How confident are you that your retirement plan will actually work?

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Pat Schmidt and Jay Curatti break down the Retirement Confidence Score—a framework designed to move retirement planning beyond “I think I’ll be okay” and toward a plan built around real numbers and real strategies.

They walk through five important areas that can strengthen your retirement plan:

• Establishing your retirement income floor
• Stress-testing your investment portfolio
• Preparing for healthcare and long-term care costs
• Building flexibility for life’s unexpected expenses
• Creating greater clarity around your legacy and overall peace of mind

Then, Pat and Jay take a closer look at one decision that can dramatically influence your retirement income plan: when to claim Social Security.

From claiming strategies and spousal benefits to survivor benefits and coordinating Social Security with your other retirement assets, this conversation shows why there isn’t one retirement strategy that works for everyone.

Retirement confidence shouldn’t just be a feeling. It should come from understanding how the different pieces of your plan work together.

🎯 Want to know how your retirement plan measures up?

Schedule a complimentary On-Track Retirement Review and take a closer look at your income strategy, investments, Social Security, healthcare planning, and overall retirement readiness.

👉 Visit MyOnTrackRetirement.com to get started.

If you found this episode helpful, be sure to like, subscribe, and leave your retirement questions in the comments below.

Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com

When should you start taking Social Security?

For some retirees, claiming early may make sense. For others, delaying could create a significantly larger lifetime benefit. The challenge is that there isn't one age that's right for everyone.

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Jay and Pat break down some of the most important factors to consider before turning on your Social Security benefits.

They discuss how longevity can affect your decision, the difference between spousal and survivor benefits, what happens if you're still working when you claim, how taxes can impact your retirement income, and why Social Security shouldn't be considered in isolation from the rest of your retirement plan.

You'll also learn why simply running a break-even calculation may not tell the whole story — especially when a spouse, retirement accounts, taxes, and Medicare costs are part of the equation.

Social Security could represent one of the largest income-producing assets you'll have in retirement. The goal isn't simply to claim it as soon as possible or delay it as long as possible. It's to determine how it fits into your complete retirement strategy.

🎯 READY TO SEE WHAT YOUR RETIREMENT INCOME PLAN COULD LOOK LIKE?
For a complimentary review, visit MyOnTrackRetirement.com to get started.

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Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com

Having enough money for retirement is important—but where you keep that money and how it’s organized can make just as big a difference.

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Pat and Jay break down the three essential “buckets” every retirement plan should consider. Each bucket has a different job, from providing stability today to protecting purchasing power and creating long-term growth for the future.

You’ll learn how to think about:
✅ The Cash & Stability Bucket — money designed for safety, liquidity, and the first several years of retirement
✅ The Moderate Growth Bucket — assets positioned to help fight inflation and provide growth without taking unnecessary risk
✅ The Long-Term Growth Bucket — money focused on the later years of retirement, legacy goals, and long-term opportunities

Pat and Jay also explain why having too much money sitting in cash can create its own risks, how taxes can impact seemingly large retirement accounts, and why your retirement strategy shouldn’t be something you simply “set and forget.”A confident retirement isn’t necessarily about having the biggest portfolio. It’s about having a plan where every dollar has a purpose.

🎯 WANT TO KNOW IF YOUR RETIREMENT IS ON TRACK?

Schedule your complimentary On-Track Retirement Review:
👉 MyOnTrackRetirement.com

During your review, you’ll have an opportunity to evaluate the key areas of your retirement strategy and identify where you may be able to gain greater clarity and confidence.

Subscribe to the On-Track Retirement Show for more conversations designed to help you get on track, stay on track, and enjoy a confident retirement.

Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com

How much cash should you really keep in retirement?

Having too little available could force you to sell investments at the worst possible time. But keeping too much sitting in checking or savings could mean missing opportunities for growth and allowing inflation to slowly eat away at your purchasing power.

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Pat Schmidt and Jay Curatti break down how to think about finding the right balance.

They discuss:

• How much emergency cash retirees may want to keep readily available
• Why your monthly expenses should help determine your cash reserve
• The potential downside of keeping too much money in low-interest accounts
• What can happen when you don't have enough liquidity during a market downturn
• How CDs, money markets and other market-safe strategies can fit into a retirement plan
• How laddering strategies can help keep money accessible while still putting it to work
• The four key retirement "buckets" of income, market risk, market-safe money and emergency reserves
• Why coordinating all of these pieces can create greater flexibility and peace of mind

The goal isn't simply to have more cash or less cash. It's to have the right amount for your lifestyle, expenses, goals and overall retirement strategy.

➡️ Want a second opinion on your retirement plan?

Schedule a complimentary On-Track Retirement Review at MyOnTrackRetirement.com.

During your review, the team can help you evaluate how your current strategy is positioned for your short-term, mid-term and long-term retirement goals.

Watch the full episode to learn how a well-organized cash and liquidity strategy can help you stay prepared for life's unexpected expenses without leaving too much of your retirement savings sitting on the sidelines.

Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com

For many Americans, entering retirement with a paid-off house feels like the ultimate financial milestone. No mortgage payment. No debt. More peace of mind.

But what if paying off your mortgage could actually make your retirement less secure?

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Jay and Pat break down the emotional appeal of paying off your home versus the financial reality of doing so. Before writing that final check, there are several important questions to consider.

They discuss:

• The tax consequences of pulling a large lump sum from a pre-tax retirement account
• Why a low-interest mortgage may be worth keeping
• How paying off your house can affect your retirement liquidity
• The potential Medicare implications of creating a large taxable-income event
• Whether your money could be working harder somewhere else
• How future home repairs, travel, family needs, and emergencies factor into the decision
• Why your long-term plans for the home matter
• How a balanced or hybrid approach could provide both flexibility and peace of mind

Paying off your mortgage before retirement isn't automatically right or wrong. The key is understanding how that decision fits into your entire retirement picture.

Before making a major financial move based purely on emotion, check the math and make sure the decision supports the retirement you actually want.

👉 Ready to see if your retirement plan is truly on track?

Visit MyOnTrackRetirement.com

Subscribe to the On-Track Retirement Show for more practical conversations designed to help you get on track, stay on track, and enjoy a more confident retirement.

Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com

Two retirees. Same savings. Same average returns. Completely different retirement outcomes.

Why? Timing.

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Pat Schmidt and Jay Curatti break down the sequence of returns trap—one of the biggest risks retirees can face when they begin taking income from their investments.

Using a simple example of two retirees who each begin with $1 million and withdraw $60,000 per year, they demonstrate how experiencing market losses early in retirement can create a dramatically different outcome—even when the average returns are identical.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why the first few years of retirement can have an outsized impact on your financial future
• How identical average returns can produce very different retirement outcomes
• Why “average rate of return” doesn't always tell the whole story
• How withdrawals can amplify market losses
• Why your income strategy may be just as important as your investment strategy
• How retirement guardrails and stress testing can help prepare your plan for market downturns
• Why a customized retirement income plan can help you prepare for the unexpected

Retirement shouldn't depend on hoping the market cooperates at exactly the right time. The goal is to build a plan designed to help you get on track, stay on track, and have a confident retirement.

Want a second opinion on your retirement plan?
👉  FOR A COMPLIMENTARY ON-TRACK RETIREMENT REVIEW

Visit MyOnTrackRetirement.com to schedule your complimentary On-Track Retirement Review.

Subscribe for more conversations designed to help you make informed decisions as you approach and move through retirement.

Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com

What would happen to your retirement plan if the market dropped 30%? What if taxes rise, inflation stays elevated, or you or your spouse suddenly need long-term care?

A confident retirement isn’t necessarily about reaching a magic savings number. It’s about having a plan that can handle the unexpected.

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Pat Schmidt and Jay Curatti walk through seven important questions every retiree and pre-retiree should be able to answer before stepping into retirement.

They discuss:
• What happens to your retirement income if the market takes a major downturn
• How losing a spouse could affect income, Social Security, pensions, and household finances
• Whether your retirement income plan is prepared for years of inflation
• How a long-term care need could affect your family and your savings
• Why taxes on 401(k)s, IRAs, and other retirement accounts deserve attention before retirement
• The importance of getting spouses and family members aligned on retirement goals
• The ultimate question: If retirement started tomorrow, would you feel confident?

Retirement isn’t simply a financial finish line—it’s a major life transition. The goal isn’t to eliminate every unknown. It’s to build a plan that reduces unnecessary surprises and gives you greater clarity about what comes next.

Want a second opinion on your retirement plan?

👉 Schedule a complimentary On-Track Retirement Review at MyOnTrackRetirement.com

During your review, the On-Track Retirement team can help you evaluate your current strategy, identify potential retirement roadblocks, and determine whether you’re truly on track for the retirement you want.

If this episode helped you, be sure to like, subscribe, and share the On-Track Retirement Show with someone who is preparing for retirement.

Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com

For most of our lives, retirement feels like the finish line. We work, save, sacrifice, and look forward to the day when we finally have more freedom. But retirement is not the end of your story—it can be the beginning of an entirely new chapter.

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Pat Schmidt and Jay Curatti explore the four stages many people experience after leaving the workforce:

• The celebration stage
• The adjustment stage
• The discovery stage
• The contribution stage

They discuss why preparing financially is only one part of retirement planning. A truly fulfilling retirement also requires you to think about your purpose, relationships, passions, goals, and the legacy you want to leave behind.

You’ll also learn why it is important to ask not only, “What am I retiring from?” but also, “What am I retiring to?”Whether your next chapter includes traveling, spending time with family, serving your community, mentoring others, pursuing a new passion, or creating a meaningful legacy, a thoughtful retirement plan can give you the freedom and confidence to make it possible.Ready for a second opinion on your retirement strategy?

Visit MyOnTrackRetirement.com to schedule your complimentary On-Track Retirement Review and speak with a member of our retirement advising team.

Get on track. Stay on track. Have a confident retirement.

Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com

What do retirees wish they had done differently?

Surprisingly, many of the most common retirement regrets have little to do with investment returns. Instead, they center on time, family, health, purpose, preparation, and having the confidence to truly enjoy retirement.

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Jay and Pat discuss five of the biggest regrets they hear from retirees:• Waiting too long to retire
• Not spending enough time with family and friends
• Neglecting physical and emotional health
• Entering retirement without a detailed plan
• Living too cautiously and missing meaningful experiences

Retirement planning is not simply about accumulating the largest account balance possible. It is about creating a strategy that allows you to spend time with the people you love, pursue meaningful experiences, care for your health, live generously, and enjoy your retirement with greater confidence.

A comprehensive retirement plan should help answer important questions such as:

Where will your retirement income come from?
How could taxes affect your savings?
What happens if the market declines?
How will you prepare for healthcare and long-term care costs?
What happens financially if one spouse passes away?

The goal is not merely to have a long retirement. The goal is to have a healthy, purposeful, confident retirement without looking back and wishing you had done more.

Visit MyOnTrackRetirement.com  to get started. 

Schedule your complimentary On-Track Retirement Review at MyOnTrackRetirement.com.

During your review, our retirement advising team can help you evaluate your current strategy, address your unanswered questions, and determine whether your plan is aligned with the retirement you want to experience.

Get on track. Stay on track. Live a confident retirement.

Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com

In football, games are often won or lost in the red zone. The field gets tighter, the pressure increases, and every decision matters.

Retirement has a red zone, too: the five years leading up to retirement and the first five years after you retire. During this critical window, financial mistakes can become magnified—and you may not have decades to recover from them.

In this episode of the On-Track Retirement Show, Pat and Jay explain why the strategies that helped you accumulate wealth may not be the same strategies you need as you begin living from it. They also break down five major decisions that should be coordinated as part of your retirement game plan:

• Creating a written retirement income plan
• Managing market risk and protecting your savings
• Developing a proactive tax strategy
• Preparing for healthcare and long-term care expenses
• Choosing the right time to claim Social Security

Retirement planning should not be a collection of disconnected decisions. Your income, investments, taxes, healthcare strategy, and Social Security benefits all need to work together.

Before you continue running the same financial plays, it may be time to call a timeout, huddle up, and make sure you have the right playbook for this stage of life.

🏈 READY TO REVIEW YOUR RETIREMENT GAME PLAN?

Receive a complimentary On-Track Retirement Review and discover whether your current strategy is designed to help you successfully navigate the retirement red zone.

Visit MyOnTrackRetirement.com to get started.

Subscribe to the On-Track Retirement Show for more conversations designed to help you get on track, stay on track, and enjoy a confident retirement.#RetirementPlanning

 #RetirementIncome #FinancialPlanning #SocialSecurity #RetirementTaxes

Thanks for listening! If today's episode was helpful, subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode. Ready to build your retirement plan? Visit us at myontrackretirement.com