Catching Up to FI

A 72(t) plan is little-known IRS provision which gives you a perfectly legal way to access your retirement money before 59½ without the 10% penalty. In this second half of the 2-part episode, Jackie brings back Mr. 72t, William (Bill) Stecker, CPA and founder of 72tcalc.com. This episode takes on the practical half of their deep dive into 72(t) plans as they move from theory to execution. Jackie puts her own plan on screen to let Bill do what he does best... audit it! He scrutinizes her $240k starting balance, $15k annual withdrawals, plan timeline, and the surprising fact that her account has actually grown even though she's been taking money out.

This episode covers

1. Why Bill strongly favors the amortization method for most practical 72(t) plans
2. How the 5% interest-rate floor changed SEPP planning
3. The three basic inputs needed to calculate a 72(t)
4. How to document the correct starting IRA balance
5. What records to keep in case the IRS ever asks questions
6. Why annual withdrawals may reduce opportunities for mistakes
7. How to handle a 1099-R that says "early distribution, no known exception"
8. Jackie's real-life 72(t) setup, asset allocation, and withdrawal schedule
9. How 72(t)s can work alongside Roth conversions and other income strategies
10. Why some people may qualify for better early-withdrawal exceptions and not need a SEPP at all

This is the second part of a 2-part episode. Be sure to subscribe the show and catch part 1 (episode 234) from 8/30/26.

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===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

• Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
• Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
• Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

📕 Get Your Copy (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

🌐72tcalc.com Website

Free consultation with Bill Stecker's Firm (The Marble Group)

• email: [email protected]
• Phone: (312) 361-0221

Official IRS Tax Code 72(t)

IRS Notice 2022-6 (sets a new floor interest rate of 5% for calculating 72(t) distributions)

72(t) Calculators

• 72tCalc
• FI Tax Guy 72(t) using Google Sheet
• Dinkytown
• CalcXML
• UngrindFi

.

⏰ Related Episodes

Retiring Early? CPA Explains How To Use A 72(t) to Escape The 10% Penalty | Bill Stecker (Part1) | 234

72(t) Expert Tells All: No More Secrets About Early Withdrawals (Part 1) | Bill Stecker | 131

Cashing in on 72(t): The Goldmine of Early Retirement Rules (Part2) | Bill Stecker | 133

.

📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

You won't find a more comprehensive resource on the topic of 72(t) plans and substantially equal periodic payments (SEPP). This little-known IRS provision gives you a perfectly legal way to access your retirement money before 59½ without the 10% penalty… and almost nobody in finance wants to touch it! So, Jackie brings back the one expert that lives and breathes 72(t)s, William (Bill) Stecker, CPA and founder of 72tcalc.com. Bill picks up where he left off when he last appeared on the show in 2025. He further explains the nuances of 72(t) plans and how to avoid common mistakes. Hear how 72(t)s can be incredibly powerful tools for early retirees, laid-off workers, and anyone ready to leave the traditional "hours-for-dollars" trade.

This episode covers

1. What a 72(t) or SEPP plan actually is
2. Access to retirement accounts before age 59½ without the 10% penalty tax
3. Why so many financial professionals hesitate to work with 72(t) plans
4. The minimum plan period and why modifying a SEPP can become extremely expensive
5. How to determine how much early retirement income you actually need
6. The differences between the Rule of 55 and a 72(t) strategy
7. Why Bill usually prefers moving money from employer "plan land" into "IRA land"
8. How brokerage accounts, Roth contributions, part-time work, and SEPPs can work together
9. Why inflation and unexpected expenses need to be built into an early-retirement income plan
10. How splitting an IRA into separate accounts can create flexibility and isolate potential mistakes

This is the first part of a 2-part episode. Be sure to follow the show and catch part 2 next week (9/6/26).

.

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===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

• Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
• Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
• Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

📕 Get Your Copy (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

🌐72tcalc.com Website

Free consultation with Bill Stecker's Firm (The Marble Group)

• email: [email protected]
• Phone: (312) 361-0221

72(t) Calculators

• 72tCalc
• FI Tax Guy 72(t) using Google Sheet
• Dinkytown
• CalcXML
• UngrindFi

Official IRS Tax Code 72(t)

.

⏰ Related Episodes

72(t) Expert Tells All: No More Secrets About Early Withdrawals (Part 1) | Bill Stecker | 131

Cashing in on 72(t): The Goldmine of Early Retirement Rules (Part2) | Bill Stecker | 133

.

📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

What happens when one of investing's original disruptors buys one of the industry's newest disruptors? Barry Ritholtz thinks investors may be the biggest winners and Bill and Jackie dig into why. This special breaking-news is an excerpt from an upcoming Catching Up to FI episode, recorded on 8/26/26. Barry reacts to Vanguard's newly announced agreement to acquire Altruist, the fast-growing technology and custody platform built for independent financial advisors. Barry also gives an important disclosure: he's an Altruist investor, so yes, he has a dog in this fight. From there, he explains why combining Vanguard's enormous scale with Altruist's technology could quickly reshape the custody business, put fresh pressure on Fidelity and Schwab, and potentially extend the famous "Vanguard Effect" into another corner of financial services. Bill calls it "disruptor squared." Barry sees an industry that never stands still. And if competition drives prices lower again, investors may ultimately be the ones cashing the biggest check.

This episode covers

• Barry's immediate reaction to Vanguard's agreement to acquire Altruist

• His disclosure that he is an Altruist investor and financially benefits from the deal

• Why Altruist's clean-sheet technology made it an attractive challenger to legacy custodians

• How Vanguard's scale could immediately change Altruist's competitive position

• Why Fidelity and Schwab may suddenly have a much larger third competitor

• The "Vanguard Effect" and how competition can push fees lower across an industry

• Why Barry believes investors could be the biggest winners from the acquisition

• How Schwab and Robinhood previously disrupted investing through lower-cost and free trading

• Why Vanguard was a logical potential acquirer given its earlier relationship with Altruist

• Barry's larger lesson that financial technology never stands still

The Full Episode with Barry Ritholtz will be coming out soon! Be sure to follow the show or subscribe to the channel on YouTube, so you don't miss it!"

=== SUPPORT THE SHOW ===

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🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website

🔗Connect with us

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🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

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===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

• Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
• Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
• Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

📕 Get Your Copy (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Official Vanguard announcement – Vanguard to Acquire Altruist, Expanding the Reach and Impact of Financial Advice View the August 26, 2026 Vanguard announcement

Vanguard FAQ – Vanguard to Acquire Altruist Read Vanguard's acquisition FAQ

Altruist's official acquisition announcement Read the Altruist announcement

Ritholtz Wealth

https://ritholtzwealth.com/

How Not to Invest

https://a.co/d/07ZHXM8h

.

📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

What if that old pension you barely think about is secretly one of the most valuable assets in your retirement plan? Bill and Jackie welcome back financial planner and educator, Andy Panko for a deep dive into the increasingly rare (but far from extinct) world of pensions. They explore plans from private and government employers and why a seemingly small monthly check can dramatically change the work the rest of your portfolio has to do.

This episode covers

1. Why pensions are less common but still relevant to millions of workers
2. What it actually means when an employer "freezes" a pension
3. How to think about a pension as part of your overall retirement portfolio
4. The risks behind private, federal, state, and municipal pension promises
5. Lump sum versus lifetime monthly payments and the trade-offs of each
6. Single-life, joint-and-survivor, period-certain, and inflation-adjusted pension options
7. Why guaranteed income can give retirees psychological permission to spend
8. When comparing an employer pension with a commercial income annuity may make sense
9. Andy's four-question framework for deciding whether lifetime payments fit your plan
10. Jackie's pension options and her final decision to turn on lifetime monthly payments
11. Where to find old or forgotten pensions from previous employers

.

=== SUPPORT THE SHOW ===

📩 Sign up for our newsletter

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website

🔗Connect with us

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

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===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

• Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
• Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
• Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

📕 Get Your Copy (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Tenon Financial website

Retirement Planning Education website

Andy's podcast

Andy's Youtube

Andy's LinkedIn

Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)

Dinkytown.net- Pension vs. Lump Sum Payout Calculator

Estimate Immediate Annuities

.

⏰ Related Episodes

How K-12 Teachers Can Beat the Broken 403(b) System | Dan Otter & Scott Dauenhauer | 226

Retired Before 50: A Look at Her Real Finances, Numbers & Strategy | Andy Panko Crossover | 186

Retirement Planning Tips | Andy Panko | 063

.

📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

After Rishi Vamdatt's conversation with Bill and Jackie, his parents Renu and Raag step out from behind the scenes to share how their son became the 16-year-old financial educator behind Easy Peasy Finance. They believe raising a financially savvy kid has less to do with giving money lectures and more to do with letting them swipe the credit card at the grocery store and ask "what happens next"? Their approach was surprisingly simple: money was never taboo, questions were always welcome, and Rishi was allowed to follow his curiosity rather than being scheduled into oblivion. For late-starting parents, the reassuring message here is that you don't need to raise another Rishi. Just talk openly, model your values, and follow the child.

This episode covers

• How Renu and Raag recognized Rishi's unusual interest in money from a very young age

• Why money, income, mortgages, and family finances were never treated as taboo

• How everyday activities like grocery shopping became natural financial lessons

• The family effort behind the early years of Easy Peasy Finance

• Why Rishi has turned down sponsorships, including significant offers, to protect audience trust

• How Rishi's parents balance his mathematical approach with the emotional side of money

• Why letting children lead their interests can be more powerful than filling every hour with activities

• How Rishi balanced finance with theater, travel, fishing, scuba diving, video games, and being a regular kid

• What parents can do differently to build financial fluency in the next generation

• How financial values and openness traveled from grandparents to parents to Rishi

.

=== SUPPORT THE SHOW ===

📩 Sign up for our newsletter

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website

🔗Connect with us

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

.

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

• Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
• Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
• Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

📕 Get Your Copy (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Easy Peasy Finance

Easy Peasy Finance YouTube

📕Easy Peasy Money

Coverage on CBS News

Kiplinger Article

I Will Teach You To Be Rich (Ramit Sethi)

.

⏰ Related Episodes

This 16-Year-Old CFP Exam Passer Is Making Personal Finance "Easy Peasy" | Rishi Vamdatt | 231

Why 90% of Families Lose Their Wealth (and How to Stop the Cycle) | Julia Myers | 209

Is Your 401(k) a Mess? Do This Now (Step-by-Step Guide) | Bill & Jackie | 205

Money Scripts: Don't Get Scrooged! | Brad Klontz | 175

.

📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

What if the person explaining money to your kids has already been doing it for more than half his life, and passed the CFP exam before he could legally vote? Bill and Jackie sit down with 16-year-old Rishi Vamdatt, founder of Easy Peasy Finance. Rishi started learning about money at six, investing at seven, and teaching personal finance on YouTube at eight. But this isn't just a story about an unusually motivated teenager. Rishi offers a surprisingly universal lesson: money gets easier when we strip away the jargon, practice with real dollars, automate the basics, and start where we are.

This episode covers

• How Rishi passed the CFP exam at just 16 years old

• The childhood experiences that sparked his fascination with money

• Why he gave up birthday parties and started investing at age seven

• How Easy Peasy Finance grew from kid-friendly three-minute videos into more than 1,300 pieces of financial content

• What parents can do to teach kids about money without turning it into another lecture

• Why allowances, real-life practice, and even small money mistakes can be powerful teachers

• Rishi's simple approach to index funds, automation, and long-term investing

• Why financial education should begin before high school

• His take on Roth IRAs, 529 plans, Trump accounts, taxes, and estate planning

• What a 16-year-old financial educator wants late starters to remember about beginning today

.

=== SUPPORT THE SHOW ===

📩 Sign up for our newsletter

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website

🔗Connect with us

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

.

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

• Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
• Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
• Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

📕 Get Your Copy (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Easy Peasy Finance

Easy Peasy Finance YouTube

📕Easy Peasy Money

Coverage on CBS News

Kiplinger Article

I Will Teach You To Be Rich (Ramit Sethi)

.

⏰ Related Episodes

20 Questions from 20-Somethings About Money | Dr. DeLong, Emilie Stewart. Britton Carver | 208

Celebrating Financial Literacy Month with Next Gen Personal Finance | Tim Ranzetta | 072

.

📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

This is Part 2 of a 2-part Episode. Be sure to catch Part 1 that aired last week (August 2nd).

What if the safest-looking retirement portfolio is actually protecting you from the wrong disaster? In part two of Bill's bond marathon with Frank Vasquez, the conversation moves from Bond 101 into the question that really matters: what role should fixed income play once you stop accumulating and start living from your portfolio? Frank explains why bonds should be chosen for a specific job, why a total bond fund may be trying to do too many things at once, and why retirement planning should prepare for a bad decade. The ultimate takeaway is reassuring: bonds are complicated, but most people probably only need one or two bond funds chosen with an actual purpose.

This episode covers

• How bond choices should change from wealth accumulation to retirement spending

• Why the purpose of a bond matters more than simply deciding to "own bonds"

• The weaknesses of total bond market funds such as BND

• Why retirement portfolios should prepare for a difficult first decade

• What Bill Bengen's research suggests about stocks, bonds, cash, and sustainable withdrawals

• Why TIPS disappointed Frank during both the 2008 recession and the 2022 inflation shock

• The limited situations where a bond or TIPS ladder may genuinely be useful

• Why elaborate bucket strategies often behave like ordinary 60/40 portfolios

• The risks of pairing a mostly stock portfolio with only two or three years of cash

• Frank's four principles for designing a diversified retirement portfolio

=== SUPPORT THE SHOW ===

📩 Sign up for our newsletter

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website

🔗Connect with us

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

• Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
• Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
• Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

📕 Get Your Copy (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Risk Parity Radio

⏰ Related Episodes

Are Bonds Dead?: Fixed Income Fundamentals (Part 1) | Frank Vasquez | Episode 229

The 5 Investing Hurdles You Can't Ignore | Bill Bernstein | 201

Mr 4% is now Mr 5% | Bill Bengen | 111

📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

What if bonds aren't dead at all—and we've just spent the last decade misunderstanding what job they were hired to do? Bill welcomes back Frank Vasquez, the hotdog-named engineer-lawyer-DIY investor behind Risk Parity Radio, for part one of a lively fixed-income deep dive. Starting with the basics, Frank explains what a bond actually is, why owning one makes you the lender rather than the shareholder, and how bonds can provide income, stability, or diversification depending on the type and duration. They work through the very real risks hiding behind the phrase "safe investment." Along the way, they visit the Witch of Wall Street, Frank's crystal balls, and the illusion that individual bonds never lose value just because nobody checks the price every day.

This is Part 1 of a 2-part Episode. Be sure to catch Part 2 next week (August 9th).

This episode covers

• 1. What bonds are and how they differ fundamentally from stocks
  2. The three main roles bonds can play: income, stability, and diversification
  3. The differences between Treasuries, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, and TIPS
  4. Why higher yields usually come with higher credit or default risk
  5. Maturity, par value, duration, yield to maturity, and the yield curve
  6. Why individual bonds fluctuate in value even when investors do not see the daily price
  7. How interest-rate changes affect short-, intermediate-, and long-duration bonds
  8. The major risks of bond investing, including inflation, liquidity, credit, and call risk
  9. Why diversification depends on correlation, not simply owning investments with different names
  10. What 2022 taught investors about stocks, bonds, inflation, and unusual market environments

=== SUPPORT THE SHOW ===

📩 Sign up for our newsletter

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website

🔗Connect with us

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

• Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
• Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
• Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

📕 Get Your Copy (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Risk Parity Radio

⏰ Related Episodes

Risk & Reward: Stress Testing the Long Term Buy and Hold Strategy | Ben Carlson | 225

I Love Goooooold?! :) | Frank Vasquez | 184

📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

What if crushing your money goals has less to do with finding the perfect formula—and more to do with getting lovingly bullied into taking action today? Bill and Jackie sit down with Bernadette Joy, a first-generation Filipino American who paid off $300,000 of debt in three years, reached her first million, and eventually built a multimillion-dollar portfolio. Bernadette also explains why she believes traditional financial literacy is dead, walks through her C-R-U-S-H framework, and reveals why the final "H" evolved from hustle to healing your money wounds.

This episode covers

1. How Bernadette paid off $300,000 of debt and reached her first million

2. The $100-a-day strategy that made an intimidating goal feel actionable

3. Why generating more income only works when you keep and invest the difference

4. How she resisted lifestyle creep while building a seven-figure business

5. Why her paid-off home mattered more emotionally than optimizing every return

6. Her argument that financial literacy should become financial fluency and freedom

7. The five-part C-R-U-SH framework for organizing money and designing an independent life

8. The $1-per-use rule for spending intentionally without guilt

9. How unsubscribing, reducing drama, and creating a peace plan support financial freedom

.

=== SUPPORT THE SHOW ===

📩 Sign up for our newsletter

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website

🔗Connect with us

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

.

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

• Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
• Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
• Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

📕 Get Your Copy (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Crush Your Money Goals Website

📕 CRUSH Your Money Goals

Bernadette Joy's free retirement checklist and newsletter

2026 Plutus Impact Summit

2026 Plutus Awarsds

⏰ Related Episodes

Live Talk from the Plutus Awards: Bill's Inspiring Message to Late Starters

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📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

What if the smartest way to fix teacher retirement is not patching the broken 403(b) machine, but quietly building an exit ramp to something better? In this bonus conversation, Bill, Jackie, and Dan Otter keep pulling the thread on the teacher-retirement mess and land on a surprisingly practical answer: the 457(b) may be the cleaner, simpler, more flexible plan that schools should be leaning into. Dan also highlights the new audio series Learned by Being Burned, Carl Fisch's 50-state teacher-retirement books, and several states that are getting it right. They end with a reminder that fixing a broken system starts with people who care enough to push back.

This episode covers:

1. Why auto-enrollment and employer matches are still rare in most teacher 403(b) plans

2. How multi-vendor 403(b)s make even simple plan improvements harder than they should be

3. The difference between individual and group 403(b) contracts, and why that matters

4. How state-run 457 plans can simplify choices and lower costs for educators

5. The role of unions, districts, and state policy in either helping or hurting teachers

6. Real examples of school districts and states that are getting retirement plans right

7. How teachers can organize coworkers, use advocacy tools, and pressure districts or states to improve plans

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RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

403bwise

457bwiser https://457bwiser.org/

Learned by Being Burned (Special) Podcast Series)

Man with the (Better Retirement) Plan (#262)

403bwise and 457bwiser Facebook Group

Banned by the NTSA

Request a Dan and Scott Presentation

Teach And Retire Rich

Meridian Wealth Management

Fisch Financial (Karl Fisch)

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📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.