Tactical Tips and Tripwires: The DIY Financial Planner's Guide | Cody Garrett | 112
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Release Date: 12/22/2024
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
What if the biggest difference between someone who starts at 22 and someone who starts at 50 isn't intelligence or income, but simply the moment they finally decide, nobody's coming to save me? In this crossover episode, Bill joins Joel on "How to Money" to tell the brutally honest and surprisingly hopeful truth. He shares his story of becoming financially independent after a 20-year sleepwalk through lifestyle inflation, doctor money mistakes, and zero real financial plan. It's candid, practical, and exactly the kind of episode that makes you stop saying "I'm behind" and start asking "What's...
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What if the thing keeping you from Financial Independence (FI) isn't your income, your portfolio, or your math. It's probably the quiet belief that you still need "one more year" when you actually don't. Our guest on this episode is Aubrey Williams, a former particle physicist, radar-tech leader, debt-slayer, and now advice-only financial planner. In this conversation, he flips some of the FI community's favorite assumptions on their head. This is the first of a 2-part episode with Aubrey so be sure to follow the podcast to be notified of the second part of this fascinating conversation. This...
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Youβve worked twice as hard to catch up on your path to financial independence, so why leave your legacy to chance? To help keep your FI plan from going up in smoke we sit down with estate planning and small business attorney, Allison Harrison. It's a fast, funny and slightly alarming deep dive into estate planning for normal people who assume they're "not rich enough" to need one. This episode covers: Why your FI plan is incomplete without basic estate planning The real cost, delay, and public exposure that can come with probate Why many people think they need a trust when they...
info_outlineCatching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
What do you do when your accountant brain knows the numbers, your life blows up anyway, and the answer turns out to be halfway around the world in a weird little movement called FIRE? We head to New Zealand to talk with Bronwyn Candish, a chartered accountant, community builder, and one of the clearest Kiwi voices in financial independence movement. She talks to us about starting over after divorce, rebuilding from the middle, and discovering that "doing money right" has a lot less to do with credentials than with courage, alignment, and actually taking action. This episode covers: Growing up...
info_outlineCatching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
What if the biggest shift in your FI journey isn't hitting the numberβbut finally realizing you need a life plan, a tax plan, and maybe even a fiduciary teammate to help you spend it? Bill steps into the guest chair with Morningstar's Christine Benz for a thoughtful, surprisingly candid conversation about going from financially illiterate "rich doctor syndrome" to fully conscious wealth stewardship. He walks through the entire arc. But this episode goes deeper than a standard "how I retired" story. This episode covers: β‘οΈ Bill's path from paycheck-to-paycheck physician to...
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What happens when the two co-hosts stop being polite, start being honest, and publicly debate the money moves they still don't agree on? We throw open the doors on four of our favorite friction points: Simple index-fund investing versus "modest complexity" Whether high school personal finance classes are actually helping What to make of the new 530A Trump accounts Taking Social Security at 62 versus waiting The fun here is that neither of us is playing a character. Jackie comes in swinging for simplicity, practical execution, and "please stop overcomplicating this...
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What if the real reason family wealth disappears by the third generation has almost nothing to do with investing, and everything to do with what parents fail to teach at home? We sit down with Dr. Julia Myers, founder of Generational Wisdom, for a conversation that goes way past trusts, spreadsheets, and "someday" estate plans. Julia shares the medical crisis that abruptly ended her pharmacy career, the mindset shift that followed, and why she now believes legacy is not what you leave to your kids, but what you leave IN them. Together we unpack the three silent killers of generational wealth:...
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APRIL IS FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH! What do you get when two late starters hand the mic to two twenty-somethings and let the money questions fly? In this unusually fun follow-up to the University of Tennessee classroom visit, we bring Dr. Karen DeLong and two of her students, Emilie and Britton, onto the podcast to tackle the real questions young adults ask when money stops being theoretical and starts getting personal. Emilie β Majoring in Finance and International Business with a minor in Agricultural Business and will be pursuing a career in Wealth Management. Britton β Interning with...
info_outlineCatching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
APRIL IS FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH! What happens when you hand a room full of almost-graduates a microphone, a few $2 bills, and permission to ask the money questions most adults still avoid? In this special on-the-road episode, we take you inside the financial literacy presentation at the University of Tennessee to share a few highlights of our recent talk. It's energetic, imperfect, and deeply encouraging. Financial literacy doesn't have to be stiff or scary. Sometimes it just looks like showing up, telling the truth about your mistakes, and helping the next person get a much earlier start...
info_outlineCatching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
APRIL IS FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH! What if one passionate professor, one classroom, and a few brave money questions could change hundreds of financial lives before graduation? We head to Knoxville for a special Financial Literacy Month episode with Dr. Karen DeLong, the University of Tennessee professor quietly doing the work most schools still don't: making sure students leave campus with more than a degree. Karen shares how three advanced degrees somehow included zero personal-finance education and how that gap pushed her to build an annual money session for her students. Bill and Jackie...
info_outlineHappy Holidays! Join us for this lighthearted chat with a longtime friend of the show, Cody Garrett, CFP. He shares his list of the 24 common DIY investment mistakes that might be hindering your path to financial independence and some tips on how to fix them. He steps us through the list which includes things like underutilizing employer benefits, misunderstanding how the 4% "rule" should be applied, and assuming health insurance coverage is expensive in early retirement. Cody is the founder of Measure Twice Money and Measure Twice Planners, and known for his unique advice-only planning approach.
Be sure to listen to the end as Cody plays a beautiful Holiday piano medley to get us all in this spirit of the season.
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Resources mentioned on the show:
π Measure Twice Money "Create Your Own Financial Plan" Comprehensive Video Course ($100 OFF)
Cody's Create Your Own Financial Plan on YouTube (Free)
Cody's Youtube Channel with recordings of real client meetings
24 DIY Investor Mistakes on LinkedIn
24 DIY Investor Mistakes on X (Twitter)
2024 Bogleheads Conference Recordings on YouTube
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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.