Retirement Quick Tips with Ashley

Welcome back to Retirement Quick Tips. I'm your host, Ashley Micciche, and today's episode is a little different. There's no retirement topic, unless you consider my summer sabbatical a lesson in mini-retirements.

Instead, here's a quick update on what's happening with the podcast this summer. As many of you loyal listeners know, I am pregnant with my 5th child. Hard to believe myself, as I never grew up around a lot of other kids or siblings. I didn't babysit much, and I wasn't even sure I wanted to have kids until my husband and I decided we wanted to grow our family a couple years into our marriage. Since then we've been open to adding more children, and the good Lord has blessed us abundantly with now 5 children.

And that 5th baby is coming very, very soon. My due date is June 11th, so by the time you listen to this episode, it's likely she's already arrived. Which means that this summer, I'll be taking a break from recording new episodes for the podcast.

New episodes are going to be on pause for a bit, and I'll be back in September with fresh content. September.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. "Ashley, what am I supposed to do without my Retirement Quick Tips fix all summer?" Fear not! Here's what I want you to do. Head over to YouTube and subscribe to my channel. It's called Retire with Ashley, and I'm still going to be posting videos over there from time to time throughout the summer. So that's where you'll want to be if you want to stay connected and keep the retirement tips coming your way.

You can search "Retire with Ashley" on YouTube and you'll find it. Subscribe, turn on the notifications, and you won't miss a thing.

Lastly, thank you so much for listening. Whether you've been here since episode one or you just found this podcast last week, I'm so grateful for all of you who tune in, share the show, and send me your questions and feedback. It means a lot and I can't wait to be back with you again in September.

Until then, take care & enjoy your summer.

My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast

We talked about why inflation is so dangerous in retirement, how stocks can help you stay ahead of inflation, why dividend growth matters, how bonds behave in rising rate environments, and how tools like TIPS and I Bonds can fit into a broader strategy. We also talked about practical steps like reducing high-interest debt and managing spending more intentionally.

Today I want to zoom out and talk about the bigger picture.

Yesterday I talked about TIPS and I Bonds—two investment tools designed to help offset inflation. But today I want to zoom out and talk about something just as important: the practical, everyday decisions that can help you fight inflation outside of your portfolio.

Today I want to talk about two tools that are often used specifically for inflation protection: Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS, and I Bonds.

Yesterday I talked about why stocks are one of the best long-term inflation hedges. But today I want to get more specific because not all stocks perform equally well during inflationary periods.

Today I want to talk about one of the best long-term inflation hedges available to retirees: stocks.

This week I'm going to talk about how retirees can build a portfolio that is better designed to withstand inflation. We'll cover stocks, dividend-paying companies, bonds, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, and practical steps you can take to protect your purchasing power.

The question of whether to stop saving for retirement before you actually retire is more nuanced than it might seem, but it is absolutely a legitimate planning strategy for the right person in the right situation.