Retired-ish

Putting the right estate planning documents in place and correctly titling your assets is critical to preserving the health and lifestyle you've built for your family after you're gone.

In today's world, the most popular and well-known legacy planning tools are wills and trusts. However, many people confuse the differences between the two, the benefits they can and can't provide, and whether or not they even need them in the first place!

More specifically, I discuss:

• Why getting the appropriate estate planning documents in place is so important
• What is a Will? What can it do?
• What is a Trust? What can it do?
• What is the difference between a Revocable Living Trust and an Irrevocable Trust?
• Common uses for Revocable Living Trusts
• Common uses for Irrevocable Trusts
• What Revocable Living Trusts and Irrevocable Trusts don't do
• How the titling of assets can work in your estate plan
• The importance of naming beneficiaries

Key moments:

(00:00) Estate planning: wills, trusts, assets, and advice

(06:26) What does a will do?

(09:43) Title of property and beneficiary designations

(11:41) What can a trust do?

(15:33) Revocable trusts does not offer tax benefits

(21:37) Irrevocable trusts can have significant tax implications, good or bad

(23:35) The importance of naming beneficiaries and titling assets appropriately

(27:52) Estate planning can save your family money

Resources:

• Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up
• Get Show Notes Here
• Ask Cameron A Question!

If you're getting divorced in California and you think dividing a pension is just "give or take half, and we're done" — that mindset is what usually ends up costing you real money down the road.

Of course, the formulas for splitting retirement benefits matters, but it's not the biggest risk. The biggest risk is what happens to that pension the day the retiree dies, which isn't always top of mind in the divorce process.

In part 2 of our California Divorce mini-series, I'm walking you through generally how pensions are looked at in California divorces, how benefits are generally calculated and determined, what determines how long those payments actually last, and the survivor benefit traps that haunt people who thought they'd already handled everything correctly.

More specifically, Cameron discusses:

• Pensions and defining community property vs. separate property
• Length of marriage and Date of Separation
• The "Time Rule" / "Brown" formulas for dividing a pension stream in CA
• The 10-year myth
• Offsetting assets in divorce negotiations
• How long might you expect to receive pension payments?
• What can cause pension payments to cease?
• Pension survivor benefit pitfalls in common CA public pensions (SBCERA, CalPERS, CalSTRS)

Resources From The Episode:

• Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up
• Get a Complimentary Copy of Cameron's Book for Divorcées and Widows: Finding Financial Clarity and Confidence When Starting Over
• Ask a Question
• Get Show Notes Here

Key moments:

(00:00) Basics of Pension Division in California

(03:00) Community Property and Pension Complexity

(08:26) Calculating Benefits and the Time Rule/Brown Formula

(16:10) Duration of Benefits and Survivor Risks

(23:00) System-Specific Pitfalls: CalPERS, CalSTRS, SBCERA

(29:57) Strategic Planning and Final Thoughts

You can win the house. You can win the car. But if you walk away from your divorce without the right paperwork on a retirement pension, you can lose a seven-figure asset – that's right, 7-figure asset - without ever knowing it happened — sometimes not until decades later, when your ex-spouse retires, remarries, or passes away, and suddenly there's nothing left to claim.

In part one of this California divorce miniseries, we're breaking down exactly how pension division works in a divorce — the forms, the deadlines, the acronyms nobody explains to you, and the mistakes that quietly cost people their fair share.

More specifically, Cameron discusses:

• The ATRO – Automatic Temporary Restraining Order
• Joinders for some retirement pension systems
• The difference between a Domestic Relations Order (DRO) vs a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)
• Key differences between public pensions (i.e., CalPERS/STRS, SBCERA, OCERA, LACERA, etc.), federal pensions (FERS/CSRS), and private sector pensions
• Costly mistakes made with pensions throughout the divorce process
• The various costs you may incur to split a retirement pension in divorce
• Who to talk to and when during the divorce process about your retirement pension

Key moments:

(03:25) Understanding ATROs and Filing (08:22) Joinders and Differences in Pensions (12:06) QDROs and DROs Explained (16:16) Federal Plans and Common Errors (22:46) Costs and Fees Involved With Pension Division (26:07) Building Your Professional Divorce Team

Resources:

• Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up
• Ask a Question
• Get Show Notes Here

Five people. Five completely different net worths, ages, and family situations. And every single one of them is sitting on a stock position that's grown so large it's now the single biggest risk in their financial life. In Part 2 we're taking the strategies we learned about in Part 1 of this mini-series and we're running it through five real case studies with real numbers, so you can see exactly which strategies fit different situations, and more importantly, why the "obvious" answer is wrong more often than you'd think.

More specifically, I discuss:

• 5 case studies for diversifying and managing taxation
• Selling stock, direct indexing and using charitable giving strategies
• Avoiding unnecessary taxation from mutual funds
• Diversifying after utilizing the Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) strategy for stock in 401(k) and ESOPs
• Managing continuing awards of Restricted Stock Units (RSU)

Resources From The Episode:

• Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up
• Ask a Question
• Get Show Notes Here

Key moments:

(02:20) Case study 1: Combine selling, direct indexing, and charitable tools

(11:40) Case study 2: Sequence charitable giving and direct indexing

(16:16) Case study 3: Avoid unnecessary taxation from mutual fund distributions

(24:24) Case study 4: Use NUA and patient diversification

(33:28) Case study 5: Manage a moving target of employer equity

(40:30) Match diversification to each person's timeline and goals

(42:38) Prioritize diversification over avoiding taxes

You've watched one stock turn into more money than you ever expected. And now you can't bring yourself to sell it — because the second you do, the IRS gets a check with a lot of zeros on it and you come to the realization that you are not going to receive all of that money you've been looking at on paper all these years.

But on the flip side you're also wondering how that money can change your life and all the things you can do for you and your family.

In this episode, we're talking about what that fear of taxation can actually cost you, and some ideas to help you take risk off the table and mitigate the inevitable tax bill.

More specifically, I discuss:

• Why a concentrated stock position carries more risk than you think
• Worry more about taxes from selling or a sell off in your biggest stock position?
• Strategies to defer taxes or diversify a concentrated stock position
• Direct indexing and exchange funds
• Opportunity zone funds
• Charitable giving strategies for large, embedded stock gains

⏱️ Chapters:

(04:09) Why a concentrated position is sneakier than it looks (09:37) Which is the bigger threat: taxes or concentration risk? (11:41) Thought experiment: selling today vs. waiting and potentially losing value (14:46) The biggest misconception: taxes vs. concentration risk (17:35) Strategy 1. Just sell it (18:56) Strategy 2. Hold on to it until death and receive the step-up in basis (21:10) Strategy 3. Gifting to family (25:23) Strategy 4. Direct indexing (31:04) Strategy 5. Charitable giving

Resources:

• Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up
• Get Show Notes Here

The market just dropped. Your IRA or 401(k) is down bad. And your gut is telling you to do something about it.

The problem is, most of the things people instinctively want to do when the market tanks are exactly the wrong moves.

But buried inside that volatility — if you know where to look — are some of the best retirement and tax planning opportunities that exist. Opportunities that only show up when things get really scary.

In this episode, Cameron walks you through some of those opportunities and explains where people blow it so you don't make the same mistakes.

More specifically, I discuss:

• What kind of market volatility constitutes executing a particular strategy?
• The ideal Roth conversion timing during market downturns
• What can you do about Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) if your IRA or 401(k) drops significantly?
• Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) "basis reset" for those with company stock inside their 401(k) plan
• 72(t) payment plans from your IRA and how to mitigate the damage during market downturns

Resources From The Episode:

• Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up
• Get Show Notes Here

Key moments:

(03:21) Roth Conversions: The Silver Lining

(14:14) Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) During Market Declines

(18:39) Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) Strategy

(22:39) NUA: Capitalizing on Downturns and Avoiding Pitfalls

(26:23) 72(t) Payments: Early Withdrawal Strategies

(32:28) Common Mistakes to Avoid

Divorce is never easy. But divorce after 50? That's a completely different animal.

We're talking about decades of accumulated assets, retirement accounts, Social Security decisions, healthcare coverage, and tax consequences that can follow you for the rest of your life — and one wrong move can cost you far more than just the marriage.

In this episode, we're breaking down the real financial damage of what's called "Gray Divorce"; the mistakes I see people make in practice, and exactly what you need to do to protect yourself.

More specifically, I discuss:

• Gray Divorce Study – What Divorcees are saying about retirement and finances post-divorce
• The difference between divorce after 50 versus divorce in your 30s and 40s
• The differing realities of men vs. women post-divorce
• Mistakes during and after the divorce process regarding retirement savings
• Social Security and healthcare decisions post-divorce
• Making key financial decisions under pressure and common regrets

Key moments:

(03:04) Uncertainty in Retirement Planning for Divorcees

(06:38) Retirement Savings Mistakes

(11:11) Financial Blind Spots and Costly Decisions in Divorce

(14:27) Social Security Claiming Risks Post-Divorce

(21:11) Health Insurance Decisions Post-Divorce

(24:40) Seeking Professional Financial Guidance During & After Divorce

Resources From The Episode:

• Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up
• Get Show Notes Here

You wake up everyday, check your bank account on your phone, and you see all your money sitting there, just as it was the day before. How do you feel? Pretty good, right? That number hasn't moved. It's exactly where you left it. Safe.

Here's the problem: that money is slowly disappearing even though you can't tell by looking at your bank app. This is because every single day, the purchasing power of that money is quietly shrinking. The things you will actually buy one day with those dollars — groceries, gas, insurance, healthcare — are getting more expensive. But your balance stays the same, so it feels fine. However, it's not fine.

That is inflation. And most people will go their entire lives without sitting down and doing the math on what it actually does to their money over 20 or 30 years and take it seriously because we're too busy watching Netflix and wasting time wondering how our neighbor could afford that nice new car.

In this episode, we're explaining the two best — and in my opinion, the most effortless — ways to fight back against inflation to make sure that your money keeps up with rising prices, because let's be honest, they're never going to start trending backwards.

More specifically, I discuss:

• Why is inflation for so important and how can it damage a retirees' financial life?
• What is the rate of inflation?
• Different types of inflation
• How does inflation affect retirement accounts? What about cash in the bank?
• Effortless inflation hedge #1: fixed-rate debt + home ownership
• Effortless inflation hedge #2: the primarily equity investment portfolio

Resources From The Episode:

• Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up
• Get Show Notes Here

Key moments:

(03:26) Understanding Inflation's Impact

(07:09) The Illusion of Cash Safety

(09:42) Fixed-Rate Debt as an Inflation Hedge

(14:48) Addressing Homeownership Objections

(20:28) Equity Portfolio: The Best Hedge

(23:08) The Power of Compounding Equities

(25:16) Equity Liquidity and Flexibility

(29:20) Long-Term Investing Discipline

(33:37) Combining Strategies for Resilience

(35:00) Final Takeaways

My firm, Planable Wealth, is currently very busy in the midst of our Spring Strategy Meetings with clients where we help people just like you create and retool their financial and tax plans for 2026 and beyond. That said I wanted to bring you an encore episode this week, which I think, is one of the core episodes we've done so far

Back in episode 70, I discussed the importance of retirement income and the realities of your cash flow in retirement. I also share my thoughts on dividend investing especially when trying to utilize dividends as an income stream in retirement.

Income planning will make or break your retirement years - This is because your income in retirement will be what controls your lifestyle, not your net worth.

When doing your pre-retirement planning - hopefully several years before your desired retirement - you'll want to match your lifestyle wants, needs, and goals with the income you are able to generate from your various financial assets and resources – but, depending on where you generate income from, you may run into certain hurdles along the way.

In this episode we break down the important pillars of retirement income planning, matching your income sources to your retirement goals, and why a dividend income strategy may not be the best choice.

Thanks for being a loyal listener and we'll be back with new episodes soon.

More specifically, I discuss:

• Defining retirement income planning
• The 2 major pitfalls you need top watch out for when creating your retirement plan
• Investment returns or income?
• Potential cons of a "probability-based" retirement plan
• Wade Pfau's Four L's of Retirement
• Matching your various retirement income sources with your goals
• Potential issues when relying on only one income source such as real estate or dividends
• The importance of dividends
• A pure dividend spending strategy isn't a great retirement income strategy

The Key Moments In This Episode Are:

(02:43) The Error of Relying Solely on 1 Retirement Income Source

(03:39) Challenges of Basic Income Planning

(06:03) Retirement Income is More Important Than Investment Returns

(09:15) The Four L's of Retirement Planning

(11:57) Funding Your Desired Lifestyle

(13:09) Rental Real Estate May Not Be The Most Efficient Retirement Income Plan

(15:35) Planning for Legacy, or Not

(16:46) The Importance of Liquidity in Retirement

(18:42) The "Live Off Of Dividends" Strategy Debate

(25:25) The Risks of High-Dividend Paying Stocks

(30:36) Total Return Investing as an Alternative

Resources:

• Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up
• Get Show Notes Here

You worked hard your whole career, you saved, you did everything right — and now you're on Medicare and you get a letter from Social Security telling you that you owe hundreds of dollars extra every single month in premiums just because you made too much money!

No warning. No opt-out. Just, what looks like punishment for doing a good job and setting yourself up for retirement.

That's IRMAA. And what most people don't know is that in certain situations, you can fight back — and win.

Today we're breaking all of it down. The real numbers, the real rules, and exactly how to use the appeal process strategically if you qualify.

More specifically, we discuss:

• What is Income Related Adjustment Amount (IRMAA)?
• How to calculate what your potential Medicare premium surcharges will be
• Common situations that cause Medicare enrollees to be subject to IRMAA surcharges
• When and how can you appeal IRMAA surcharges on your Medicare premiums?
• Practical tips when appealing IRMAA surcharges
• Strategies to avoid IRMAA surcharges

Resources:

• Access Episode Show Notes and Sign Up for the Retired·ish Newsletter
• Ask Cameron A Question!

Key moments:

(02:56) IRMAA Medicare Premium Surcharges: How it Works

(05:50) Calculating Your MAGI (Income) for IRMAA

(09:27) IRMAA Brackets and Cliff System

(17:37) Common IRMAA Medicare Premium Surcharge Triggers

(23:07) Appealing IRMAA with Form SSA-44

(26:52) IRMAA Appeal Example Scenarios

(31:37) Non-Qualifying Events for IRMAA Appeal

(40:02) Practical Tips for Filing an IRMAA Appeal

(41:00) Strategies to Avoid IRMAA

(46:51) Listener Question: IRMAA appeal for deferred compensation