Our guest on the podcast today is Mike Piper. He is the author of several personal finance books, the latest of which is called More Than Enough: A Brief Guide to the Questions That Arise After Realizing You Have More Than You Need. Other books include, After the Death of Your Spouse; Can I Retire?; Social Security Made Simple; Taxes Made Simple; and Investing Made Simple. Mike also writes a wonderful blog called Oblivious Investor, and he has developed a free tool for exploring Social Security-claiming decisions. It’s called Open Social Security. Mike is a certified public accountant.

Background & Books

Bio

Oblivious Investor

Open Social Security

“Mike Piper: Delaying Social Security Not Always a Good Deal,” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, April 27, 2021.

More Than Enough: A Brief Guide to Questions That Arise After Realizing You Have More Than You Need

After the Death of Your Spouse: Next Financial Steps for Surviving Spouses

Can I Retire?

Social Security Made Simple

Taxes Made Simple

Investing Made Simple

Tax Strategies

“How Much Can I Give Per Year Without Having to Pay Tax?” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com.

“401(k) Rollover: Where, Why, and How,” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com.

“Tax Planning Begins When Building Your Portfolio. Here’s What to Know,” by Kate Dore, cnbc.com, June 7, 2022.

“Roth Conversion Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach,” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, July 5, 2021.

Social Security

“Social Security Strategies for Married Couples,” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, Jan. 1, 2020.

“The Three Biggest Social Security Misconceptions,” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, April 11, 2022.

Charitable Giving

“Deduction Bunching: Tax Planning Strategy for Charitable Giving,” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, Jan. 1, 2022.

“What’s the Point of a Donor-Advised Funds?” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, Feb. 28, 2022.

“Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs): How Do They Work, and Are They the Best Option for Charitable Giving?” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, Nov. 22, 2021.

Asset Allocation

“Calculator for Backtesting a Portfolio or Asset Allocation (Also Monte Carlo Simulations),” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, Sept. 12, 2022.

“How Much Cash Should a Retirement Savings Portfolio Include?” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, Aug. 16, 2021.

“Simplifying a Retirement Bucket Portfolio,” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, July 8, 2019.

Other

“Personal Representative vs. Trustee: What’s the Difference?” by Mike Piper, obliviousinvestor.com, May 22, 2023.