Today I'm diving into the tariff-induced market mania that has been dominating every news headline.

Specifically, I'm joined by Cullen Roche, monetary economics expert and founder of Discipline Funds, to discuss three important things:

► How tariffs actually work and why economists across the political spectrum overwhelmingly agree they are bad

► What the recent tariff proposal means for the economy (and American consumers)

► What yesterday’s "90-day pause" means for the markets going forward

We also discuss how retirement investors should approach their portfolios during this period of economic uncertainty + what changes are prudent to make.

***

2025 TAX CHEATSHEET

Subscribe to the Stay Wealthy Retirement Newsletter!

As a thank you, you'll receive my recently updated 2025 Tax Cheatsheet (PDF).

You'll also receive weekly retirement and investing tips from yours truly.

👉 Click here to subscribe and grab your cheatsheet.

***

EPISODE RESOURCES:

📊 Get Your FREE Retirement & Tax Analysis!

✏️ Grab the Episode Show Notes

ESG investing is exploding in popularity—but it's also a giant, confusing mess.

Over $35 trillion in global assets now follow ESG guidelines. 🤯

But despite the rapid growth, most retirement investors still don't fully understand ESG investing...

...or how to spot legitimate ESG strategies from clever marketing hype.

To help break through the confusion, Liz Simmie joins me to discuss:

➤ What ESG investing is and how it differs from Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)

➤ How retirement savers should evaluate ESG funds, particularly in terms of cost and performance

➤ The #1 data point Liz screens for when evaluating an ESG investment

We also explore how investors can cut through ESG marketing hype to find genuinely responsible investment solutions.

***

2025 TAX CHEATSHEET

Subscribe to the Stay Wealthy Retirement Newsletter!

As a thank you, you'll receive my recently updated 2025 Tax Cheatsheet (PDF).

You'll also receive weekly retirement and investing tips from yours truly.

👉 Click here to subscribe and grab your cheatsheet.

***

EPISODE RESOURCES:

📊 Get Your FREE Retirement & Tax Analysis!

✏️ View the Episode Show Notes

Morningstar recently published its annual "State of Retirement Income" research report.

This year’s report finds the highest 30-year safe withdrawal rate for retirees is... 3.7% 🤯

In this episode, you'll learn:

► How researchers arrive at different recommended withdrawal rates

► Why popular withdrawal strategies are (likely) too conservative

► 3 proven strategies for boosting retirement income

And since there is no one-size-fits-all, you'll also learn the pros and cons of each retirement income strategy discussed!

***

2025 TAX CHEATSHEET

Subscribe to the Stay Wealthy Retirement Newsletter!

As a thank you, you'll receive my recently updated 2025 Tax Cheatsheet (PDF).

You'll also receive weekly retirement and investing tips from yours truly.

👉 Click here to subscribe and grab your cheatsheet.

***

EPISODE RESOURCES:

📊 Get Your FREE Retirement & Tax Analysis!

✏️ Grab the Episode Show Notes

📘 Subscribe to "The Go-Go" Retirement Newsletter

Today I'm discussing the biggest retirement investment risk.

As Morgan Housel put it, "It's the hardest risk for people to understand...

...and it's the only one that really matters."

In this episode, you'll learn:

► What the three sides of risk are

► Why tail risk is all that matters

► How to mitigate this risk in your retirement plan

You'll also learn why most investors should (probably) stay away from investment products promising you lots of upside with limited downside.

***

2025 TAX CHEATSHEET

Subscribe to the Stay Wealthy Retirement Newsletter!

As a thank you, you'll receive my recently updated 2025 Tax Cheatsheet (PDF).

You'll also receive weekly retirement and investing tips from yours truly.

👉 Click here to subscribe and grab your cheatsheet.

***

EPISODE RESOURCES:

📊 Get Your FREE Retirement & Tax Analysis!

✏️ Grab the Episode Show Notes

📘 Check Out the Retirement Podcast Network

Worried about Medicare IRMAA eating into your retirement savings?

Whether you're 10+ years away from Medicare or already enrolled, this episode will help you navigate this pesky surcharge and protect your retirement savings.

Key topics covered:

► Updated 2025 IRMAA brackets

► Answers to common planning questions

► 3 strategies to minimize (or avoid) IRMAA

You'll also learn how to project future IRMAA brackets for better planning.

If you want a clear roadmap for making informed decisions about your future healthcare costs, you'll enjoy today's episode.

***

RETIREMENT & TAX PLANNING:

Looking to hire a financial planner with retirement & tax planning expertise?

My team and I only have a few more openings for Discovery Meetings with new clients.

If you're seeking professional help, we would love to have a conversation!

👉 Learn more about our process and grab one of the remaining slots.

***

EPISODE RESOURCES:

📊 Get Your FREE Retirement & Tax Analysis!

✏️ Grab the Episode Show Notes

📘 Check Out the Retirement Podcast Network

Markets tend to operate in cycles—yesterday's winners often become tomorrow's losers (and vice versa).

The most unloved asset classes can quietly become the best performers, while the most popular ones frequently disappoint.

Yet, many investors fall into the trap of assuming recent trends will continue indefinitely.

But markets don’t work that way.

No asset class outperforms or underperforms forever.

To help you avoid falling into this trap (and make more informed portfolio decisions), I’m sharing key takeaways from Vanguard's 2025 Market & Economic Report in this episode.

I’m also sharing 5 actions retirement savers can take right now to prepare for success over the next decade and beyond.

***

Looking to hire a financial planner with retirement & tax planning expertise?

My team and I only have a few more openings for Discovery Meetings with new clients.

If you're seeking professional help, we would love to have a conversation!

👉 Learn more about our process and grab one of the remaining slots.

***

EPISODE RESOURCES:

📊 Get Your FREE Retirement & Tax Analysis!

✏️ Grab the Episode Show Notes

📘 Check Out the Retirement Podcast Network

Looking to hire a financial planner with retirement & tax planning expertise?

My team and I have availability for 25 Discovery Meetings over the next 8 weeks.

If you're seeking professional retirement planning help, we would love to have a conversation!

👉 Learn more about our process and grab one of the 25 meeting slots.

We intentionally limit the number of new clients we take on each year.

This ensures we can provide each family with highly customized investment, retirement, and tax planning services.

Once these 25 meetings are scheduled, we will not have availability to meet with new clients until later this year.

Schedule your Discovery Meeting.

***

Today I'm sharing the essential steps for evaluating and selecting the right financial advisor for your unique situation.

Specifically, I cover 5 important things:

► How to identify and document your financial challenges, needs, and goals before starting your search

► Critical questions to ask yourself about the type of professional you want

► Guidance for conducting background checks

► Non-obvious questions to ask potential advisors

► The importance of a well-defined evaluation process (and why you shouldn't rush your decision)

You'll learn how to navigate through the sea of 300,000+ financial advisors to find the right one for you.

Whether you want a short-term or long-term engagement, this episode provides actionable steps to help you make the right choice.

***

EPISODE RESOURCES:

📊 Get Your FREE Retirement & Tax Analysis!

✏️ Grab the Episode Show Notes

📘 Check Out the Retirement Podcast Network

Grab your Tax Planning Cheatsheet (updated for 2025!) by clicking here.

The 2-page PDF guide includes every important number you'll need for your retirement & tax planning next year.

Updated federal income tax brackets, AMT annual limits, standard deductions, Social Security taxation summary, estate and gift tax annual limits…and more.

👉 Download it now.

***

In our final episode of the year, I'm taking a break from the usual nerdy retirement planning talk to share twelve (12) insightful, fun, and humourous investing statistics.

These stats cover topics such as:

➤ The McRib Effect: Can a fast-food favorite influence markets?

➤ Shiller P/E Ratio History: What does this popular valuation signal suggest for the market's future?

➤ Netflix Drawdowns: A stock’s wild history of recovery.

➤ Berkshire Hathaway: A long-term (unbelievable) investment story unfolds.

➤ Pet Spending: A surprising shift in American priorities.

Whether you’re a market enthusiast or just here for the entertaining stories, you’ll love this lighthearted yet insightful end-of-year episode.

Thank YOU for making this year so special by tuning in and engaging with the show.

Enjoy the holidays, reflect on the year behind us, and prepare to dive into 2025 with fresh market insights and retirement planning strategies.

Here’s to "staying wealthy" next year and beyond! 🎉

***

EPISODE RESOURCES:

📊 Get Your FREE Retirement & Tax Analysis!

✏️ Grab the Episode Show Notes

📘 Check Out the Retirement Podcast Network