Episode 195: The 4% Rule and Beyond: Retirement Strategies with Bill Bengen

In this episode of Retire with Style, Wade Pfau and Alex Murguia talk with William Bengen, pioneer of the 4% rule in retirement planning. They explore the rule’s evolution, how inflation and market valuations shape sustainable withdrawals, and Bengen’s current recommendations. The discussion highlights the role of asset allocation, the importance of withdrawal strategies, and why […]

Episode 194: RWS Live! Rethinking Retirement: Inflation, Annuities, and Roth Conversions

In this conversation, Alex Murguia and Wade Pfau explore strategies for retirement planning, including hedging against inflation, using break-even analysis in Social Security decisions, and evaluating annuities for retirement income. They also cover the implications of Roth conversions and the reverse equity glide path strategy for managing investments. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding […]

Episode 193: RWS Live!: From Tontines to ETFs: Exploring Innovative Retirement Solutions

In this conversation, Wade Pfau and Alex Murguia discuss retirement planning topics including market downturns, buffer assets, demographic trends, and emerging products like tontines and buffered ETFs. They highlight how historical market performance shapes future expectations and emphasize the role of strategic asset allocation in retirement income planning. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Technical Setup […]

Episode 192: Beyond the 4% Rule

In this episode of Retire with Style, Alex Murguia and Wade Pfau dive into key retirement planning topics, including sequence risk, the 4% rule, withdrawal strategies, and bond yields. They highlight the importance of a comprehensive financial plan that accounts for asset allocation, tax considerations- such as those related to TIPS and annuities- and the […]

Episode 191: From Cash to HELOCs What’s In Your Buffer Toolbox

In this episode of Retire with Style, Alex Murguia and Wade Pfau explore how buffer assets can help manage sequence risk in retirement. They discuss different types of buffer assets—including cash, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), multi-year guaranteed annuities (MYGAs), and whole life insurance—and examine the trade-offs involved with each. Wade also shares insights […]

Episode 190: Buffer Assets, Bad Timing, and Better Plans

In this episode of Retire with Style, hosts Alex Murguia and Wade Pfau explore how to manage sequence of returns risk in retirement. They break down four key strategies: spending conservatively, staying flexible with spending, reducing investment volatility, and using buffer assets. The discussion also touches on how sequence risk can arise more than once—especially […]

Episode 189: Gold is Shiny- But Is It Smart?

In this episode of Retire with Style, Wade Pfau and Alex Murguia tackle listener questions on a range of financial topics, including gold’s volatility, alternative investments, and how to measure retirement success. They discuss the realities of investment returns, the impact of recent U.S. bond downgrades, and the importance of understanding risk, using historical data, […]

Episode 188: Are TIPS the Retirement Safety Net You’ve Been Missing?

In this episode of Retire with Style, Alex Murguia and Wade Pfau explore Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) and their role in retirement planning. They cover the history of TIPS, their tax implications, and how they help protect against inflation. The conversation also addresses the drawbacks of TIPS, current market conditions, and the importance of clear […]

Episode 187: Couples, Roths, SPIAs- Oh My!

In this episode of Retire with Style, Alex Murguia and Wade Pfau explore key retirement planning strategies, including how couples can optimize Social Security benefits, what to do with surplus funds from bond ladders, and the potential benefits of purchasing single premium immediate annuities (SPIAs) from Roth IRAs. They highlight the importance of maintaining flexibility […]

Episode 186: How to Build a Retirement Plan That Lasts (and Saves on Taxes)

In this episode of Retire with Style, Alex Murguia and Wade Pfau answer listener questions on retirement planning for high earners. They explore tax strategies like Roth conversions and qualified charitable distributions, and discuss how tools like life insurance and annuities can help hedge longevity risk and support a stable retirement income. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 […]