The U.S. national debt is now at $36 trillion. How will this problem be addressed? Increased taxes seem to be a likely answer. Jeff and Camille take a look at this issue and how tax planning can help legally lower your tax bill to the IRS, helping keep more money in your pocket for retirement.

Social Security is still a cornerstone of retirement income. Jeff and Camille go over why it is so important to so many people, and how planning to optimize your benefits could result in more income for you. Later they answer some questions revolving around taxes and their history since the income tax first came into being in 1913.

Jeff and Camille discuss the recent re-election of Donald Trump to the presidency, and what it could mean going forward for the economy and your retirement plan. They also answer questions from the mailbag.

Interet rates are still high, but recently the Federal Reserve started to cut them with a half percentage point drop, and further cuts are expected. Jeff and Camille discuss how this could affect retirement income and how to best plan to keep these falling rates in mind.

People have experienced unique events the past few years, such as the pandemic, a historic market crash, high interest rates and inflation and more. Jeff and Camille look at where things stand now, where they are likely to go, and how you can take control of retirement with proper planning that takes into account things which may happen, just in case things go awry.

Taxes are always a sticky subject, but in retirement you have a chance to control how much you pay. Jeff and Camille discuss strategies where you can pay less to the IRS, especially in the future, and keep more of your nest egg in your pocket, not Uncle Sam's.

Legacy planning can be the most overlooked portion of a complete retirement plan. Jeff and Camille discuss the importance of making sure what you leave behind when you pass away goes to whoever it is intended to, as well as the necessary steps to be sure it is done efficiently. 

Volatility came back strong recently in the stock market. Camille takes a look at how periods of volatility can affect your portfolio and how having a solid retirement plan can help mitigate these periods. She and Jeff also answer questions from the mailbag.

Jeff and Camille look at the news headlines of the day and what they call the nuttiness going on, including the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. They also answer listener questions from the mailbag.

Longevity, health care costs, taxes and market performance. Those are four factors that are unknown at the time anyone retires - we don't know how long we'll live, or what tax rates or health care costs will be in the future. Jeff and Camille take a look at these areas and how financial advisors take them into account as best they can in putting together a solid and customized retirement financial plan for any given client.

People nowadays could have an IRA of a half million dollars or more, and they could require different types of planning than people with smaller amounts. Jeff and Camille talk about some of the ways folks with larger IRAs could benefit, especially with tax planning to lessen the amount owed to Uncle Sam in retirement.

The Federal Reserve has indicated no changes in interest rates for the time being. Jeff and Camille talk about a window of opportunity for folks to take advantage of higher rates, especially in regard to annuity payouts being much greater than they were in years past. They also reach into the mailbag to answer some listener questions.

When can I retire? Will my money last? These are just two of four important questions people need to ask themselves before they make the decision to retire. Jeff and Camille discuss each of these questions and what people can do to provide better answers to their retirement concerns.

Jeff and Camille discuss what factors could be at play in the upcoming presidential election, as well as react to comments from Jeff Bush of the Washington Insider related to it. They also answer questions from listeners.

People are emotional about money, and can behave in certain ways that aren't always best for their retirement savings. Today Camille looks at some particular behaviors such as herd behavior that people sometimes follow, and how proper planning can help avoid bad decision making for someone's retirement savings.

You may have eaten at a five star restaurant, or stayed at a five star hotel. So what constitutes a five star retirement plan? Today Jeff and Camille discuss this, along with the five areas of retirement planning that makes up such a plan, including areas of income, tax planning, estate and legacy planning, covering health care and long term care costs, and some money for growth to cover future inflation.

Jeff and Camille discuss legacy planning and how it can benefit your loved ones if proper planning is done ahead of time.

Jeff and Camille go over some of the top questions people have when planning for retirement.

Financial analysts are saying inflation and longevity are two huge factors you need to consider if retirement is on the drawing board for you this year. In this episode Camille and Jeff discuss how planning takes these measures into account when they develop a Monolith Money Map for any individual client or couple. They also answer listener questions on various subjects concerning retirement.

You dream of retirement and all the things you are going to do. But then, the reality hits you differently in terms of day to day living, scheduling, etc. Today Jeff and Camille discuss these changes and how the reality of post-working years might end up being different from what you may have imaged, and how planning can help in the transition.

People heading for retirement have numerous concerns when it comes to their money - inflation, health care costs, running out of money and more. In this episode, Jeff and Camille discuss various strategies to help clients plan for the various scenarios retirement can bring, so that their money will be there when they need it most.

Today Jeff and Camille take a look at the various instruments and financial tools available to build a customized plan, which they call the Monolith Money Map, for an individual's or couple's retirement. 

Today Jeff and Camille go over a list of items to accomplish concerning your finances, taxes and more before the end of the year, with an emphasis on Required Minimum Distributions and getting appointments made by the end of November to be sure everything which needs to be done can be finished by year's end. 

Three of the most important things to put on a retirement planning list are income, health care costs and taxes. Today Jeff and Camille take a look at these areas and how best to plan so that each is covered.

There is no retirement without income, and a portion of everyone's income needs to be guaranteed to cover typical monthly expenses. Today Jeff and Camille address how to protect the portion of your retirement savings dedicated to income so that it produces exactly what you need, month after month, and also how to plan for future inflation and higher costs of living.

The loss of a spouse or partner is traumatic enough - but to go along with that, the process of transferring resources to the surviving spouse needs to occur. Today Jeff and Camille discuss how to make sure things are in place so that the process of making those transfers is done correctly and smoothly, as well as being as easy as possible for the survivor.

Life insurance is so much more than just having a death benefit. Today Jeff and Camille discuss the new ways life insurance can be structured to provide income and long term health care benefits, among other things.

Many people would love to see huge gains in their retirement savings, but sometimes making small gains consistently works as well. In this show, Jeff and Camille speak to this theory, and how falling short in even one area may hurt your plan more than you think.

Long term care, losing a spouse and longevity risk are three things which, if not planned for, can sink any retirement plan. Today Jeff and Camille look at each of these issues in detail and how to make sure they are accounted for in your plan.

People are quite attached to their money and the thought of losing it makes them fearful. Today Jeff and Camille look at how people view money through the eyes of financial author Morgan Housel, whose book of the same name is one of the most popular reads in recent years.

Planning a vacation is fun - planning for retirement, well, maybe not so much. But planning is necessary for retirement to go smoothly, and Jeff and Camille go over some steps to help that process such as when to start, and what kind of financial professional should you choose to help you.

It isn't what you make, it's what you keep that counts. That especially goes for retirement, where you likely are on a more fixed income. Today Jeff and Camille address how to take your retirement savings and turn it into income, to make sure all your expenses are covered and you can focus on your lifestyle.

Jeff and Camille discuss the five stages of life that people go through before getting to retirement. These include getting started with work, starting a savings plan, establishing a family, etc. Then what to do in the final years approaching retirement to make sure everything is ready to go from a financial standpoint.

Do you know what you spend every week? It may not seem important now to know exactly how much goes out on a weekly basis, but this knowledge can be critical in retirement.

The "A word", there is a lot of confusion surrounding annuities, but if used properly, they can be a useful tool in your retirement toolbox. Jeff and Camille discuss the different types of annuities and their uses.