This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money.

Today, I'm talking about simplifying your expenses and cutting out the extras that will weigh you down in retirement. I recommend doing this before you retire to make the transition easier, but you can also wait until after retirement to start cutting the fat.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals, while maintaining financial security and not risk of running out of money.

Today, I'm sharing with you the #1 thing you should do if you're still a few years out from retirement: pay off your mortgage.

Welcome to The Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, your daily guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and this week, we're exploring:

The big topic of retirement withdrawals. It's such a big topic that I'm taking 2 weeks to share with you 10 principles for lasting financial security. Managing your withdrawals is key to making your money last in retirement while at the same time spending in a way that brings you happiness and satisfaction.

I'll share with you what to consider as you prepare for retirement. Like nearly everything else in life, we need to measure twice and cut once. Actually when it comes to home improvement projects, my motto is measure never and put 12 extra nail holes in the wall, but I digress.

So we'll talk about how to set yourself up for smart retirement withdrawals in the last few months and years before retirement, what you'll need to do around the time of retirement to get started on the right foot, and how to manage your withdrawals in retirement to balance your various financial needs and goals with the limited resources that are your retirement nest egg in order to make it last.

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: I'm Worried About The Stock Market

In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction.

Today, let's talk about an action plan and how to make sure your portfolio is positioned well for both scenarios of continued growth, and a possible economic downturn and a bear market.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction.

Today, I'm talking about the problem with timing.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction.

Today, I want to dig a little deeper into the valuation problem, particularly for the big tech stocks.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction.

Today, let's look at the economy, because understanding where the business cycle is headed is very challenging, but it's the key driver for the stock market.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction.

Today, I'm talking about the core issue that inspired this week's theme:

Source: Washington Crossing Advisors. (2025, September 9). The illusion of perpetual growth.

"Over 60% of the S&P 500 index value is priced as if superior growth can be sustained forever, with a meaningful slice (about $8 trillion in market value) priced with an implied perpetuity growth assumption above 10%."

"Here is the central problem: no company can grow faster than the economy forever. The math simply will not allow it. A firm compounding at 10 percent while the economy grows at 5 percent eventually overtakes the economy itself — an impossibility."

Driven by FOMO and the narrative that AI will completely change the world, investors have bid up stock prices to new all-time highs and stretched valuations.

AI will no doubt change the world, but the AI arms race carries significant risks for investors at this time.

Especially as the economy shows signs of deteriorating.

Historically, high stock valuations colliding with a recession has been a recipe for steep losses, and that is as the heart of why I'm so concerned right now.

So this week on the podcast, I'll be talking about why I'm worried about the stock market right now - the valuation problem, the cracks in the economy that are appearing, why timing is everything and just because stock valuation look stretched doesn't mean the music will stop tomorrow, and lastly, how can investors - especially if you're getting close to retirement or already retired - protect themselves and take profits in a wise and prudent way.