
Ready For Retirement
Ready For Retirement is the podcast dedicated to helping you learn the tips and strategies that will help you achieve your retirement goals. When it comes to retirement planning, it can quickly become overwhelming and easy to not take action. I designed this podcast because I want you to have the knowledge and confidence to create your secure retirement. My ultimate goal for all of my clients (and listeners) is to create peace of mind and that starts with having a strategy. I want you to spend more time thinking about what matters most to you in retirement. I post weekly episodes to keep you up-to-date on all the best tips and strategies to create a retirement that excites you. Everything from investing tips, tax planning, withdrawal strategies, insurance planning, Social Security, and that's just the start! Let's help you maximize your return on life. We use your money and the strategies I share in this podcast to do just that!
Episodes
325 episodes
$10M+ Net Worth Case Study: What to Do First
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 inherited stock, sizable retirement accounts, and big...
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Episode 325
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16:48

The 3 Worst Retirement Mistakes I See All the Time
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 close fast.Learn the retirement tax arc a...
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Episode 324
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12:25

The BEST Retirement Advice (From 909 Real Retirees)
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 sooner. Design purpose. Spend on what m...
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Episode 323
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11:36

The Cliché Advice You Should Finally Pay Attention To
We’ve all heard the clichés: focus on what you can control, embrace the pain not the suffering, fight for what you want.Easy to dismiss, right? But the truth is, those sayings stick around for a reason. They hold the kind of wis...
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Episode 322
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19:47

5 Signs You Should Fire Your Financial Advisor
Most people stay with the wrong financial advisor far too long: out of loyalty, inertia, or fear of starting over. But the cost of sticking with the wrong person can be measured in dollars, stress, and lost years you can’t get back.
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Episode 321
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12:59

Advice from Retirees: What They Wish They Knew in Their 50s
Ever wish your 80-year-old self could give you a nudge today? After years working with clients in their 70s and 80s, three lessons rise to the top: treat wealth as money, time, and health, know your financial independence number, ...
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Episode 320
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18:39

Roth vs. Traditional IRA – Which One Really Saves You More?
Is a Roth IRA really better than a traditional IRA? The truth is... it depends on your tax situation. In this video, you’ll learn why your current tax bracket versus your retirement tax bracket should drive your decision, not blanket advice.
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Episode 319
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12:32

You Could Spend WAY More Than the 4% Rule Suggests (Says the Man Who Created It)
Financial planning’s most famous guideline just got an upgrade. In this exclusive interview, James speaks with Bill Bengen—the MIT-trained engineer turned financial advisor who created the 4% rule—about his updated research and what it means fo...
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Episode 318
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21:25

How to Know You’ve Found the Right Financial Advisor │ Root Talks
What makes you trust someone with your financial future? In this episode of Root Talks, James and Ari unpack the powerful role of intuition in building lasting relationships with financial advisors, business partners, and even loved ones.
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Episode 317
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18:18

What’s the Smartest Investment Mix for Retirees Right Now?
Navigating market volatility in retirement requires more than the traditional 60/40 portfolio. This episode explores three critical risks every retiree must address to maintain financial security through changing market conditions.The fi...
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Episode 316
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13:42

The Real Reason Most People Struggle in Retirement (It’s Not Money)
Retirement planning is often framed as a numbers game where you can get lost in focusing on maximizing your 401(k), minimizing taxes, and chasing investment returns. But financial security alone doesn’t guarantee fulfillment. The bigger challen...
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Episode 315
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6:55

How Much Can I Spend In Retirement with a $2 Million Portfolio?
A retirement story that challenges everything you thought you knew about what’s possible in your golden years.Meet Michael and Lisa: a couple in their early sixties with $2 million saved who are worried about running out of money too soo...
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Episode 314
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13:19

Top 5 Social Security Secrets Every 60-Year-Old Needs to Know
The hidden complexities of Social Security could cost retirees tens of thousands over a lifetime. While it may seem like a simple income source, the right strategy can dramatically improve your financial security.Claiming isn’t one-size-...
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Episode 313
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12:19

Retiring at 65 Might Be Too Late (Here’s Why)
Most retirement plans focus on money alone, but the equation is incomplete without factoring in healthspan. Lifespan is how long someone lives, but healthspan is the number of years spent in good physical and cognitive health. The gap is signif...
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Episode 312
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9:37

Inside Root’s Growth Plan (And the Promise Refuse to Break) │ Root Talks
What happens when growth changes a company?We’ve all seen it—your favorite restaurant expands and suddenly the quality slips. The connection feels lost. But does growing always mean losing what made you special?At Root, we ...
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Episode 311
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17:47

How to Avoid the Widow’s Tax (Before It’s Too Late)
When one spouse passes away, the survivor often faces what is known as the “widow’s tax.” It is not an official IRS tax, but the impact of moving from married to single tax brackets. A couple earning $120,000 in the 12 percent bracket can see t...
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Episode 310
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17:30

They Gave Up the ‘Traditional’ Retirement to Live the Life They Always Wanted: The Retirement Travelers
Redefining retirement with purpose and adventureJohn and Bev retired at 55, sold almost everything, and traded their dream home for two backpacks, golf clubs, and a life of full-time travel. Since then, they have visited 107 count...
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Episode 309
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38:39

The Hidden Cost of Financial Optimization (And How to Avoid It)
What if the “financially optimal” choice doesn’t actually lead to your best life?This conversation explores the balance between optimizing money and optimizing happiness. We break down the Five Types of Wealth—financial, time, social, m...
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Episode 308
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17:43

When Money Isn’t Enough: The 5 Types of Wealth You Need Before Retiring
When the numbers say you can retire, but you can’t step away. Many people with the financial means to retire keep working, telling themselves one more year will make the plan even stronger. But at what cost to your time, heal...
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Episode 307
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21:24

Here's How Early Retirement Will Impact Your Social Security Benefit
Thinking about retiring early and worried it might hurt your Social Security benefits? Good news: it probably won’t.A common myth is that you have to work into your 60s to get the most out of Social Security. In reality, benefits are bas...
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Episode 306
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17:13

Does Your Spouse Really Know the Financial Plan? Why That Matters │ Root Talks
Money conversations fall short when only one spouse is at the table. It’s easy to treat financial planning like another household task to divide and conquer, but unlike errands, your financial plan is the blueprint for your shared future.
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Episode 305
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16:48

Can You Retire Without $1 Million? The Truth Might Surprise You
Forget the myth that you need a million dollars to retire. What really matters is creating sustainable cash flow—not hitting a magic number.Retirement success comes down to three things: your expenses, guaranteed income (like Social Secu...
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Episode 304
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16:36

The #1 Way to Ruin Your Retirement (Most People Do This)
Can a children’s poem change how you think about retirement? In this episode, we unpack the hidden wisdom in Shel Silverstein’s “Smart” and how it reflects a common retirement planning mistake: trading time and well-being for wealth you may no ...
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Episode 303
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7:11

How to Know If You’re Ready to Retire (Hint: It’s Not Just About Money)
The hardest part of retirement isn’t always financial, it’s psychological. For many, stepping away from work isn’t a light switch, but a dimmer that adjusts over time. This episode of Root Talks unpacks what makes the retirement decisi...
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Episode 302
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17:07

This Is Why Financially Ready People Struggle to Retire
Even with a strong financial plan in place, many professionals find themselves hesitating at the retirement decision—stuck in the cycle of “just one more year.” The numbers say it’s possible, yet the fear of leaving behind a paycheck, a title, ...
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Episode 300
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11:51
