Forget the race for the biggest Social Security check. The real question isn’t how high your benefit can go, it’s how well it fits your life, taxes, and long-term plan. In this episode, James breaks down how the timing of your claim shapes everything: portfolio resilience, tax efficiency, survivor benefits, and the freedom to retire when you want, not when the system says you should. Starting with the foundation (your 35 highest earning years) we unpack what really happens when you claim earl...
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Forget the race for the biggest Social Security check. The real question isn’t how high your benefit can go, it’s how well it fits your life, taxes, and long-term plan. In this episode, James breaks down how the timing of your claim shapes everything: portfolio resilience, tax efficiency, survivor benefits, and the freedom to retire when you want, not when the system says you should. Starting with the foundation (your 35 highest earning years) we unpack what really happens when you claim earl...
Advice from Retirees: What They Wish They Knew in Their 50s
Ready For Retirement
18 minutes
1 month ago
Advice from Retirees: What They Wish They Knew in Their 50s
Ever wish your 80-year-old self could give you a nudge today? After years working with clients in their 70s and 80s, three lessons rise to the top: treat wealth as money, time, and health, know your financial independence number, and prioritize what money can’t buy while you still can. In your 50s–60s, many people hit a rare “sweet spot” where financial security, free time, and decent health overlap. Too many keep grinding until that window closes. A clear FI plan turns work from mandatory to...
Ready For Retirement
Forget the race for the biggest Social Security check. The real question isn’t how high your benefit can go, it’s how well it fits your life, taxes, and long-term plan. In this episode, James breaks down how the timing of your claim shapes everything: portfolio resilience, tax efficiency, survivor benefits, and the freedom to retire when you want, not when the system says you should. Starting with the foundation (your 35 highest earning years) we unpack what really happens when you claim earl...
