Your Money, Your Wealth

George and Weezy in the land of Lincoln will have deferred compensation and wonder if they can retire in mid-2026, or even earlier. Will they have enough? Should Jenn in Ohio move with work, take a break, or just retire? She asks Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA for a brutally honest spitball, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 538. Plus, Seth isn't sure if he can afford to stay retired at age 52, and whether he should convert his retirement savings to Roth, so he uses an AI voice to ask the fellas for his spitball. And Leon uses his real voice to ask whether REIT ETFs are a good way to get into real estate investing. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-538  Test your knowledge: take our Retirement Pop Quiz Watch Retirement Pop Quiz: 18 Questions To Get You Ready to Retire on YMYW TV Download the Retirement Readiness Guide for free Email Us and Request a Free Copy of The Best of Jonathan Clements: Classic Columns on Money and Life on Kindle!  Watch or Li

You've got your tax-free Roth accounts and your tax-deferred retirement accounts. Should you invest the same way in each? Kevin in Denver wants to know. Jim and Pam in Orange County are eligible for combat zone tax exclusions (CZTE). How else can they maximize their tax-free retirement strategy?  Susan Brandeis, CFP® spitballs with Big Al Clopine, CPA, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 537. Plus, should Ned in Tokyo sell his Bay Area rental property and invest the proceeds? And Bob and Brigette in Wisconsin got a late start on Roth IRA savings. Should they prioritize saving into a Roth, brokerage account, or 401(k)? Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-537 DOWNLOAD Why Asset Location Matters DOWNLOAD The Recession Protection Guide WATCH How to Build a Recession-Proof Portfolio on YMYW TV ASK Joe & Big Al for your Retirement Spitball Analysis SCHEDULE your Free Financial Assessment LEAVE YOUR HONEST RATINGS AND REVIEWS on Apple Podcasts SUBSCRIBE or FOLL

If your pension impacted your ability to collect Social Security benefits, 2025 is a very good year for you and your spouse. The Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset are no more, and you're now eligible for your full Social Security benefits AND your pension! Today on a quick Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 536, while Joe hangs in the North Star State, Big Al Clopine explains what the Social Security Fairness Act means for Cherilyn and her husband, and "Nuke La Loosh" and his wife, with the help of our special guest co-host, Susan Brandeis, CFP®. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-536 DOWNLOAD The Social Security Handbook (newly updated!) for free YMYW ranked among the "14 Best Retirement Podcasts and Blogs to Follow" by Due.com, featured on NASDAQ.com ASK Joe & Big Al for your Retirement Spitball Analysis SCHEDULE your Free Financial Assessment SUBSCRIBE to YMYW on YouTube DOWNLOAD more free guides READ financial blogs WATCH e

Ryan in Texas is in the 32% tax bracket. Where should he save for retirement so he'll be in a lower bracket? Should Weronika in Texas pay the taxes now to convert to Roth for lifetime tax-free growth in the future, even though she's in the 37% tax bracket? And Jerry in Phoenix wonders if there is a point where Joe would come to the conclusion that Roth conversions no longer make sense? Stay tuned for the 7 reasons to consider NOT converting to Roth, today on Your Money, Your Wealth podcast number 535 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. First up, a word of Roth conversion thanks from Al in Florida. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-535 DOWNLOAD The Ultimate Guide to Roth IRAs Watch The Last 5 Years Before Retirement Will Decide Your Lifestyle - Here's How on YMYW TV RETIREMENT CALCULATION TOOLS: Financial Blueprint EASIRetirement.com (from Boldin, formerly NewRetirement)   ASK Joe & Big Al for your Retirement Spitball Analysis SCHEDULE your Free Financi

Ralph and Alice in Monument, Colorado have $4.6 million dollars saved at ages 63 and 58. Should they do Roth conversions? How do they avoid IRMAA? Mary Jo in Escondido, California wonders if she should use her 403(b) money to pay off her mortgage. And Lucas plans to spend from his brokerage, then his 401(k), then his Social Security and pension when he retires in 20 years. What do Joe and Big Al think of his strategy? Find out today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 534. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-534 DOWNLOAD the Key Financial Data Guide DOWNLOAD The Retirement Readiness Guide Watch Is There a Formula for Retirement? on YMYW TV ASK Joe & Big Al for your Retirement Spitball Analysis SCHEDULE your Free Financial Assessment SUBSCRIBE to YMYW on YouTube DOWNLOAD more free guides READ financial blogs WATCH educational videos SUBSCRIBE to the YMYW Newsletter Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: This Week on the YMYW Podcast 00:55 - We're 63 and 58 With $4.6M Saved.

Before she retires next month at age 52, Rowan in Georgia wonders how to maximize growth in her IRA, which will be funded with 72(t) early retirement withdrawals. What do Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA  think of her substantially equal periodic payment plan? And how should she allocate it? Michael in Virginia isn't interested in any international investments and is instead invested in stocks like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Berkshire. What adjustments would the fellas make to his portfolio for long term growth? That's today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 533. Plus, our friend Will, who is not a gas siphoner, wants Joe and Big Al's opinion on "backdoor Rothing" his solo 401(k) instead of having an emergency fund, and on what he should do with his annuity. Also, the fellas explain ESOP and NUA - that is, employee stock ownership plans and net unrealized appreciation - for Tess and Finn in Texas. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-533 WATCH 10 Big Ret

Imagine being told you only have 12 months to live. What would you do with your time? Today on Your Money, Your Wealth podcast number 532, Big Al Clopine, CPA and Executive Producer Andi Last are thrilled to welcome Jonathan Clements back for his fourth appearance. For thirty years, Jonathan has been known for his personal finance writing: in his column "Getting Going," which appeared in the Wall Street Journal over 1,000 times starting in 1994, on his website HumbleDollar.com, and in his many acclaimed books. About a year ago, Jonathan Clements was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer and was told he had about a year to live. Today we're celebrating the fact that he is still here with us, and we're inspired by his decision to use his precious time to launch The Jonathan Clements Getting Going on Savings Initiative. Watch or listen to find out how you can get a free Kindle copy of Jonathan's new book, and how you can help Jonathan pay it forward for the next generation. Free financial resources & epi

Tariffs killed Carl's investment portfolio and left him wondering if he should claim Social Security early. Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball for him today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 531. Kelly and Steve in Pennsylvania ask for a three-fer spitball - when to claim their Social Security, whether they should contribute to Roth or convert to Roth for that lifetime tax-free growth on their investments, and if they're on track for Kelly to retire in three years. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-531 CALCULATE your free Financial Blueprint WATCH The Retirement Course: Can You Hit a Hole in One? on YMYW TV ASK Joe & Big Al for your Retirement Spitball Analysis SCHEDULE your Free Financial Assessment SUBSCRIBE to YMYW on YouTube DOWNLOAD more free guides READ financial blogs WATCH educational videos SUBSCRIBE to the YMYW Newsletter Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: This Week on the YMYW Podcast 01:21 - Tariffs Killed My Portfolio. Should I Cl

What should you do when the asset allocation of your retirement portfolio drifts? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball on rebalancing for DJ in St. Louis, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 530. Plus, Coach Dobber in Minnesota is curious about municipal bonds in a brokerage account, and Daniel in Stevensville, Michigan needs details on emergency funds. Also, can Tim the Enchanter do a Roth conversion and avoid the nasty big pointy teeth of capital gains tax? And, Duke in upstate New York told his wife they need 6 million dollars in retirement, and she said he was silly. What say Joe and Al? We'll find out. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-530 ASK Joe & Big Al for your Retirement Spitball Analysis SCHEDULE your Free Financial Assessment SUBSCRIBE to YMYW on YouTube DOWNLOAD more free guides READ financial blogs WATCH educational videos SUBSCRIBE to the YMYW Newsletter Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: This Week on the YMYW Podcast 00:47 - R

John in Boston is in the 32% tax bracket. Should he do Roth conversions? Flight Deck Dad and Irish Girl in Pensacola have a lot of tax-free pension income. Should they do Roth conversions? Bert and Ernie in New Jersey wonder if they should convert to Roth or take advantage of zero percent capital gains tax rates. Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball for all of them today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 529. Plus, Michael and his wife in Bellevue are 34, in the 24% tax bracket and wonder if they should contribute to tax-free or tax-deferred accounts, and if they should slow down on retirement savings and start a bridging account for the years between when they want to punch the clock in their early to mid-50s, and when they can access their retirement savings. Then, for something completely different, Frenchie from Maine writes back in: What are the disadvantages to paying off her mortgage ASAP, and what's the tax efficiency of a money market compared to bond funds? Free financial res

You've been jamming money into your retirement accounts for years now. When is it okay to slow down? Joe Anderson, CFP®® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball for Ron and Veronica in Indiana today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 528. Plus, how can Scott in Illinois bridge the gap from age 55 to retirement income at 57? How should Big Juan in Texas pay for college? Should he convert his TSP to Roth? Can he retire at 55 And finally, Frank and Jane Drebin in Wisconsin are 46 and 47 and wondering if their plan for retirement in 5 years is just a pipe dream. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-528 DOWNLOAD The Retirement Readiness Guide for free WATCH What Happens to Your 401(k) & IRA at Retirement? On YMYW TV CALCULATE your free Financial Blueprint ASK Joe & Big Al for your Retirement Spitball Analysis SCHEDULE your Free Financial Assessment SUBSCRIBE to YMYW on YouTube DOWNLOAD more free guides READ financial blogs WATCH educational videos SUBSCRIBE to the YMYW

What are the pros and cons if Chip uses the money in his taxable brokerage account for early retirement income? Jack and Sally ask Joe and Big Al to spitball on whether they can retire around age 55 or 60, and whether they should max out their Roth or convert to Roth, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 527 with Joe Anderson, CFP®, and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, April and Andy ask the fellas to spitball on their dividend investing strategy, and Don wonders if a separately managed account (SMA) makes sense for his taxable account. (We'll also find out what an SMA is.) Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-527 CALCULATE your free Financial Blueprint DOWNLOAD The Withdrawal Strategy Guide for free DOWNLOAD 10 Steps to Improve Investing Success for free WATCH Your 11-Step Path to Financial Freedom on YMYW TV ASK Joe & Big Al for your Retirement Spitball Analysis SCHEDULE your Free Financial Assessment SUBSCRIBE to YMYW on YouTube DOWNLOAD more free guides READ f

Just about every week here on YMYW, Joe and Big Al talk about converting your retirement savings to Roth accounts. But why? What's the big deal? Today the "IRA guru" Ed Slott, CPA returns to Your Money, Your Wealth® in podcast number 526 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA to tell us why he calls the Roth IRA "the greatest account ever created." (Here's a hint: it's all about having tax-free income in retirement - and beyond.) Plus, where to prioritize saving for retirement? Jerry Tom in St. Louis wants to know. Are Christian and Tiffany in Montana on track for retirement, and should they rebalance their ETFs? Should Frank in Lake Wobegon's wife take her teachers' salary over 9 months or 12 months? And finally, Jon thinks the target retirement withdrawal rates Joe and Big Al use to spitball are too low - we'll see what they think. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-526 DOWNLOAD The Complete Roth Papers Package CALCULATE your Financial Blueprint WATCH Don't Le

Tariffs, inflation, healthcare costs... how do you shift from saving to spending in retirement while managing risks like these? Jamie Hopkins is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, an attorney, and best-selling author of Find Your Freedom and Rewirement: Rewiring the Way You Think About Retirement. He returns to the show today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 525 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA, to share insights on how to rewire your retirement plans. Plus, how should Fred and Ginger in Huntington Beach, California, pay for repairs on their rental properties? How can Peter Lemonjello manage taxes in his early retirement with 72(t) elections, rental income, and an installment sale? Can Calvin and Susie in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, buy an $800,000 beach house - and should they? Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-525 DOWNLOAD The Recession Protection Guide WATCH the Market Volatility webinar with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Brian Perry, CFP®, CFA from

Will your taxes go up? Stay the same? Go down, even? Jeffrey Levine is Chief Planning Officer at Focus Partners, Professor of Practice in Taxation at the American College of Financial Services, and the Lead Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com. In other words, he's one of the savviest tax minds in the country. Jeff returns to the show today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 524 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA, with his thoughts on what will happen to taxes under the new administration, saving for retirement in a Roth IRA vs. a traditional IRA, managing inherited retirement accounts, and the future viability of Social Security. Plus, what should you do with required minimum distributions when you don't need the money to live on? How do you calculate the maximum amount you should convert from your retirement account to a tax-free Roth account, and how much should you convert - or not - to keep RMDs under control? Finally, how can minor beneficiaries avoid probate? Free financial resour

What are the three predictors of retirement happiness? Dr. Michael Finke, CFP® from the American College of Financial Services tells us what his research shows. He also shares his insights on the four percent rule for retirement withdrawals and whether there is anything we can do to stave off the effects of aging on our cognitive abilities. That's today on Your Money, Your Wealth podcast number 523 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, Joe and Big Al do some retirement spitballing: can Jon in Pennsylvania retire early at age 56, and would it be better for him to take his pension monthly or as a lump sum? Steve and his wife in Colorado are 48 and 54 and have $3 million saved. When can they retire? Eager Eagle and his wife in Washington state have $2 million saved at ages 61 and 63. Can they retire next year? Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-523 DOWNLOAD The Retirement Lifestyles Guide  DOWNLOAD The Social Security Handbook WATCH: Social Security Basics

What is your retirement income style? Dr. Wade Pfau, CFA, RICP®, is the co-founder of RISAprofile.com, providing investors with retirement income style awareness. He returns to Your Money, Your Wealth® today on podcast number 522 to talk about four different styles of retirement income, distribution planning and the four percent rule. Plus, what does Dr. Pfau think will happen with President Trump's 2017 tax cuts, scheduled to sunset at the end of this year? What are Dr. Pfau's thoughts on annuities as part of your retirement plan? Next, "Joe Anderson's Top 5 Things" to help you manage the impact of all this market volatility on your portfolio. Also, Joe Anderson CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball for "Al Bundy" in St. Louis: what withdrawal strategy makes sense for him, and what he should do with his IRA and 401(k) money? Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-522 DOWNLOAD the Recession Protection Guide DOWNLOAD The Tax Planning Guide WATCH Escape These 11 Tax Traps and You

What does the future hold for your Social Security under the new Trump administration and Elon Musk's DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency? Nationally-renowned financial thought leaders Jamie Hopkins, Jeff Levine, Eric Ludwig, and Steve Parrish share their insights with Big Al Clopine, CPA at the American College of Financial Services' Horizons Conference in San Diego, CA on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 521. First, the College's President, George Nichols, gives a brief overview of the institution and their inaugural conference.  Plus, Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al spitball on whether Ricky and Lucy in Wisconsin even bother saving for retirement - they're expecting to inherit about 20 million dollars. When should Tybob in Arizona collect Social Security? Are Roth conversions right for him? Should he go for Medicare or Medicare Advantage? Speedy Racer in Georgia needs a retirement spitball, and Gilligan in New York shares insight for other Gilligans trying to avoid a retirement shipwreck. Free fina

Martin and Caterina in Green Bay are in their 40s and haven't yet saved a million bucks. Are they on track to retire at age 58? Can Piggie and Kermit in California retire today at ages 50 and 57 and still build wealth for their children? Can Galahad and Zoot in Chicago retire early in their 50s, or do they need to keep working? Do Bo and Daisy have enough saved to retire now at 61 and 56? Plus, Chuck in South Carolina asks, if you can retire early, why wouldn't you? Spitballing early retirement, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 520 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-520 WATCH this episode on YouTube WATCH Don't Make These 10 Will and Trust Mistakes on YMYW TV DOWNLOAD the Estate Planning Organizer CALCULATE your Financial Blueprint ASK Joe & Big Al for your Retirement Spitball Analysis SCHEDULE your Free Financial Assessment SUBSCRIBE to YMYW on YouTube DOWNLOAD more free guides READ financial blogs WATCH ed

How much do Nick and Nora in Pittsburgh, and Doc Mc Muffin and her Mr. in Minnesota, need to have saved, and how much can they afford to spend in retirement? What are the disadvantages to Fred and Ethel in Virginia if Ethel collects her Social Security early? Are the Moonshiner and the City Girl in Florida so obsessed with avoiding RMDs and IRMAA that they're wasting too much savings on Roth conversions? That's today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 519 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, will the tax benefits on a rental property offset the negative cash flow for Lily's 29-year-old son, who has started his professional career with a $750K salary? Free financial resources & episode transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-519 DOWNLOAD the Withdrawal Strategy Guide for free LIMITED TIME OFFER: Download the Money Makeover Guide by this Friday, March 7! Watch Complete Money Makeover: How to Do a Financial Facelift on YMYW TV YMYW Accolades on Feedspot and Goodpods ASK Joe & Big Al for yo