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
318 episodes
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
What Should You Do With Your 401k When You Retire?
Your 401(k) is likely your largest retirement asset—so the decisions made about it can have a lasting impact. This episode explores the pros and cons of keeping a 401(k) versus rolling it over to an IRA.Learn when it makes sense to stay ...
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Episode 299
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16:25
DIY vs. Financial Advisor: How to Know When It’s Time to Get Help │ Root Talks
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether you really need a financial advisor, this episode is for you. James and Ari unpack the deeper reasons people seek financial guidance—and why the decision often goes far beyond dollars and...
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Episode 298
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20:11
5 Signs It’s Time to Retire - Right Now
At 90 years old, will you remember that final bonus or the time you didn’t spend with the people you love? This powerful question reframes how we think about retirement timing beyond the numbers.Yes, financial readiness matters. But dela...
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Episode 297
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9:37
Watch Me Stress Test a $1 Million Retirement Plan
A seven-figure portfolio can feel like a green light for retirement—but the numbers don’t always tell the full story. In one case study, a couple with over $1 million saved faced a withdrawal rate close to 14% based on their desired lifestyle. ...
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Episode 296
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19:28
Why Brokerage Accounts Might Be the Most Underrated Tool in Your Financial Plan
Retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs often get all the attention, but there’s another tool that can play a powerful role in your long-term strategy: the humble brokerage account.Unlike retirement accounts with age restrictions and p...
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Episode 295
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18:35
5 Things Retirees Regret - And What You Still Have Time to Get Right
After working with hundreds of people navigating retirement, we’ve seen a clear pattern: the biggest regrets aren’t about money. They’re about meaning.Too often, people retire from something—but never toward something. They solve the fin...
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Episode 294
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13:27
Stop Worrying About Running Out of Money: Here's What You Need to Do
The biggest question I hear from people planning for retirement is this: Am I going to run out of money before I run out of life? But here’s the thing, no matter how much you’ve saved, that fear doesn’t automatically go away. In this video, I w...
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Episode 293
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14:41