Millions of Americans are feeling financially insecure about retirement, but "Retirement Reboot" author and journalist Mark Miller has some practical suggestions. In this "Friends Talk Money" episode, he shares insights and recommendations on: saving and investing for retirement, Social Security strategies, enrolling in Medicare and more.

Congress just passed a bill with the biggest changes for retirement in 15 years. The legislation, called Secure 2.0, has new ways to save for retirement and take money out of savings for emergencies, as well as new rules on how much you'll be required to take out of your retirement accounts and how the government will provide money to match retirement savings for some people. In this Friends Talk Money episode, we tell you what the new law means for you.

The holiday shopping season is officially underway, and like many grandparents and parents, you’re probablysearching for gifts that will make a lasting impression on young people–rather than being quicklyoutgrownor broken. So we have gathered some of our best holiday money gifts for kids of all ages—gifts that will keep on giving for years to come. 

Delaying billing 2022 side-gig income until 2023, maximizing end-of-year pre-tax retirement plan contributions, and selling stocks at a loss to offset capital gains are just a few of many steps you can take right now to reduce your 2022 taxable income. Terry, Pam and Richard discuss these and other strategies and IRS changes that may lower tax bills for many Americans in 2023.   

With the stock and bond markets delivering lousy returns this year, some investors are wondering whether to add so-called alternative investments to their portfolios. In this episode, Pam, Terry and Richard discuss the risks of investing directly in unregulated asset classes like gold, real estate, commodities and even cryptocurrency and suggest ways that investors may be able to use publicly traded securities to gain indirect exposure to these alternative asset classes with lower risk. 

Two thirds of retirees get more than half of their income from Social Security. That’s why it’s critical to make the right claiming decision. In this episode, the three friends are joined by Social Security expert and bestselling author Lawrence Kotlikoff, who discusses scenarios where you might want to start taking Social Security earlier or delay starting until your full retirement age or later.  

The housing market is a perilous place right now, especially for people over 50. Prices in certain areas are out of reach for many seniors who want to relocate, yet rising mortgage rates are making it difficult for many homeowners to sell at their asking prices. In this episode, Terry, Pam and Richard weigh the pros and cons of selling or staying put, various mortgage options, moving into a retirement community, and renting.

What does the employment outlook look like for older Americans who will be looking for new jobs or want to hold on to the jobs they have? Will there still be remote or hybrid opportunities for those who don’t want to be in the office full time? And when today’s hot job market begins to cool, will there be a place for older employees in corporate America? To answer these and other questions, the three friends bring in two experts to discuss the future of the workplace and what those who want to participate in it may need to do to adapt.  

Many financial advisors are not doing much to help their clients prepare for retirement other than managing their investments. In this episode, the three friends discuss the many other ways a truly independent, fiduciary financial planner can holistically come up with a comprehensive plan to help retirees answer their many questions, from deciding when to start Social Security and choosing Medicare coverage to figuring out where and how they may want to live and determining an appropriate estate planning strategy.