The Godfather of FI Talks Fatherhood | JL Collins | 149
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Release Date: 06/15/2025
Monarch Money Masterclass: How to Organize Your Financial Life | Rachel Lawrence | 187
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Happy New Year! As we roll into 2026, organizing money becomes top of mind and one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. So today on the show we have an expert with the leading money management app- Monarch Money, Rachel Lawrence. She is a Certified Financial Planner and fintech leader who works at the intersection of personal finance, behavior, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). She also runs her own fee-only financial planning firm called Reverie Wealth. In this episode Rachel gives us a masterclass on how to organize your financial life with Monarch's modern way to manage...
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Retired Before 50: A Look at Her Real Finances, Numbers & Strategy | Andy Panko Crossover | 186
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Catching Up to FI co-host, Jackie Cummings Koski crosses over to Andy Panko's 'Retirement Planning Education' podcast for a funny, deeply practical masterclass on what FIRE really is (and what it isn't). Jackie is single-mom late-starter, FIRE for Dummies author, and "I retired but I'm still busy" money nerd. She rewinds her journey of retiring before 50 and walks Andy (and listeners) through: How she hit a ~$1M FI number with ~$40K annual spending Managing healthcare premiums by understanding how ACA subsidies really work Tapping her pre-tax IRA before 59.5 using 72(t) without blowing...
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He's Back! Peek Inside The Mad Fientist’s Post-FI Life & His Struggle to Spend | Brandon Ganch | 185
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
The Mad Fientist (Brandon Ganch) is an OG, pioneer, and giant in the Financial Independence (FI) movement! It took us a while to get him on the show, but he finally joins us for this very special holiday catch-up. Brandon is a software developer and strategically put those skills to work in creating the popular Mad Fientist blog & podcast. He's best known for deep dive experiments on tax optimization, early access to retirement funds, and other brilliant FI strategies. Now a family man with a wife and two kids, Brandon rarely does interviews these days. But today you will get a rare...
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I Love Goooooold?! :) | Frank Vasquez | 184
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Frank Vasquez (aka 'Uncle Frank' to the FI community) returns to the show to talk gold and what this shiny speculation is actually doing in a modern FI portfolio. Frank is the voice behind Risk Parity Radio and has a knack for making even the most tangled concepts in life and investing feel approachable. In this episode he tackles: Gold as speculation, not a gamble Gold's role in accumulation vs. retirement Typical gold allocation Correlation & diversification Physical gold vs. ETFs DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS: 🆕NEW PARTNER: The modern way...
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Shopping Hacks For The Holidays | Trae Bodge | 183
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
Trae Bodge is one of the country’s leading smart-shopping and personal-savings experts. You’ve probably seen her on CNBC and Good Morning America, or in publications like The New York Times, USA Today, and MarketWatch. She joins us on the show for a holiday-season intervention on spending, shopping, and gift-giving. Trae also shares news about her, mom-inspired Threadneedle Alley Foundation, a nonprofit that provides grants and guidance to midlife entrepreneurs facing financial challenges. Through Dec. 31, 2025, entrepreneurs ages 40 and up can apply for a . 🎁 🎁...
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Broke at 50 ➡️ Retired at 60! | BiggerPockets Crossover | 182
Catching Up to FI: Financial Independence for Late Starters
We love collaborations and this time we teamed up with Mindy and Scott from BiggerPockets Money to tackle a case study you don't want to miss: "How to go from Broke at 50 to Retired at 60!" This originally aired on BiggerPockets Money in August, and since then it received over 300,000 views and quickly moved up to the second most popular video on their YouTube Channel. Needless to say, this topic, got people talking! We spell out exactly what we would do to go from a zero-dollar net worth to a million dollars in retirement! This is a step-by-step plan that anyone who wants to retire on time...
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Drowning in Debt at 48, Retired at 58: Here’s 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 choices—asking for more at work, saying no to status buys, and saying yes to purpose—that 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 — 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 purpose—not 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 all—not '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,...
info_outlineMention financial independence and one of the first names that come up is JL Collins, author of the bestselling book 'The Simple Path to Wealth'. In fact, he is affectionately known as the Godfather of FI. One million copies and 10 years after its original publication, JL back with a shiny new, revised and expanded edition... and it just hit the New York Times Bestseller list!!!
We know you've heard and seen JL all over the place because he is a BIG deal. But we uncovered some intriguing facts about his life and career that isn't often talked about (we're just curious like that). Here are five things you probably didn’t know about JL Collins that we discuss in this episode:
- Before he ever started writing about financial independence, he worked in the magazine publishing industry.
- He was a job-hopper throughout his career to make more money and took lots of sabbaticals because he liked working, just not all the time.
- He started writing his blog to teach is daughter (Jessica) about investing, problem was… she wasn't listening when she was a kid.
- His daughter (Jessica) is now in her thirties and turns out, she has gained a deep understanding of his teachings (way more than he originally thought). She’s now firmly on the path to FI and just left her corporate job.
- His daughter Jessica was part of his team in updating the new version of ‘The Simple to Wealth’ and getting to work so closely with her was the most gratifying part for him as a dad.
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📘 How I Lost Money in Real Estate Before It Was Fashionable: A Cautionary Tale
⏰ ‘Catching Up to FI’ Episodes referenced
Pathfinders: Triumphs and Trials on the Road to Financial Independence | JL Collins | 070
Pathfinders: Stories of Success and Financial Independence | JL Collins | 069
F-You Money Part 2 | JL Collins | 024
F-You Money Part 1 | JL Collins | 023
Mr 4% is now Mr 5% | Bill Bengen | 111
Sustainable FIlosophy with Mr. Money Mustache | Pete Adeney | 073
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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.