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Phased Retirement: Ease Out Without Losing Money
Not everyone wants to go from full-time work to full stop. Phased retirement is a growing path for people who want to wind down gradually, on their own terms. But easing out of work is not as simple as just cutting back your hours. In today's episode of Purposeful Planning, we walk through what phased retirement actually looks like, the financial decisions it triggers, and how to sequence everything so you don’t leave money on the table.
Sources:
1. https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/phased-retirement-planning-strategy
2. https://www.newsweek.com/boomers-gen-x-retire-differently-phased-retirement-1956778
3. https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/phased-retirement/
4. https://www.ssa.gov/retirement/full-retirement-age
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate and is intended merely for educational purposes, not as advice.
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186. Building Your Retirement Paycheck: Income Sequencing
04:37||Ep. 186After decades of steady paychecks, retirement asks a new question: where does the money come from now, and in what order? In this episode of Purposeful Planning, Troy Fore, CFP®, walks through retirement income sequencing, or the order in which you draw from Social Security, pensions, savings, and investment accounts. It is a decision that shapes your taxes, your exposure to market downturns, and how long your money lasts, and getting it right can bring real peace of mind to your retirement income. Sources: • Building Your Retirement Paycheck: Income Sequencing Strategies for the First Years of Retirement (Aspen Wealth Management): https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/retirement-income-sequencing-strategy • Creating a Flexible Spending Plan for Your First 10 Years of Retirement (Aspen Wealth Management): https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/retirement-spending-plan-first-decade • Longevity Risk and Financial Security: Planning for a Longer Retirement (Aspen Wealth Management): https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/longevity-risk-financial-security/ • You've Done a Good Job Saving It: Do You Know the Best Way to Spend It? (Aspen Wealth Management): https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/tax/retirement-withdrawal-strategies/ • Contact Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/contact-us-fee-only-advisors-fort-worth The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate and is intended merely for educational purposes, not as advice.
185. Tax Planning Before Year-End: Strategies to Consider
06:07||Ep. 185April is when you find out what your tax year cost you. Right now, you can still do something about it. There’s still time to review your withholding, look for tax-loss harvesting opportunities, revisit whether itemizing makes sense, plan charitable gifts, account for vesting equity, or evaluate a Roth conversion. The important thing is looking while there are still choices on the table. In this episode of Purposeful Planning, Troy Fore, CFP®, walks through the tax planning moves worth considering before year-end and how they can fit into a broader financial plan. Sources: • Mid-Year Tax Planning: Proactive Strategies to Reduce Your Bill Before December – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/tax/mid-year-tax-planning-strategies • Wash Sale: Avoid This Tax Pitfall – Fidelity: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/wash-sales-rules-tax • Understanding Your Options: RSUs, ISOs, and Your Financial Strategy – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/blog/understanding-your-options/ The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate and is intended merely for educational purposes, not as advice.
184. A Flexible Spending Plan for Early Retirement
06:04||Ep. 184For forty years, the paycheck just showed up. In retirement, you become the one who writes it, and how you handle that job in the first decade shapes everything after. In this episode of Purposeful Planning, Troy Fore, CFP®, walks through how to build a spending plan with flexibility at its core: a real budget, time-based buckets, tax diversification, and guardrails that let your plan bend without breaking. Sources: • Creating a Flexible Spending Plan for Your First 10 Years of Retirement – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/retirement-spending-plan-first-decade • Understanding Sequence Risk in Retirement, Part 2 – Purposeful Planning podcast: https://shows.acast.com/purposeful-planning-aspen-wealth/episodes/understanding-sequence-risk-in-retirement-part-2 • Longevity Risk and Financial Security: Planning for a Longer Retirement – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/longevity-risk-financial-security • Early Retirement and Tax-Smart Roth Conversions – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/early-retirement-and-tax-smart-roth-conversions • You’ve Done a Good Job Saving It: Do You Know the Best Way to Spend It? – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/tax/retirement-withdrawal-strategies/ The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate and is intended merely for educational purposes, not as advice.
183. Longevity Risk: Will Your Money Outlast You?
03:22||Ep. 183We spend our working years afraid of dying too soon. In retirement, the bigger risk flips. It becomes living longer than your money does. In this episode of Purposeful Planning, Troy Fore, CFP®, unpacks longevity risk and walks through how to build a retirement plan that can go the distance, whether that is twenty years or forty. Sources: • Longevity Risk and Financial Security: Planning for a Longer Retirement – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/longevity-risk-financial-security • Global Health Estimates: Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy – World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates • Understanding Sequence Risk in Retirement, Part 2 – Purposeful Planning podcast: https://shows.acast.com/purposeful-planning-aspen-wealth/episodes/understanding-sequence-risk-in-retirement-part-2 • Phased Retirement: How to Ease Out of Work Without Leaving Money on the Table – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/phased-retirement-planning-strategy The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate and is intended merely for educational purposes, not as advice.
182. The Psychology of Spending: Why We Buy
06:19||Ep. 182Most money mistakes are not math problems. They are emotional ones. In this episode of Purposeful Planning, Troy Fore, CFP®, looks at why we spend the way we do, how habits formed long ago still drive our choices, and a few simple practices that can help you spend with intention instead of on impulse. Sources: • The Psychology of Spending: How Emotions Impact Financial Decisions – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/financial-planning/the-psychology-of-spending-how-emotions-impact-financial-decisions • The Psychology of Spending – MIT Spectrum (Prof. Drazen Prelec): https://betterworld.mit.edu/spectrum/issues/winter-1999/the-psychology-of-spending/ • Downsizing or Relocating: What’s the Right Move for Your Retirement? – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/downsizing-or-relocating-retirement The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate and is intended merely for educational purposes, not as advice.
171. Teaching the Next Generation to Handle Wealth
07:02||Ep. 171Building wealth is the first chapter. Passing wealth on for the next generation to hold onto it and grow it is a different challenge entirely. In this episode of Purposeful Planning, Troy Fore, CFP®, looks at why financial literacy, family governance, and honest conversations matter as much as the dollars themselves, and how families can raise children who become capable stewards rather than passive inheritors. Sources: • The Role of Education in Preparing Your Children for Wealth Inheritance – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/financial-planning/the-role-of-education-in-preparing-your-children-for-wealth-inheritance • “Keep the Money Together”: Preparing the Next Generation for Financial Leadership – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/financial-planning/next-generation-financial-leadership • Reading the Map: Where to Focus During Different Stages of the Financial Journey – Aspen Wealth Management: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/blog/different-stages-of-the-financial-journey The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate and is intended merely for educational purposes, not as advice.
169. Making the Most of Your Executive Compensation
06:47||Ep. 169If you’re a corporate executive, your compensation package is likely far more complex than just a simple paycheck. Stock options, restricted stock units, deferred compensation, and equity awards can add up to meaningful wealth but only if they’re managed well. In today's episode of Purposeful Planning, we’ll walk through the key components of executive compensation and what it takes to make sure you’re not leaving money on the table or creating unnecessary tax exposure along the way. Sources: 1. https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/investment/executive-compensation-planning-maximizing-your-equity-benefits 2. https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/blog/understanding-your-options 3. https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/financial-planning/knowing-how-and-when-to-sell-rsus/ 4. https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/blog/equity-compensation/ 5. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-12-29.pdf The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate and is intended merely for educational purposes, not as advice.
168. Downsize or Relocate? Smart Moves for Retirement
06:27||Ep. 168Should you stay, downsize, or move to a new state entirely? For many retirees, where and how you live are among the biggest financial decisions you will make. In today's episode of Purposeful Planning, we explore the financial and emotional sides of downsizing and relocation, so you can make the move that best fits your retirement picture. Sources: https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/downsizing-or-relocating-retirement https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/retirement/retirement-lifestyle https://smartasset.com/data-studies/where-retirees-move-2025 https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/fun-facts/9-states-with-no-income-tax/c9RZgthD3 https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/retirees-top-states-2025/ The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate and is intended merely for educational purposes, not as advice.