Weathering Financial Storms | Kristen Knapp | 114
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Release Date: 12/29/2024
Debunking the Biggest Retirement Fear Tactics With Erin Talks Money | Erin Moriarity | 242
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Erin Moriarity, the plain-English force behind Erin Talks Money, joins Bill and Jackie to unpack why retirement planning gets easier when we stop worshipping giant portfolio numbers and start thinking in income, spending, and real life. Erin traces her path from buying Campbell Soup stock at eight with her investing grandmother to earning the best 34 cents of her life on YouTube. She eventually grew the massive financial education platform we know today. Then the conversation moves into the stuff retirees actually worry about: whether late starters can still catch up, how Social Security may...
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Small Money Ideas That Lead To Bigger Conversations | AICPA Crossover | 241
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
What if the smartest financial planning move isn't a 100-page plan, but one question that makes you stop and say, "Wait... I can do that?" In this crossover with the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Podcast, Jackie puts on her professional hat for two conversations about the small ideas that can create much bigger financial wins. First, she and host Cary Sinnett unpack five high-impact planning opportunities involving 529s, 72(t)s, HSAs, charitable giving, and forgotten retirement accounts. Then they zoom out to the bigger question: why financial literacy, not products or strategies, is the...
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3 Non-Employer Health Insurance Case Studies: More Choices Than You Thought | Lyndia Cunningham (Part 2) | 240
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Need to figure out health insurance on your own? It's a little scary if you don't get it through an employer and too young for Medicare, but there are lots of options. In Part 2 with health insurance broker, Lyndia Cunningham, Bill and Jackie put early-retirement healthcare planning to the test with three very different case studies. Jackie rewinds to age 49 and walks through the decisions she faced before leaving work, including ACA subsidies and income planning. Bill brings a high-income household with no employer benefits and explains how stumbling into Tennessee Farm Bureau coverage...
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How to Get Health Insurance When You Retire Early | Lyndia Cunningham(Part 1) | 239
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
What if the biggest thing standing between you and early retirement isn't your savings... it's your health insurance? Bill and Jackie welcome Lyndia Cunningham of Move Health to tackle the healthcare headache that keeps so many Americans working until 65. From COBRA and short-term medical plans to faith-based health sharing and the Affordable Care Act, Lyndia walks through the options that could change your retirement timeline. Throw in retroactive COBRA, Medicaid, college health plans and direct primary care, and suddenly the path to healthcare freedom looks a lot less mysterious. This...
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The Hidden Truth Behind Car Buying: Fighting For Transparency Over Deception | Ray & Zach Shefska | 238
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Exposed! We go behind the scenes with industry experts and disrupters in the retail car-buying market, Ray and Zach Shefska. They are the powerful father-son team behind CarEdge, a car-buying platform thatās fighting fiercely for transparency. Ray brings 43 years of dealership experience and Zach brings the modern tech (like AI agents) and viral moments when he exposes dealers misbehaving. Together, they reveal how dealerships really make money, including things like dealer fees, financing, and often unnecessary ad-ons. Donāt miss this breakdown of smart ways for you to research, shop,...
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61% of Americans Fear Outliving Their Money: Here's the Fix | Jean Chatzky | 237
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
What if the biggest retirement risk isnāt running out of money, but being too afraid to spend the money you worked decades to build? Personal finance icon Jean Chatzky joins Bill and Jackie to tackle the psychology and math behind turning a lifetime of savings into a Forever Paycheck. Jean shares her own late-start reset after losing her father, getting divorced, and getting fired within a single year. She then explains why retirees often happily spend Social Security and pensions while fiercely protecting their investment balances. Together they explore Jeanās tools that can create both...
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The Income Trap: How Not to Become A Millionaire | ChooseFI Crossover | 236
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
What happens when you finally reach financial independence and your brain responds with, āGreat, now what?ā In this special crossover from ChooseFI, Ginger turns the microphone on Bill and digs into the part of financial independence that spreadsheets rarely prepare us for. He shares how a lawsuit and burnout woke him up financially at 50 and how he and his wife flipped from single-digit saving to intentional wealth building. Bill also explains why reaching FI at 60 created a whole new problem: actually giving himself permission to leave work. This episode covers Billās financial...
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How to Build a Bulletproof 72(t) Plan: CPA Audits Jackieās Real #s | Bill Stecker (Part 2) | 235
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
A 72(t) plan is little-known IRS provision which gives you a perfectly legal way to access your retirement money before 59Ā½ without the 10% penalty. In this second half of the 2-part episode, Jackie brings back Mr. 72t, William (Bill) Stecker, CPA and founder of 72tcalc.com. This episode takes on the practical half of their deep dive into 72(t) plans as they move from theory to execution. Jackie puts her own plan on screen to let Bill do what he does best... audit it! He scrutinizes her $240k starting balance, $15k annual withdrawals, plan timeline, and the surprising fact that her account...
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Retiring Early? CPA Explains How To Use A 72(t) to Escape The 10% Penalty | Bill Stecker (Part1) | 234
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
You wonāt find a more comprehensive resource on the topic of 72(t) plans and substantially equal periodic payments (SEPP). This little-known IRS provision gives you a perfectly legal way to access your retirement money before 59Ā½ without the 10% penaltyā¦ and almost nobody in finance wants to touch it! So, Jackie brings back the one expert that lives and breathes 72(t)s, William (Bill) Stecker, CPA and founder of 72tcalc.com. Bill picks up where he left off when he last appeared on the show in 2025. He further explains the nuances of 72(t) plans and how to avoid common mistakes. Hear how...
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Vanguard Acquires Altruist: Why Fidelity & Schwab Better Look Out! | Barry Ritholtz | Bonus
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
What happens when one of investing's original disruptors buys one of the industry's newest disruptors? Barry Ritholtz thinks investors may be the biggest winners and Bill and Jackie dig into why. This special breaking-news is an excerpt from an upcoming Catching Up to FI episode, recorded on 8/26/26. Barry reacts to Vanguard's newly announced agreement to acquire Altruist, the fast-growing technology and custody platform built for independent financial advisors. Barry also gives an important disclosure: he's an Altruist investor, so yes, he has a dog in this fight. From there, he explains...
info_outlineAfter 28 years of playing the weather girl on TV, Kristen Knapp moved to part time work to follow her passion for travel planning for the financial independence (FI) community. She shares her fascinating backstory of growing up in poverty, dealing with childhood money trauma, becoming a successful broadcast meteorologist, and ultimately achieving FI. As someone who loves to travel, loves to plan travel, and loves spending time with the FI community, she thought why not combine those things? So, she launched a new venture called 'FI Friends Travel' which offers travel experiences that bring the FI Community together to see the world! Join us as Kristen takes us through how she made this unlikely transformation, even after getting a late start.
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Email: kristen@fifriendstravel.com
Episode Mentioned: From Poverty to Wealth and Early Retirement | Jackie Cummings Koski | 007
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Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.