Episode 230: Are You Emotionally Ready for Retirement? Beyond the Financial Plan

This episode of Retire With Style explores the non-financial aspects of retirement, focusing on how retirees can build purpose, identity, and fulfillment beyond just having enough money. Wade Pfau, Alex Murguia, and guest Jason Rizkallah discuss the importance of “retiring to something, not from something,” emphasizing that retirement planning should begin with envisioning the life […]
Episode 229: How to Leave More Wealth to Your Children After Taxes

This episode of Retire with Style continues the Retirement Planning Guidebook series by focusing on how tax planning changes when legacy and estate considerations are incorporated into the retirement planning process. Wade and Alex break down key estate planning concepts in a practical way, including step-up in basis rules, Roth conversion decisions tied to beneficiaries’ […]
Episode 228: Is Your Family Prepared If Something Happens To You?

In this episode of Retire With Style, Wade Pfau and Alex Murguia walk through the foundational elements of estate, legacy, and incapacity planning from Chapter 11 of the Retirement Planning Guidebook. They discuss why estate planning is about far more than drafting a will, including how to organize important financial and personal documents, avoid common […]
Episode 227: Can $1 Really Cost You $20,000 in Retirement? How to Avoid Tax Cliffs

In this episode of Retire with Style, Wade and Alex continue their discussion of retirement tax pitfalls. They focus on how small increases in income can trigger disproportionately large financial consequences through lost benefits and higher effective tax rates. The conversation highlights key risks such as Affordable Care Act subsidy cliffs, Medicare IRMA surcharges, required […]
Episode 226: 5 Tax Planning Mistakes That Can Reduce Your Retirement Income

In this episode of ‘Retire with Style’, Wade Pfau and Alex Murguia delve into the intricacies of tax planning as part of retirement strategy. They discuss the importance of asset location in retirement accounts, the pitfalls that retirees face regarding taxes, and strategies for effective tax planning. The conversation emphasizes the need for careful consideration […]
Episode 225: 3 Tax Strategies to Improve Retirement Income Efficiency

This week on Retire with Style, Alex and Wade focus on how retirees can improve tax efficiency to maximize after-tax spending power. They walk through the structure of the tax system, emphasizing the importance of understanding adjusted gross income (AGI), above-the-line and below-the-line deductions, and how different tax rules interact. They also introduce the concept […]
Episode 224: Reverse Mortgages: Misunderstood or Misused?

In this episode, Wade Pfau and Alex Murguia revisit reverse mortgages and explain why they are often misunderstood in retirement planning. Rather than a last-resort tool, they frame modern HECM reverse mortgages as a strategic asset that can enhance retirement outcomes when used properly. The discussion highlights how a growing line of credit can act […]
Episode 223: Downsizing in Retirement: When to Sell, When to Stay

In this episode of Retire with Style, Wade and Alex continue the breakdown of the Retirement Planning Guidebook Third Edition. Focusing on one of the most overlooked but impactful retirement decisions: housing. Wade and Alex challenge the common assumption that retirees will downsize or relocate, showing that most people actually stay put and often even […]
Episode 222: Do You Actually Need Long-Term Care Insurance in Retirement?

This episode continues the long-term care discussion by breaking down how long-term care insurance actually works, including benefit structures, coverage limits, and key policy levers like waiting periods and inflation adjustments. Wade and Alex explore why traditional policies have declined in popularity, how hybrid options and annuities can serve as alternatives, and why long-term care […]
Episode 221: What Actually Counts As Long-Term Care?

In this episode of Retire With Style, Wade Pfau and Alex Murguia introduce the fundamentals of long-term care planning as part of their ongoing walkthrough of the Retirement Planning Guidebook. They clarify what long-term care actually is, how it differs from traditional healthcare, and why it represents one of the largest and most unpredictable financial […]