I need that too lol
8:20pm on 5/28/26 by
nightowl04
Oh my gosh, one of my other obsessions the last 10-15 years. :D Definitely suggest the ChooseFI podcast, although they take a little too long to get to the point sometimes, tons of good info over the years. For the financial mathy philosophy topics check:
8:37pm on 5/28/26 by
JJT (staff)
Your Money Your Wealth, Stay Wealthy Retirement Show, Long Term Investor Podcast. The first one (YMYW) podcast might be an acquired taste, but I find the many scenario building and discussion very helpful in learning a lot of details.
8:39pm on 5/28/26 by
JJT (staff)
For more general, but still with some tax/mathiness: The Retirement Answer Man, Retirement Starts Today, Meb Faber Show, Big Picture Retirement. I'm sure you'll find at least a couple of all of these helpful. :)
8:41pm on 5/28/26 by
JJT (staff)
Also, to play around with your own scenarios, try out Boldin Retirement Planner. There's a free version, but the trial has full access to everything including Roth Conversion Planner etc. Not a perfect tool, but really good overall.
8:44pm on 5/28/26 by
JJT (staff)
8:45pm on 5/28/26 by
JJT (staff)
Yes to ChooseFI
8:46pm on 5/28/26 by
LaurenInWonderland
TwinSpires, LOL! Belmont is next week!
TBH I have a money lady at Ameriprise who helps me because this is a no-fun zone for me, for reals. I'd invest it all in pennywhistles and moonpies if given the choice! I get help from nerds who have more expertise
9:09pm on 5/28/26 by
joeyjojojuniorshabadoo
@joejojo Pennywhistles and moonpies LOL.
9:20pm on 5/28/26 by
JJT (staff)
I KNEW you guys would have good suggestions. THANK YOU. :)
9:52pm on 5/28/26 by
Totsypooh
Oooohhhh thanks for the suggestion on the planning software!!! Ive been wanting to build a model to play with scenarios and was thinking to try to build one on claude. (Just for fun) But if a good one already exists ill try it for sure.
9:54pm on 5/28/26 by
Totsypooh
Sfl.
9:56pm on 5/28/26 by
56arlene
Since we are on the topic ive also been eyebrows deep into college admissions podcasts as well. Yup. The kid who was taking HS entrance exams from Pop now has eyes on highly selective programs. So mom needs to figue out how to get her in and pay for it!
9:58pm on 5/28/26 by
Totsypooh
Nice list of suggestions!
10:12pm on 5/28/26 by
QueenOfHearts
The Money Guy
Erin Talks Money
(Podcast & YouTube)
10:30pm on 5/28/26 by
kcaseybooks
SFL
12:13am on 5/29/26 by
CitrusSwirlGirl
Sfl
1:41am on 5/29/26 by
Jewra
Saving
3:09am on 5/29/26 by
ram777
SFL
6:13am on 5/29/26 by
Ange425
Sfl
6:48am on 5/29/26 by
CVC
Big fan of James Canole at Root financial
7:34am on 5/29/26 by
molly99
Sfl
8:01am on 5/29/26 by
vickiwaffles
Sfl
9:43am on 5/29/26 by
el_1102
Saving. Thanks!
11:48am on 5/29/26 by
twinmom2002
I find it ironic that if it werent for the money Ive spent on disney id probably be able to retire earlier :p lol. It's probably set me back a few years. Hahaha. YOLO! :p
11:54am on 5/29/26 by
Totsypooh
Thanks for info. Now if I can cure DVC addonitis......
12:24pm on 5/29/26 by
cdlla
@cdlla let me know if that works... lol!!
12:51pm on 5/29/26 by
youcanfly
Just so you know - i think ill classify DVC as a liquid asset. Hahahah!
1:12pm on 5/29/26 by
Totsypooh
I actually checked to see if timeshares would count as an asset when applying for financial aid and it said that while most timeshares are ascribed a very low value some like DVC and marriot have a resale value and needs to be declared (the jigs up!)
1:14pm on 5/29/26 by
Totsypooh
There goes my plan to hide my millions in DVC contracts!
1:14pm on 5/29/26 by
Totsypooh
HerMoney by Jean Chatsky. Not retirement focused but she's been around forever and has a new book soon the Forever Paycheck.
1:41pm on 5/29/26 by
mary32830
More philosophy than specific advice, but the book "Die with Zero" is an interesting read.
1:50pm on 5/29/26 by
KangaLilo4
Love the book recs! And im already playing around with the planning application. Its fabulous thanks @JTT!
2:24pm on 5/29/26 by
Totsypooh
@JJT!
2:24pm on 5/29/26 by
Totsypooh
Great! I have my own crazy spreadsheet, but for years I'd be offered new Boldin trials so would take advantage of those to compare my own numbers to what their tools said. Now that I'm about 1.5 years out I've just transitioned to Boldin.
2:52pm on 5/29/26 by
JJT (staff)
For simple investing books, might want to check out The Simple Path to Wealth and these Bogleheads books: The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing, and Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning. Long before I discovered any of those I moved to an all...
2:56pm on 5/29/26 by
JJT (staff)
..index investing maybe 25 years ago. Really makes things simple to do AND it really paid off with low fees vs my Merrill Lynch guy's mutual fund picks that were not keeping up with market and bleeding me dry with fees and commissions.
2:58pm on 5/29/26 by
JJT (staff)
Oh, I also thought Morgan Housel's book The Psychology of Money was interesting. I agree Die with Zero should definitely be on the list too, but I think a lot of people online take the title phrase too literally. :D
3:03pm on 5/29/26 by
JJT (staff)
Sfl
3:14pm on 5/29/26 by
njhyndman
Maybe I need to look at this post....
3:14pm on 5/29/26 by
Gusgus5
Totally worth it to meet with a financial planner if you can. I know DH meets with one offered through our 401k management maybe every couple years. They can get specific with your goals and targets.
3:21pm on 5/29/26 by
maurine08
Sfl
3:47pm on 5/29/26 by
loveslions
We also just started meeting with a financial planner. Ours works with people at DH work so they understands specifics about his benefits package. It's been super helpful.
3:48pm on 5/29/26 by
jenc45
Yes ill try the 14 day free trial for now and go from there. And im also taking advantage of some of the financial planning benefits at work too
3:55pm on 5/29/26 by
Totsypooh
Just want to throw it out there that not all financial planning benefits from employers will be on your side as much as you like. Was the case with mine. If they start to try selling you investing in a crazy number of funds or throwing money at...
4:04pm on 5/29/26 by
JJT (staff)
..annuities etc without a comprehensive financial plan, my advice: take your notes & do some more homework. There are networks of fee-only financial planners that do not sell product which takes self-dealing possibilities out of the equation for you.
4:06pm on 5/29/26 by
JJT (staff)
Thanks for all the tips! Super helpful. With two MBAs in the house im hoping we can figure this out reasonably well. :p its still intimidating!
5:15pm on 5/29/26 by
Totsypooh
As you know @JJT, the fax machine is just a waffle iron with a phone attached!
(Srsly haven't watched the Simpsons in almost 20 years but still quoting 90s era every day, LOL)
6:24pm on 5/29/26 by
joeyjojojuniorshabadoo
Sfl
6:36pm on 5/29/26 by
mcmillertime
I'll echo those who have suggested a fee based financial planner. You want someone who is a fiduciary. Not someone who is getting a commission if they sell you x.
7:27pm on 5/29/26 by
evamarie320
@joeyjojo :D
7:42pm on 5/29/26 by
JJT (staff)
Sfl
7:49pm on 5/29/26 by
supergirl1998
@kanga if you see this that book is very much important im a cancer surgeon I see people save and save only to not enjoy their time here. I'm not against retirement! But enjoy before too. Not that liners don't !
8:59am by
snelvis
My problem i think is i have fomo with the kids and enjoy too much. :p (lost both parents early - very aware tomorrow is not promised. :) )
9:18am by
Totsypooh
Thanks so much for all the thoughtful answers - writing it all down before this thread gets bumped down.
9:19am by
Totsypooh
I'm of the School of Spending on Experiences, which has gotten me to an advanced age without any bankruptcies YET
9:20am by
Ali Ababwa
Amen to that. Cant take it with you!
9:54am by
Totsypooh
Yep. My dad died at 49 and was always saying "when I retire I'll...". So we have worked hard to balance saving for retirement with enjoying life. Our travel budget is the biggest line item in our budget. But we drive our cars til they have over 100k and
10:26am by
evamarie320
still live in our "starter house." It's all about choices. Best advice I got about saving: remember you can get loans for college. You can't for retirement.
10:27am by
evamarie320
@eva 100%. We've been mostly a 1-income family since kids were born, so focused on retirement savings vs college. Decades of that worked in our favor because now we've gone into coast mode to shift to cash flowing as much of college as possible..
10:35am by
JJT (staff)
..& should be able to knock out a large amount of college loans over time anyway & still be on solid ground. That being said: college costs are 1000% insane. I worked 2 (or 3) jobs in 80s & paid for school outright. That wouldn't make a dent these days.
10:38am by
JJT (staff)
Thats what im struggling with. I grew up in a culture were parents paid 100pct of college costs. Even often funded first houses. Feels counterintuitive to make the kids take out loans. I also know how hard it was to pay off grad school loans while
10:57am by
Totsypooh
Establishing a career, starting a family etc. so playing around with so many tradeoffs and frankly, very different perspectives on all this between me and DH
10:58am by
Totsypooh
College costs in the US are absolutely insane IF you want to give the kid a chance at the "best" (define how you wish) school they can get into. There still are relatively low cost options for (relatively!) high achieving kids if you are open to them
11:01am by
Totsypooh
If I were ready to let her "just" go to whatever school might be willing to give her a full ride i could probably quit my job monday and be ok. Pls dont take offense at any of this - i know its a priviledged choice just like going to Disney.
11:03am by
Totsypooh
@eva - same here. My dad at 44, my mom at 64. Making the most of today while hoping i outlive my longest DVC contract :)
11:05am by
Totsypooh
@JJT - what to you mean by "cash flowing as much of college as possible"?
11:07am by
Totsypooh
We stopped saving into the retirement account a few years ago and shifted that money into college costs as they came up because we had already passed our retirement savings goals. :) We did save some money in 529s before, but not a lot.
11:20am by
JJT (staff)
Putting on our own oxygen masks first, as it were. BTW, I am sadly in the same Dad club: mine passed when he was 48 (I was 11). Been trying to also focus more on family experiences for years now, but still can be hard to spend.
11:23am by
JJT (staff)
Ah gotcha! Makes sense thank you.
11:23am by
Totsypooh