By Paula Pant
Joe and I tackle questions about the complexities of early retirement at age 60 and the most efficient withdrawal strategies for lifelong security.
This episode explores both the technical and psychological aspects of “spending down”—from balancing Social Security timing with your investment accounts to deciding if you should spend every last penny before you’re […]
By Paula Pant
Joe and I are catching up in person to dive into a new set of listener questions.
From navigating the complexities of the current real estate market to strategic tax planning for retirement, this episode explores both the technical and psychological aspects of building wealth.
Whether you’re wondering how to handle a sudden […]
By Paula Pant
In this Q&A episode, Joe and I answer three listener questions that wrestle with the gap between plans and reality.
Bringham is 23, recently awarded 100% VA disability ($4,300/month for life), and has mapped out a detailed 30-year plan: buy a house, have 2-3 kids, become a […]
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 […]
