The Atomic Retirement

When it comes to bringing people together, few things can match the magic of food, music, and, of course, the thrill of vacationing. Today we're talking about vacationing and I'm joined by Mark Comfort, an industry expert with more than 30 years of experience helping people create memories that last a lifetime. Mark has traveled to 108 countries and he and his wife Mimi are the owners of Cruise Holidays and Comfort Tours and Travel in Kansas City. They specialize in ocean cruises, river cruises, all-inclusive resorts, and custom land-based vacations, and they transform ordinary vacations into extraordinary journeys, taking people on thrilling adventures across the globe. If you're looking for ideas for your next family vacation or would like help planning one, today's episode is for you. So grab your passport and join us as Mark shares a few of his vacation secrets, favorite destinations, and unlocks the keys to a life filled with adventure. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned Cruise Holidays and Comfort Tours and Travel WebsiteFacebook PageInstagram Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

One of the most important decisions you will make in retirement is deciding when to collect your Social Security benefits. Social Security is a guaranteed lifetime annuity designed to pay you an inflation-protected income for as long as you live. But figuring out when to collect payments, especially if you are eligible for multiple benefits or coordinating with a spouse, can be nearly impossible. And here is the hard truth. Most retirees are giving up tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars because they collect their benefits too early. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned The High Price Retirees Pay for Collecting Social Security Too EarlySocial Security Administration Website Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) InformationWhat is FICA? Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Today we're talking all things real estate with Kiley Willis. Kiley is a realtor at ReeceNichols Plaza in Kansas City (licensed in both Kansas and Missouri), and she is one of Kansas City's top real estate producers. Last year she was the top-ranked solo agent by sales volume at her old brokerage. And since 2016, she has sold more than 220 homes valued at nearly $60M in sales volume. If you have questions about buying or selling a home in this higher interest rate environment and you're not sure where to start, I think you're going to get a lot of value out of our conversation. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned Kiley Willis at ReeceNichols PlazaKiley Willis Facebook PageKiley Willis Instagram Page Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Tax season is upon us, and you have probably received your fair share of important tax documents in the mail (or email inbox). Chances are your W-2 is not the only tax form you'll need to complete your income tax return because you likely received at least one or more 1099 forms too. Your 1099 forms report various types of income from the previous year. And that's why we must pay attention to them as we prepare and get organized for this tax season. Today we're talking about what you can learn from your 1099 forms. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned Morningstar: What You Can Learn From Your 1099 FormsIRS Website: Qualified Charitable Distributions for IRA OwnersIRS 2022 Instruction 1040 Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Warren Buffett's annual shareholder letter to owners of Berkshire Hathaway stock is out. Today we'll walk through it together, and I'll point out my top takeaways. After all, the letter contains wisdom from someone with 80 years of investing experience, which Buffett points out is roughly one-third of America's lifetime! I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder LettersThe Cost of Rising Short-Termism Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

2022 was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year for stock and bond markets. It seemed like everything went down in value, everything except inflation and mortgage rates which reached 40-year highs and 20-year highs, respectively. In short, 2022 was an emotionally draining year for many retirement investors and that means most panicked and yanked money out of their 401(k)s, right? No so fast. Today we're discussing what folks have been up to with their employer retirement accounts. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned Average 401(k) Balances Dropped 20% in 2022 - But Few Investors Flinched, Vanguard Research ShowsFrom Vanguard: Positive Signs In a Challenging MarketFrom NYU: S&P Historical Data Since 1960 Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Social Security may only be able to pay 80% of its promised benefits starting in 2035 if Congress does not address a projected shortfall. Today we're talking about 7 changes Americans say they are willing to make to fix Social Security. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned 7 Changes Americans Are Willing to Make to Fix Social SecurityThe 2022 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance Trust FundsSocial Security Administration Website Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Healthcare is not cheap and, aside from taxes, might be your most costly retirement expense. Did you know there's a tax-advantaged savings account to help with your healthcare costs? Health Savings Accounts came about in 2003, and many people are unfamiliar with their benefits and tax secrets. That's our topic on this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned Tax Secrets of Health Savings AccountsThe Best HSA Providers of 2022IRS Publication 969 - Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health PlansIRS Publication 502 - Medical and Dental Expenses Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Today we're talking all things Medicare with Danielle Roberts. Danielle is a Medicare expert and the co-founder of Boomer Benefits, an insurance agency helping people across the country understand Medicare and their insurance options. She's also the author of 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford To Make. If you have Medicare questions and you're not sure where to start, I think you'll get a lot of value from our conversation on this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Medicare Open Enrollment 2023 starts October 15, 2022 and runs until December 7, 2022. Resources Mentioned 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make by Danielle RobertsBoomer Benefits Medicare BlogBoomer Benefits YouTube ChannelMedicare.gov WebsiteMedicare & You 2023 Handbook2023 Medicare Premiums, Deductibles, and Co-Insurance AmountsIncome-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) Life-Changing Event Form SSA-44 Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

With stock and bond markets down double-digits year-to-date, and inflation at 40-year highs, is it a bad time to retire? Should I delay retirement? That's our topic on this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned Is Now a Bad Time to Retire?What Past Stock Market Declines Can Teach UsRetirees Have a SuperpowerSequence of Return Risk Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

How much money do I need to stop working, be financially independent, and retire? Do I need a half-a-million dollars, a million, two million, or something else? That's our topic on this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned My Social Security Account WebsiteFuture Value Calculator Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Is the US in a recession? That's our topic on this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned If This is a Recession, We Might Not Know for MonthsBureau of Economic Analysis Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Data Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Today we are talking about the 15 lies and omissions that insurance salespeople tell about Indexed Universal Life (IUL) Insurance Policies. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned Is IUL a Scam? Yes. by Jeremy SchneiderPersonal Finance Club Instagram Page Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Today we are talking about 10 Social Security myths and misconceptions that refuse to die. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement podcast! Resources Mentioned 10 Social Security Myths That Refuse to DieSocial Security Administration Website Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Today I'm joined by Samara Nazir, J.D. Samara is an estate planning attorney at Parman & Easterday in Overland Park, Kansas. Samara is licensed to practice law in both Kansas and Missouri, and her practice areas include estate planning and probate administration. If you have questions about your own estate plan, what it looks like to work with an estate planning attorney, what documents you need, when your documents should be updated, how probate works, and costly mistakes to avoid, I think you're going to get a lot out of our conversation on this episode of The Atomic Retirement Podcast. Resources Mentioned Samara Nazir, J.D. from Parman & EasterdayConnect with Samara on LinkedIn Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Today I'm joined by Nick Maggiulli. Nick is the Chief Operating Officer and Data Scientist at Ritholtz Wealth Management in New York City. He has an economics degree from Stanford University and he writes a weekly blog called Of Dollars And Data, where he focuses on the intersection of data and personal finance. Nick is also the author of a new book called Just Keep Buying - Proven Ways to Save Money and Build Your Wealth. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement Podcast. Resources Mentioned Just Keep BuyingOf Dollars and DataFollow Nick on Twitter Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Today we are talking about all things insurance and I'm joined by Broc Buckles. Broc is the co-founder of BC Brokerage, an independent insurance brokerage that focuses on serving the families of fee-only financial planners, like Atomic Planning. Broc and his co-founder, Peter, help families across the country accomplish their insurance needs, and get the correct life, disability, long-term care, and annuity coverage required to safeguard their financial goals. They also review insurance policies already in place, and help me understand the current insurance market and whether a policy is still the best fit for the changes needs of the people I serve. What I love most about the movement they've started is they always put their client's interests first and lead with education, not products. They refuse to upsell and push insurance policies that people just don't need. If you have questions about life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care insurance or annuities, I think you're going to get a lot of value out of our conversation. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement Podcast. Resources Mentioned Follow Broc Buckles on TwitterFollow Broc Buckles on LinkedInLearn More about BC Brokerage Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Today we are talking about proactive tax planning and how it may be able to rescue your retirement and defuse a retirement tax bomb. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atomic Retirement Podcast! Resources Mentioned How Proactive Tax Planning Can Rescue Your Retirement2022 Tax Rates, Schedules, and Contributions LimitsIRS Publication 590-B Distributions from Individual Retirement Accounts Estimate Your Social Security Retirement BenefitsIncome Taxes and Your Social Security BenefitMedicare Costs at a Glance Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

According to a recent survey from caring.com, 67% of Americans do not have estate planning documents. That's why I'm joined by Andres Mazabel of Trust & Will on this episode of The Atomic Retirement Podcast. Resources Mentioned Trust & Will WebsiteTrust & Will Estate Planning Learning Center2022 Wills and Estate Planning Study from Caring.com Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question

Is Social Security the Best Annuity for Your Money? That's what I'm talking about on this episode of The Atomic Retirement Podcast. Resources Mentioned Social Security Administration WebsiteSocial Security Cost of Living Adjustment InformationWhat are FICA Taxes Start Your Atomic Retirement Journey 📱 Follow Ryan on Twitter 🗞 Get Atomic Planning's Weekly Newsletter 🚀 Ask Ryan a Money Question