By Paula Pant
In this episode, I am joined by Jamie Hopkins, a leading retirement researcher and finance expert, to debunk the myth of the “magic number.” We explore why retirement planning is a dynamic process of constant adaptation rather than a static goal.
Jamie explains the psychological and mathematical flaws of focusing solely on a […]
By Paula Pant
Should you take a $30,000 raise right before you retire? It’s the kind of question that forces you to ask what you’re really optimizing for—money, or something else entirely.
In this Q&A episode, Joe and I answer three questions: Melanie is four years from FI but a high-stress job with a big raise just opened […]
By Paula Pant
Should you reduce your retirement contributions to save for a house down payment faster?
It’s a question that forces you to choose between two competing financial goals—and the answer isn’t as simple as picking one over the other.
In this Q&A episode, Joe and I tackle three listener questions about financial trade-offs.
Hannah […]
By Paula Pant
In this Q&A episode, Joe and I tackle three listener questions that touch on career transitions, portfolio evaluation, and giving your kids a head start on retirement savings.
We start with a burned-out teacher in New Zealand who’s paid off her mortgage and is ready to shift to part-time work, but she’s caught in […]
By Paula Pant
In this Q&A episode, we tackle three questions that sit right at the intersection of money, time freedom, and life design. We start with a listener who’s planning a self‑funded sabbatical and needs to decide how much risk to take with savings earmarked for a very specific timeline.
From there, the conversation widens into […]
By Paula Pant
They’ve done everything right on paper. Mid-40s, nearly $2 million saved, clear spending numbers, and a realistic plan to downshift work within the next five to seven years. And yet, the hesitation is real.
In this Q&A episode, we unpack the hesitation that shows up right before a major financial transition, even when the numbers […]
By Paula Pant
Many who reach CoastFI find themselves in a strange in-between: financially independent enough to stop saving, but not ready to fully retire. When you’re living off a taxable brokerage for decades, does the “never hold bonds in taxable” rule still apply?
This episode explores how traditional asset location advice meets real-life spending. We unpack how […]
By Paula Pant
What if you didn’t have to choose between grinding full-time until retirement or quitting work altogether?
By 40, Andy Hill and his wife had built a $500,000 portfolio and paid off their home. Instead of racing toward early retirement, they chose a third way: scaling back to part time work, becoming equal partners in […]
By Paula Pant
What happens when you spend three decades talking to retirement experts? You learn that most of what people think they know about retirement planning is oversimplified or wrong.
Christine Benz, director of personal finance and retirement planning at Morningstar, joins us on the Afford Anything podcast to share what she’s discovered after 31 years of […]
By Paula Pant
Economist Dr. Karsten Jeske talks with us about the current economic landscape. Karsten, who retired at 44, breaks down the Fed’s recent decisions and how they might affect our finances.
He explains how markets often anticipate interest rate changes before they happen. Karsten challenges traditional views on inflation and unemployment, telling us that textbook models don’t always match reality.
Karsten shares his personal investing experiences, covering both market highs and lows. He emphasizes the value of consistent investing regardless of market conditions.
For those eyeing retirement, Karsten dives into safe withdrawal rates. He advises paying close attention to current market valuations when planning. On the topic of mortgages, he offers clear guidance on when refinancing makes sense.
We also touch on economic history, discussing the Weimar Republic’s hyperinflation. Karsten uses this to critique modern monetary theory, expressing skepticism about unrestricted money printing.
Throughout our conversation, Karsten explains complex economic concepts in accessible terms. He draws on his background as both an academic and a Wall Street professional to provide well-rounded insights.
Karsten, also known as Big ERN, is the author of EarlyRetirementNow.com, where he writes about safe withdrawal rates and personal finance while enjoying his retirement.
