The Retirement Legacy Project

How much will retirement actually cost you?

Most people plan for the big number and get caught off guard by everything else.

In this episode, we break down the real costs of retirement, from everyday living expenses to the ones that tend to sneak up on people: healthcare and insurance, taxes on your withdrawals, inflation slowly shrinking your buying power, and the challenge of making your savings last as long as you do. We talk through how to estimate what you'll need, why your spending may look different in different stages of retirement, and practical steps you can take now to avoid surprises later.

Whether retirement is decades away or right around the corner, this episode will help you plan with clearer eyes and more confidence.

In this episode:
– What retirement really costs, beyond the obvious
– Healthcare: the expense many retirees underestimate
– How taxes and inflation affect your retirement income
– Making your money last through a longer retirement
– Simple steps to start planning today

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This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Please consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.

Is Retirement just a math problem? Or is it an identity problem?

In this episode of the Retirement Legacy Project, CFP Trent Yost sits down with financial planning students Ethan Shelton and Josh Hargraves to explore what actually makes retirement meaningful, not just affordable.

Trent breaks down why so many people rush into retirement running away from a job they dislike instead of running toward something they actually want — and why that distinction determines whether retirement feels like freedom or boredom. The conversation dives into George Kinder's Three Questions, a classic financial-planning exercise for uncovering what really matters to you (money, time, and mortality), and how to turn those answers into a retirement plan built around your actual values instead of a spreadsheet.

Along the way: why "savers" struggle to become "spenders," the go-go/slow-go/no-go framework for how spending changes across retirement, the identity crisis that can hit high-achievers when the office stops calling, and how couples can navigate wanting very different things out of retirement.

In this episode:

• Why people retire from something instead of to something
• The George Kinder Three Questions exercise (money, time, mortality)
• Turning your values into an actual retirement plan
• Giving yourself permission to spend what you saved
• The go-go, slow-go, and no-go years
• Loss of identity and purpose after leaving work
• Getting on the same page with your spouse about retirement goals

Hosted by Trent Yost, CFP, with Ethan Shelton and Josh Hargraves.