode, James walks through the 10 biggest shifts redefining life after work—and how to replace outdated rul…
Published on 2 weeks, 4 days ago
$10M+ Net Worth Case Study: What to Do First
Episode 325
What if the real financial risk isn’t running out of money, but running out of time to use it well? In this episode, listen as James and Ari unpack a $14 million case study with concentrated inherite…
Published on 3 weeks ago
The 3 Worst Retirement Mistakes I See All the Time
Episode 324
Think your tax bill disappears in retirement? Think again. It may drop for a few quiet years, until RMDs, Social Security taxation, and Medicare IRMAA kick in. That “low-tax retirement” dream can clo…
Published on 3 weeks, 4 days ago
The BEST Retirement Advice (From 909 Real Retirees)
Episode 323
What if the riskiest move isn’t retiring too early, but waiting so long your best years pass by? This episode unpacks the real regrets of 909 retirees and the practical steps they wish they’d taken s…
Published on 4 weeks ago