Retirement Budgeting – The Fun Number: EDU #2629
July 22, 2026
Chris’s Summary “Jim and I begin a multi-part discussion on the Fun Number™, a retirement budgeting concept for how much someone can spend on what they want rather than what they need once other obligations are covered. Jim traces how the idea originated from a client hesitant to follow through with his retirement dreams despite having more than enough saved to do so. In...
Listen NowSocial Security, Pension RMDs, Interest Taxation, Portfolio Strategy: Q&A #2629
July 18, 2026
Jim and Chris discuss the new PROMISE Act’s potential impact on Social Security before covering listener emails on pension RMD timing, interest taxation versus capital gains indexing, and portfolio strategy around Social Security survivor benefits and multi-account allocation. (5:30) — Chris discusses the new PROMISE Act and how it may impact Social Security. (17:15) — George asks how long...
Listen NowA Potpourri of Beneficiary Disputes and Tax Laws: EDU #2628
July 15, 2026
Chris’s Summary Jim and I dig into two beneficiary disputes as part of what we’re calling a “potpourri” EDU show: the 1930s Goodman Triangle life insurance gift tax dispute and a recent Montana Supreme Court ruling on an uncashed cashier’s check. We also discuss a bipartisan proposal to raise the home sale capital gains exclusion and a separate proposal to index...
Listen NowHealthspan and Retirement Planning for Longevity with Dr. Snider: Q&A #2628
July 11, 2026
Jim and Chris welcome back returning guest Dr. Phillip Snider for a Q&A episode that plays a little differently than usual. Listener emails open a broader discussion of healthspan and lifespan, (including how wealth, genetics, and lifestyle factors shape longevity), retirement planning for longevity, and Dr. Snider’s recommendation for additional tests to help assess your health risks....
Listen NowFunding Essential Expenses in Retirement: EDU #2627
July 8, 2026
Chris’s Summary Jim and I review a reader-submitted article on funding essential expenses in retirement, examining how one engineer split his portfolio into what we would call the Minimum Dignity Floor™ and Fun Number™, using Social Security and a TIPS ladder. We compare that approach to our own income-based framework, discuss mortality credits from income annuities, and...
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