What if the “smart” money choice isn’t the choice that builds your best life?
This Root Talks episode starts with a bucket-list moment for James—throwing the first pitch at a Padres game—and turns into a bigger lesson: money is a tool to create meaning, not a score to keep. It’s a look at the Five Types of Wealth (financial, time, social, mental, and physical) and why the spreadsheet answer isn’t always the human answer.

Ari and James share real examples: paying for time to be with family and friends, choosing health over “perfect” returns, even saying yes to a once-in-a-lifetime trip when it matters most. It’s practical retirement planning and financial planning through a different lens—purpose-driven wealth, money mindset, peace of mind.

If the goal is a life well lived, optimization means aligning dollars with values: relationships, adventure, and the stories you’ll keep telling. That’s true retirement lifestyle design... building a life you don’t want to retire from.

Watch to rethink “financially optimal,” and learn how to use your money to buy back time, reduce stress, and live on purpose.

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The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.

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Ari Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.