RetirePluggedIn Podcast

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquist looks under the hood of a Fixed Index Annuity doing one job only: safe accumulation, as an alternative to a bond fund or bank account.

You'll learn why you're not actually invested in the index, how the cap, participation rate and spread decide what reaches you, and discover why safety and liquidity are not the same thing. All figures are hypothetical and for illustration only.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Has anyone put a Fixed Index Annuity illustration in front of you? Did they explain the cap, the participation rate or the spread before they showed you the number?

Key Take-aways

• See why the index only calculates your interest credits: you don't own the stocks or get the dividends
• Understand the option budget through a hypothetical $100,000 deposit with $4,000 for options
• Compare a hypothetical 20% drop then 6% gain: $84,800 in the market versus $106,000 in a simplified FIA
• Ask what the insurer can change at each new term before you count on today's cap
• Learn why Marion, 73, was told NO to another annuity: safety and liquidity are not the same thing

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Sounds too good to be true? Look under the hood
01:58 - First surprise: you're NOT invested in the index
03:02 - $100,000 in, $4,000 in options: the magic trick
04:33 - Cap, participation rate and spread
07:32 - The "lock in": $84,800 versus $106,000
10:11 - The cap may not last: five questions to ask
13:02 - Safety is NOT liquidity: Marion, 73, told NO
15:35 - What a good FIA actually averages
19:16 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
21:58 - Next week: income riders

Links & Resources 🔗

• Issue 027, Annuities: Good, Bad, or Ugly? Wrong Question., where Nora first set out "Agnostic to the Tool" (YouTube) -> https://youtu.be/39xMtZXfsGc
• Retire Plugged In community waitlist -> https://nora-hartquist.lpcontent.net/waitlist
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window: https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist
© 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquist puts two of the simplest annuities on the workbench, the SPIA and the MYGA, without defending or attacking either.

You'll learn why "annuity" is a category of tools rather than a single tool, why a payout rate is not an investment return, and discover the seven questions to ask before accepting any recommendation, for or against.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Has anyone ever told you to never buy an annuity, or that you definitely need one? Did they ask what problem it was supposed to solve first?

Key Take-aways

• Judge a tool by the job you need it to do: it isn't good or bad, only appropriate or inappropriate
• See why a life-only SPIA on $300,000 fit Maryanne, 67, widowed with no heirs
• Understand why a SPIA's payout rate includes return of principal and is not an investment return
• Compare a MYGA with a CD: tax deferral, no 1099, surrender charges and the 30-day window
• Ask the seven questions before accepting any recommendation, for or against an annuity

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Are annuities really that bad? The good, the bad and the ugly
01:06 - What problem are we trying to solve? A paycheck you can't outlive
02:06 - "Annuity" is a category of tools, not a single tool
03:10 - SPIA, the Personal Pension: the good, the bad and the ugly
05:48 - Maryanne, 67, and a life-only SPIA on $300,000
08:57 - Behind the curtain, and seven questions to ask before any recommendation
10:28 - MYGA versus CD: the good, the bad and the ugly
14:01 - Buddy and Maggie, and the $100,000 that solved a tax problem
16:04 - Wrong question: agnostic to the tool
16:45 - Next week, market gains without market losses

Links & Resources 🔗

• Certified Financial Fiduciary (CF2) directory -> https://nationalcffassociation.org/directory
• Issue 026, Quit Your Job, Keep Your Paycheck?, with the Retirement Toolbox diagram (YouTube) -> https://youtu.be/jKYDRi34ZSA
• Retire Plugged In community waitlist -> https://nora-hartquist.lpcontent.net/waitlist
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window: https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist
© 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.

Steve and Joyce needed a little over $8,500 a month to spend. It took $10,000 a month to NET it.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquist shows how to turn your retirement plan into a paycheck once the deposits stop.

You'll learn the maximum Social Security checks you can claim in 2026, why your income has to be funded for the GROSS amount so the first tax bill doesn't surprise you, and discover the Income Pipeline Strategy.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Has anyone ever shown you the GROSS income you need in retirement, or only the net paycheck you are replacing?

Key Take-aways

• Learn why each year you delay Social Security past full retirement age adds about 8%
• Give your money its five retirement jobs: Distribute, Generate Income, Manage Taxes, Preserve, Grow
• Plan for the GROSS paycheck, not the net. Taxes will ALWAYS be there
• See how $40,000 of RMD income you didn't need can raise your tax bracket and your Medicare premiums
• Build at least three Income Pipelines plus a Growth Engine, each funded for a different job

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Quit your job, keep your paycheck?
01:00 - Social Security in 2026, and who writes the rest of the paycheck
02:30 - Save, Accumulate, Invest, Grow. Then the jobs change
03:26 - Three Retirement Numbers, and the Funding Number's first job
04:27 - The net paycheck, the gross, and the year-one tax bill
06:28 - Retirement plan assets, not the bank account
07:25 - RMDs, Medicare premiums and the single filer threshold
09:03 - Steve and Joyce: $8,500 to spend, $10,000 to NET it
09:52 - The Income Pipeline Strategy and the Retirement Toolbox
14:07 - Next week: Are Annuities Really That Bad?

Links & Resources 🔗

• Issue 025, Private Pensions Are Government-Backed. There's a Cap. (YouTube) -> https://youtu.be/mUQs_eWoprY
• Taxes in Retirement, Nora's adult education workshop -> https://retireforyou.com/2026april-taxes-in-retirement/
• Retire Plugged In community waitlist -> https://nora-hartquist.lpcontent.net/waitlist
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window: https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist
© 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.

Cliff retired on $125,000 a year. The guarantee kicked in exactly as designed, and it paid him $28,000.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquist breaks down what you actually own when you own a pension.

You'll learn what the PBGC guarantee really pays when a plan terminates, why a pension can still be reduced after you have already retired, and discover the five questions to answer before you choose a pension option.

Question of the Day 🗣️

If you have a pension option, which of the five questions do you not have an answer for yet? Comment below; Nora reads every response.

Key Take-aways

• Learn why understanding your pension doesn't GUARANTEE your pension, and what the PBGC does when a plan terminates
• See how a $125,000/yr. pension was restricted to $28,000 - $28,999/yr., with no COLAs
• Understand how a pension can still be reduced after you have already retired and started collecting
• Get what a Survivor Benefit really costs, and the three things life insurance cannot replace
• Discover the five questions to answer before you choose a pension option

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Opening - Retire Plugged In Issue #025
01:01 - Ralph gets a standing ovation and turns in his badge the next day
02:20 - The bills don't retire just because you retire
03:52 - CSRS, FERS and the Thrift Savings Plan
04:58 - How guaranteed is guaranteed - the PBGC cap and Cliff's pension
07:04 - Sharon's letter - pensions that change after you retire
08:31 - Tom and Lilly - why insurance is not the same trade
11:28 - Gloria's buyout at 51 and the 72(t) that could not be changed
14:21 - The five questions to answer before choosing a pension option
15:31 - Next week - can you build your own pension

Links & Resources 🔗

• Investopedia: Why Pensions Remain a Key Source of Income for Current Retirees Despite Declining Access -> https://www.investopedia.com/why-more-retirees-rely-on-pensions-than-most-people-realize-12036525
• Forbes: PBGC Pension Termination: A Worker's Perspective by Terry O'Rourke, United Airlines -> https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsiedle/2010/09/10/pbgc-pension-termination-a-workers-perspective-by-terry-orourke-united-airlines-december-15-2007/
• Pension Rights Center: Companies That Have Changed Their Defined Benefit Pension Plans -> https://pensionrights.org/resource/companies-that-have-changed-their-defined-benefit-pension-plans/
• Should I Take My Pension as a Lump Sum? (this week's gift, the fpPathfinder decision tree) -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fFWuZeoZoKez-p1Zd1ksO11FdmwTD6yJ/view 
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window: https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist
© 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.

Before you can know if you've saved enough, find out how much of your retirement paycheck is actually dependable.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquist breaks down how to find the income you can really count on before you ever calculate your Funding Number.

You'll learn why readiness is a gap rather than a balance, how the deep dive through a year of statements reveals your real spending, and discover the Social Security record error that can quietly erase benefits you earned.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Do the deep dive through one year of statements, then tell us how far off your estimate was. Comment below; Nora reads every response.

Key Take-aways

• Learn why your readiness for retirement is measured by a gap, not by your account balance
• Sort what you actually spend using BODE, then find your Floor and your Lifestyle Gap
• Do the deep dive that shows most people spend 15 to 25% more than they estimated
• Check your ssa.gov record before an error costs you the benefits you earned
• See why delaying from 67 to 70 is worth roughly $500,000 to the average couple

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Opening - Retire Plugged In Issue #024
02:12 - Readiness isn't your balance, it's a gap
03:43 - Opening YOUR Retirement Toolbox - the tools you already have
04:27 - Step 1 - your REAL annual spending
05:18 - Don't LIE to yourself - plan for the person you actually are
05:36 - Step 2 - your GROSS dependable income
06:21 - "$0" on a year they earned over $75,000
07:18 - $1,000 a month, and $500,000 over a retirement
08:32 - What your decision does to your surviving spouse
12:09 - Taxes, Provisional Income, and avoiding a surprise bill

Links & Resources 🔗

• The average retirement savings by age (Kiplinger) -> https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/retirement-planning/average-retirement-savings-by-age
• Social Security payment dates by birthday (USA TODAY) -> https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/08/17/social-security-benefits-who-gets-paid-aug-19/91295225007/
• What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits (SSA, 32 pages) -> https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10077.pdf
• Set up or check your Social Security record -> https://www.ssa.gov
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window: https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist
© 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.

Suppose you need $8,000 a month to spend. That is not your retirement income number, and taxes sit in the gap.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquistbreaks down why you don't have one retirement number, you have three.

You'll learn what each of the three numbers actually measures, why the amount you expect to spend is not the amount of income you need, and discover why most advisors hand you the last number first.

Question of the Day 🗣️

What's your "Retirement Income Number" now that you've worked out the REAL amount you'll need every month? Comment below; Nora reads every response.

Key Take-aways

• Learn the three Retirement Numbers - lifestyle, income and funding - and what each one measures
• See why $8,000 a month to spend is not $8,000 of retirement income
• Understand why "your taxes will be lower in retirement" may have it backwards
• Find out how Provisional Income can pull up to 85% of your Social Security into federal taxable income
• Hear what happened to a 17% CD bought in 1981 when rates fell to 6%

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Opening - Retire Plugged In Issue #023
00:06 - Because there isn't just one
02:54 - A destination, a route, technology, and no idea where I was
03:42 - Taxes sit between those two numbers
05:16 - "Tax defer, your taxes will be lower in retirement"
05:47 - Provisional Income and up to 85% of your Social Security
07:29 - It's a math equation - the $8,000 example
09:32 - Mom and Dad, a 17% CD in 1981, and what happened when rates hit 6%
10:58 - The three Retirement Numbers, and why advisors start at the end

Links & Resources 🔗

• States that tax Social Security benefits in 2026 (Kiplinger) -> https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/states-that-tax-social-security-benefits
• 13 states that don't tax IRA and 401(k) distributions (AARP) -> https://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/states-that-do-not-tax-your-retirement-distributions/
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window: https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist © 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.

Two couples. Opposite incomes. Opposite outcomes. The difference has nothing to do with how much money they have.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquist breaks down why retirement is a life design problem long before it is ever a math problem.

You'll learn why you have to design your retirement before you finance it, what a vague retirement vision actually sounds like, and discover why one couple taking in $15,000 a month is still struggling.

Question of the Day 🗣️

If money weren't the limiting factor, what kind of retirement would you build? Comment below; Nora reads every response.

Key Take-aways

• Learn why the first retirement question is what you're building, not which product to buy
• See what happens when you buy lumber before you have a blueprint for your retirement
• Understand why six guaranteed income streams still left one couple struggling every month
• Get the questions that turn "I'll travel" into something you can actually fund
• Discover RTS, Retirement Tool Syndrome, and why the equipment isn't the hobby

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Opening - Retire Plugged In Issue #022
00:16 - Hiring an architect - the first question isn't the two-by-fours
01:03 - Design Before Dollars - the Retirement Vision
02:26 - "I'll figure that out when I've retired" - Wrong Answer
02:46 - Retirement isn't a math problem, it's a life design problem
03:32 - Nancy and Ed - designed in advance, no bills into retirement
04:35 - Brent and Carol - $15,000/mo. and still struggling
07:43 - Living Plugged In - Startitis, UFOs and SABLE
10:18 - The equipment isn't the hobby. Using it is.

Links & Resources 🔗

• Retirement Vision Workbook -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lt1Kqm6pSCR3cR_07jRTUT63hLPTBKoP/view
• Retire Plugged In membership waitlist -> https://nora-hartquist.lpcontent.net/waitlist
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window: https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist © 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.

Asking "what's the best investment for retirement?" is a trick question. Here's the one to ask instead.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquist breaks down why "what's the best retirement product?" is the wrong question, after two large firms trained her to believe their own products were the only ones worth having.

You'll learn the nine compartments of the Retirement Toolbox, why good advisors keep selling the wrong tool, and the one move to make instead of blaming them.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Which compartment of the Retirement Toolbox should Nora open first: Income, Taxes, Long-Term Care, or Legacy? Comment below; Nora reads every response.

Key Take-aways

• Learn why "what's the best tool in the toolbox" is the wrong question to ask an advisor
• Understand the two reasons good advisors keep selling the wrong tool: the Kool-Aid or being trapped
• See why most "independent advisors" at large firms aren't independent at all
• Get the move to make instead of blaming your advisor: thank them, then find a specialist
• Discover the nine compartments of the Retirement Toolbox series launching next issue

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Opening - Retire Plugged In Issue #021
01:15 - Inside the first large firm - trained to believe THEIR products
02:07 - The 3rd-party trainings she was warned not to attend
04:01 - Two big reasons - the Kool-Aid and being TRAPPED
06:37 - DON'T BLAME THEM - thank your advisor, then find a distribution specialist
08:28 - You're asking the wrong question - what problem am I trying to solve?
09:43 - The Retirement Toolbox - the nine compartments
16:16 - Closing - the Retirement Toolbox series starts next week

Links & Resources 🔗

• New Research: Having These Personality Traits Could Protect You From Dementia (TheHealthy.com) -> https://www.thehealthy.com/alzheimers/news-positive-personality-traits-prevent-dementia-november-2023-study/
• Retire Plugged In membership waitlist -> https://nora-hartquist.lpcontent.net/waitlist
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window: https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist © 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.

A kindergartner with a multimillion-dollar retirement account? It's not magic. It's math and time.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquist breaks down how a Trump Account can turn a child's early years into a multimillion-dollar retirement account - through math and time, not the $1,000 seed deposit.

You'll learn who should open the account, the "Growth Period" contribution rules, and why converting to a Roth IRA at 18 is her best idea.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Are you planning to help fund a Trump Account for a grandchild, and which question do you still need answered before you do?

Key Take-aways

• Learn who should open a Trump Account - and why the parent must set it up, even if grandparents fund it
• Understand the "Growth Period" rules: a $5,000/yr. total contribution limit until the year before age 18
• See which contributions don't count toward the limit, including government seed money
• Know why you should NOT roll the account into another IRA at 18 - and her best idea instead
• Discover why decades of extra compounding can change a family's financial future

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Opening - Retire Plugged In Issue #020
01:01 - Who should open one?
02:18 - Pro Tip: open the account with $0
03:54 - The $1,000 window - Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2028
04:33 - The rules - "Growth Period" and who can contribute
05:53 - The $5,000/yr. total limit and what doesn't count
08:57 - How does the taxation work?
11:26 - What happens when the child turns 18?
13:39 - Don't roll it into another IRA - convert to a Roth first
17:08 - The INSPIRED part - math, time, and 60-year compounding

Links & Resources 🔗

• Detailed Step-by-Step Trump Account Setup Tutorial -> https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1951889/sites/193816586777266144/50-plus-digital-llc-drofwp
• Trump Account Taxation - Withdrawal Tax Guide -> https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1951889/sites/193816586777266144/50-plus-digital-llc-drofwp
• Invest America - Dell Foundation's $250 for eligible children -> https://investamerica.org/dell/
• AMAC Magazine - How Your Contributions Can Grow in a Trump Account -> https://publication.amac.us/view/35449439/14/
• Retire Plugged In Membership waitlist -> https://nora-hartquist.lpcontent.net/waitlist
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window:https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist © 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.

Millions formed an opinion on Trump Accounts in hours. If you have grandkids, the details matter more.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Retire Plugged In, host Nora Hartquist breaks down what grandparents actually need to know about Trump Accounts before opening one for a grandchild.

You'll learn the IRS priority order for who can open an account, why the "monitor" controls investment decisions, and how these accounts compare to a 529 or UGMA.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Were you planning to open a Trump Account for a grandchild yourself, and did you know about the IRS priority order? What questions do you have about Trump Accounts?

Key Take-aways

• Learn why grandparents usually can't open a Trump Account - the IRS priority order explained
• Understand why the "monitor" controls investments, even if a grandparent funds the account
• See why these accounts require nearly two decades of accurate record-keeping
• Know that investments are limited to a Treasury-chosen menu, not individual stock picks
• Compare Trump Accounts against 529s and UGMAs before you decide

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 - Opening - Retire Plugged In Issue #019
00:31 - Misinformation spreads faster than understanding
02:04 - Misinformation #1: You probably can't open the account
03:32 - The parent becomes the "monitor" - who really decides
04:03 - Misinformation #2: Records for nearly two decades
05:48 - Misinformation #3: The LIMITED investment menu
07:18 - Misinformation #4: What about the 529?
08:25 - Misinformation #5: Is it all taxable?
10:28 - Misinformation #7: UGMA and UTMA compared
11:30 - Next week - the tax rules nobody is talking about

Links & Resources 🔗

• Retire Plugged In waitlist -> https://nora-hartquist.lpcontent.net/waitlist
• Issue #018 - Facing The Bear? Don't Play Dead! -> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/trump-accounts-arent-what-you-think-cep-chfebc-cf2-cltc--o1hje/?trackingId=3rhmU4ZlR9qAlJzafRtK9w%3D%3D
• Free gift: Retire With Purpose, Passion, and Possibilities Bundle -> https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/
• Subscribe to Retire Plugged In (YouTube) -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi-qFE3Wh0JY0Sr2jHuTsNw?sub_confirmation=1

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Get Nora's weekly breakdown of the retirement truths nobody else is telling you - the financial pitfalls, social dynamics, and scam threats that shape your retirement window: https://retirepluggedin.thecenterforretirementreadiness.com/

Credits

Host: Nora Hartquist © 2026 Retire Plugged In. All rights reserved.