Mr 4% is now Mr 5% | Bill Bengen | 111
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Release Date: 12/15/2024
Drowning in Debt at 48, Retired at 58: Hereās How She Did It! | Kim Hunter-Borst | 181
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
At 48, Kim Hunter-Borst was drowning in debt even though she had a solid New York income. Where was the money going? How did she fix it and reach early retirement by 58? We find out in this no-shame late-starter conversation that was recorded live in Bali at the FI Freedom Retreat (please excuse the background noise!) Kim was firmly in the messy middle and retraces the moment she decided to stop winging it. She shares some simple systems that finally stuck, and the handful of brave choicesāasking for more at work, saying no to status buys, and saying yes to purposeāthat changed her...
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The Soul of Wealth | Dr. Daniel Crosby | 180
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Dr. Daniel Crosby took a circuitous path to the world of money ā starting as a psychologist and ending up as one of the most engaging voices in behavioral finance. He is Chief Behavioral Officer at Orion and author of The Soul of Wealth. Dr. Crosby goes beyond the math to the meaning: identity, autonomy, and why 'you don't really want to be rich, you want to be free.' He joins the show to talk us through: Reframing money as a tool for time freedom, relationships, and purposeānot status Using behavior science to close the gap between 'knowing' and 'doing' Downshifting lifestyle...
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Contrarian Tax Planning Tips | Cody Garrett & Sean Mullaney | 179
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Sean 'FI Tax Guy' Mullaney and Cody 'Measure Twice' Garrett are two of the smartest financial planning pros who are best known for sharing their deep knowledge in the financial independence community and beyond. They join us today to break down tax planning in a way you may not have ever heard before. They don't agree with some of the conventional advice and make a case for the contrarian views they share in their new book, 'Tax Planning To and Through Early Retirement'. In this conversation, we dive into: Top year-end tax tips for later starters Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits...
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Live from Bali: Are They Really Retired? (Part 2) | Jackie & Doc G | 178
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Recorded live in Bali, at the FI Freedom Retreat (the 2nd one in 2025), Jackie teams up with Doc G from the Earn & Invest Podcast. They ask the spiciest FI question of allānot 'can I retire yet?' but 'should I?' Three very different journeys take the mic: Fara's 'accidental FIRE' at 47 and her boomerang back to a cause-driven job (then boomerang away again) Gene's post-quit LinkedIn relapse and the search for purpose without a W-2 Rachel Richard's pivot from real estate and a viral brand (Money Honey Rachel) to doing the inner work, ditching external validation,...
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What To Do When It's Time To Manage Your Mom's Money | Beth Pinsker | 177
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Our guest today is Beth Pinsker, CFPĀ®-- seasoned financial journalist, MarketWatch columnist and author of the new book, My Mother's Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving. She represents the sandwich generation and gives us tips, advice, and cautionary tales about her firsthand experience after finding herself caring for her mother and her finances. She explains that caregiving isn't just forms and bank callsāit's love, logistics, and a dash of stubborn grit. Beth also shares: The "death file" story that changed everything How to survive bank pushbacks on powers of attorney Why a tiny...
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Live from Bali! Donāt Miss These FI Stories From Around The Globe | Jackie & Captain FI | 176
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
50 people (now friends), 9 countries... all in one room, speaking the same language: Financial Independence! This is a special episode recorded live from in beautiful Bali, Indonesia at the FI Freedom Retreat. Australian blogger and podcaster, 'Captain FI', joins Jackie as guest co-host to share the FI stories of three of the extraordinary individuals we met at the retreat: Claire (Dubai via Ireland)- Restarting and living by the philosophy of 'trust your gut' Michael (Seattle)- Newly nomadic, choosing FI-enough over perfection Val (Hong Kong)- Taking a gap year that feels like several...
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Money Scripts: Donāt Get Scrooged! | Brad Klontz | 175
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Dr. Brad Klontz is a leading expert in financial psychology, professor, bestselling author, and, oh yeah ā an internet influencer with millions of followers who tune in for his mix of straight talk and practical money wisdom. He joins Bill for a deep dive into why most money problems aren't math problems. Instead, they are about whatās going on in our heads and in our habits. In this episode, Brad discusses: Why smart people still make dumb money mistakes The difference between poor and broke The 4 money scripts (avoidance, worship, status, vigilance) Why he argues that an internal...
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Hidden Messages In The New Tax Law You May Have Missed | Bill & Jackie | 174
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
On July 4th, 2025 an 870-page tax bill called the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' (OBBBA) was signed into to law. Some parts have been heavily discussed and others not so much. So we dug around ourselves and pulled out some hidden messages you may have missed that could have major implications to your FI (Financial Independence) journey. šš½ Updates to 2017 'Tax Cuts and Jobs Act' Makes permanent the lowered individual tax brackets established by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and keeps the larger standard deduction in place. Also makes permanent the higher lifetime estate gift tax exemption and...
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How A Single Mom Reached F.I.R.E. by 49 | Jackie Cummings Koski | 173
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Jackie joins our friends to the north in Canada for a live taping of TD Direct Investing's 'Inside Investing', turning her late-starter playbook into a friendly masterclass for Canadians and Americans alike. Host Rob Moysey tees up her arcādivorce in her 30s with ~$20k in retirement savings, millionaire a decade later, retired at 49. Jackie fills in the human bits: purpose after FI, why 'precision is not required,' and how a BetterInvesting club cured her market fear. She also walks through: The simple engine that did the work: Maxing out an employer retirement plan, Roth...
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First Time Ever! The 2 Most Important Women in the Life of JL Collins | Jane & Jess Collins | 172
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Todayās episode is something TRULY specialā something thatās never happened before! For the first time everā¦ weāre joined by two remarkable women whoāve lived alongside one of the most influential voices in the FI community, JL Collins. In this one-of-a-kind episode we introduce you to his wife, Jane Collins and daughter, Jessica Collins. This is their first-ever joint podcast appearance. Weāre pulling back the curtain to hear their perspectives. What was it like living with someone so passionate about financial independence? How did his philosophy shape their lives, their...
info_outlineIn this episode we welcome the legendary Bill Bengen! He is the creator of the infamous 4% rule that is referenced in any quality conversation about retirement and withdrawal rates. There's been spirited debates and lengthy discussions about Bengen's research but there is no one better than the man himself to weigh in on what he thinks about it 30 years later. We talk about the evolution of Bengen's research, his thoughts on market timing vs. managing risk, and he gives us a preview of his upcoming book geared toward consumers.
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