Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Why you know the return you'll ultimately realize if you hold a bond to maturity, but can't know the return you'll eventually realize if you instead hold a bond fund ( 7:13 ) A commonsense intuitive answer why bond prices decrease (increase) when interest rates increase (decrease) ( 9:56 ) His thoughts on holdin…

Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Jan. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as leaving the workforce early due to family caregiving needs, how health changes have impacted retirement, how to distribute money from an IRA particularly when lo…

Andy and Lauren Hunt from Daybreak Wealth share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Their thoughts on the takeaways from 2025 annual Social Security Trustees report ( 7:17 ) Some of provisions in the pending One Big Beautiful Bill Act that are likely to impac…

In the SPECIAL EDITION episode, Andy summarizes the key provision of the recently signed into law One Big Beautiful Act that are most likely to impact you and your tax return. The topics summarized are: Permanency of the current federal tax rates Permanency, and a slight increase, to the current standard deduction amounts A new temporary personal e…

Andy discusses the main ways in which investment custodians like Scwhab, Vanguard and Fidelity make money (even when you often don't outright directly pay them anything...) Links in this episode: Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning Insights Facebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in Retirement) YouTube …

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: A short explanation of bonds and "the bond market" ( 2:48 ) Are actively managed bond funds better than passive bond funds ( 21:53 ) What are the pros and cons of making all of the year's estimated tax payments in the first quarter ( 30:30 ) Why insurers don't offer a long term care product with a 2-3 years elim…

Andy chats with three different "real" people to discuss how they handled the non-financial/emotional transition from working to retirement, and what they do now to provide a sense of fulfillment, meaning and purpose and in retirement Links in this episode: Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning Insights Facebook group - Retirem…

Andy and Larry Pershing from Optimum Retirement Planning share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: The pending "Big Beautiful Bill" tax bill that recently was approved by the House; what's in it, what's not in it, practical planning considerations around it, …

Andy discusses what financial firms do for their fee, using his own firm, Tenon Financial, as an example Links in this episode: Tenon Financial's website - https://tenonfinancial.com/ Tenon Financial's June 2025 newsletter - here Andy's article explaining how it's impossible to quantify the value of advisory services in - How Much Are Your Services…

In this special guest host episode, Mike Powers and Kirsten Ashbaugh from Manuka Financial talk cybersecurity best practices. Links in this episode: Manuka Financial's website - https://www.manukafinancial.com/ Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning Insights Facebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in Retir…

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Why more fund managers don't offer mutual fund-to-ETF conversions ( 5:02 ) How my firm helps clients prepare for severe market declines, and how we communicate bad markets to them ( 8:48 ) Who's the voice of the intro and outro to this podcast ( 16:06 ) For spouses claiming Social Security, what's a good claimin…

Andy chats with real people (not advisors) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Rob Berger, the creator of the Rob Berger YouTube channel, the founder of the former DoughRoller website, published author and more!. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as when he started getting serious abou…

Andy and Brian Tegtmeyer share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Should someone delay their planned retirement if the markets are bad ( 6:50 ) Should someone cancel or delay taking a big trip in retirement if the markets are bad ( 13:48 ) Should someone sta…

Andy provides some tips and best practices to help keep your ID and financial information secure. Specifically: Check your credit report regularly Freeze your credit Get a tax return filing PIN from the IRS Use strong and unique passwords for all websites and online accounts Use a password manager Use two-factor (if not multi-factor) authentication…

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Buffer ETFs and whether they can be used as replacements for CDs in building a ladder for upcoming years' expenses ( 4:29 ) His thoughts on direct indexing and whether it's worth doing to try to make non-qualified accounts for tax-efficient ( 14:11 ) Whether or not it's practical to implement a bucketing strateg…

In this special edition "real" person chat, Andy talks with four different people who went through "gray" divorce (i.e. divorcing later in life; typically over the age of 50), to learn what they wish they would have known or done differently as they were going through the divorce process. Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning I…

Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Mark Rosinski, CFP®, CPA from Dunes Financial. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as tax planning, distribution strategies, investing, annuities, long-term care insurance, how to know when people have enough to retire, what consumers often overlook in retirement …

Andy discusses the ins and outs of mutual fund capital gain distributions, particularly in normal taxable brokerage accounts. Links in this episode: Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning Insights To send Andy questions to be addressed on future Q&A episodes, email andy@andypanko.com Facebook group - Retirement Planning Educatio…

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Whether the rule of thumb saying in retirement you'll need about 80% of what you were making in wages is on a gross or net of taxes basis ( 6:49 ) Understanding why some dividends are "qualified" and some are not, why they're taxed differently, and why dividends from bond funds aren't qualified ( 14:15 ) Whether…

Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Jim Jones. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as transitioning from owning a dental practice into retirement, investing, Social Security, when they got serious about retirement planning, and more! Links i…

Andy and Mike Powers share their thoughts on a handful of current events and "hot topics" relating to retirement planning. Specifically, they talk about: Tariffs: what they are, who pays them, do they cause inflation, etc. ( 9:42 ) Pros and cons of Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, or TIPS ( 21:32 ) Whether or not to hold international stock…

Andy discussed how to determine how much Roth conversion to do in a particular year (assuming you've decided Roth conversions make sense for you). He walks through how to do a current year income & tax projection, and what tax "targets" or "goals" are commonly used in determining how much conversion to do. Links in this episode: DinkyTown 1040 onli…

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Can Donor Advised Funds ("DAFs") be funded with pre-tax IRA money ( 2:22 ) How to do a backdoor Roth IRA contribution and avoid the pro rata rule if you have pre-tax funds in other IRAs ( 5:46 ) What are the must have important things to address and get right in retirement planning, vs what are nice to have opti…

Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with John McLaurin. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as planning for special needs and the "generational" planning involved, investing, Social Security, when they got serious about retirement planning, and m…

Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Liz Yoder, CFP®, ChSNC® from Dependent Financial Planning. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics with a particular emphasis on special needs planning and the unique considerations and areas to consider when you or your child has or is likely to have a disability Links in…

Andy discussed seven common scenarios where it might be beneficial to do Roth conversions: You know your income now is much lower than it will be in the future You're married (and may eventually be single) You have large pre-tax accounts Your eventual heirs are likely to be in higher tax situations than you currently are Your plan on moving to a st…

Special guest host, Mike Powers, CPA, PFS, CFP®, from Manuka Financial sits behind the microphone to walk through his 22-point retirement planning checklist, which includes financial, insurance and lifestyle considerations. Links in this episode: Mike's blog post about the retirement planning checklist - here George Kinder's life planning three que…

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: What it means between an advisor who calls themself a financial planner vs wealth manager vs any other label they choose to use ( 10:24 ) My thoughts on the recently repealed Windfall Elimination Provision ("WEP") and Government Pension Offset ("GPO") parts of Social Security ( 20:35 ) A follow up to a previousl…

Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Brian Alexander. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as investing, Social Security, when they got serious about retirement planning, funding potential long term care needs and more! Links in this episode: …

Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Eric Niergarth, CFP®, RICP® from Retirement Roadmap Financial Planning. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as tax planning, distribution strategies, investing, annuities, long-term care insurance, how to know when people have enough to retire, what consumers ofte…

Andy explains how there is definitely value in good financial advisory services, but how it's impossible to quantify that value and is often disingenuous for advisors to claim they can, or for studies to try to put a number on it Links in this episode: Vanguard's research paper - Putting a value on your value: Quantifying Vanguard Advisor's Alpha M…

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: What's the difference between index mutual funds and index ETFs, and why choose one over the other ( 6:32 ) Is a three-fund index fund portfolio reasonable for someone in the decumulation phase of life ( 17:04 ) What's the difference between a "rollover" and "traditional" IRA ( 20:54 ) How much of your net worth…

Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Peter Townsend. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as becoming self-educated in the details of retirement planning AFTER already retiring, Social Security, funding potential long term care needs and more!…

Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Andrew Gray, CFP® from Gray Wealth Strategies. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as tax planning, distribution strategies, investing, annuities, long-term care insurance, how to know when people have enough to retire, what consumers often overlook in retirement …

Andy discusses the things to take into consideration when trying to decide whether to own or rent a home in retirement Tenon Financial monthly e-newsletter - Retirement Planning Insights Facebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in Retirement) YouTube channel - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Retirement Planning Demysti…

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: What to do about the concentration of the top few names in the S&P 500 ( 5:10 ) What is direct indexing, when could it make sense and how to manage wash sales when direct indexing ( 13:21 ) Whether you need to have taxes withheld from annuities or any other sources of income ( 30:39 ) When it might make sense to…

Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Jane (anonymous name). They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as dealing with the unexpected death of a spouse, self-educating on retirement and tax planning, doing a really large Roth conversion, Social Secu…

Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Jamie Lima, CFP®, CDFA from Woodson Wealth Management and Allegiant Divorce Solutions. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as tax planning, distribution strategies, investing, annuities, long-term care insurance, how to know when people have enough to retire, what…

Andy talks about the basics of what to know regarding taxes and tax planning in retirement. Topics discussed include: What sources of income are taxable vs non-taxable Required Minimum Distributions ("RMDs") from both your own accounts and inherited accounts How to pay taxes in retirement: withholdings vs making estimated payments Gifting tax-effic…

Special edition episode in which Andy shares his views on whether the below 12 rules of thumb are accurate or not: You should always contribute at least enough to your employer plan (like a 401(k)) to get the full employer match You shouldn't help your kids pay for college if it means shorting your own financial security in retirement You need at l…

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: How to keep track of Roth IRA contributions ( 6:45 ) Considering getting employer-sponsored health insurance to supplement Medicare ( 12:15 ) What to do with money from an RMD that you don't actually need ( 16:48 ) Understanding the capital gain exclusion on selling your primary residence ( 19:58 ) How to determ…

Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Doug Mann. They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as retiring and living abroad in Thailand and the unique planning considerations involved with being abroad full-time Links in this episode: Doug's travel/pho…

Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Erik Barnes, CFP® from Retirement Portfolio Partners. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as tax planning, distribution strategies, investing, annuities, long-term care insurance, how to know when people have enough to retire, what consumers often overlook in reti…

Andy appeared as a guest/co-host on the September 23, 2024 episode of Rob Berger's YouTube live stream video series. In it, they discussed taxes and tax planning in retirement, as well as a host of other questions such as account rebalancing, Roth conversion analysis, and more! There was also plenty of live Q&A from Rob's loyal followers/watchers. …

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Itemizing sales taxes on Schedule A of your tax return, particularly when living in two states during the year ( 6:30 ) Considerations when deciding between taking a pension or its lump sum ( 11:51 ) Should a recently widowed person take advantage of their last year of Married Filing Joint tax brackets and do a …

Andy chats with a real person (not an advisor) doing their own retirement planning. In this episode, Andy talks with Alison (last name not disclosed). They talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as the unique planning considerations of having a spouse who's nearly 10 years younger and how an unexpected major medical condition a …

Andy chats with fellow retirement planner Roger Whitney, CFP®, CIMA®, CPWA® from The Retirement Answer Man podcast. In this episode they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics such as tax planning, investing, annuities, how to help advise people get over the hurdle of not wanting to spend their money, what consumers often overlook in…

Andy summarizes the tax-related concepts to know when giving to charities, and summarizes a few ways in which to make your charitable donations as tax-efficient for you as possible Links in this episode: IRS Publication 526 - here My YouTube video - How to Give to Charities Tax Efficiently My YouTube video - Overview of Federal Income Taxation Teno…

We're switching things up a bit! In this week's episode, guest host Mike Powers (from Manuka Financial; was a previous guest on the podcast) chats with the show's host, Andy Panko from Tenon Financial. In the episode, they talk about a wide array of retirement planning topics and Andy's view and approach toward them, such as tax planning, distribut…

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Can you retroactively increase your income for a prior tax year ( 2:37 ) How to find a retirement planning tax specialist ( 8:16 ) How the Medicare IRMAA premium surcharge income lookback works ( 17:24 ) Determining how much mega back door Roth contributions to do ( 22:02 ) Is it okay to employ your child part-t…