Retirement Quick Tips with Ashley

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast, I'm talking about why most Americans never reach financial independence and become wealthy. Most of you listening to this podcast are boomers and gen Xers. College debt wasn't the crisis back then it was today. In fact, for many of you listening, unless you went to law school, medical school, or got some advanced degree, there's a good chance you graduated college with little to no debt. Unless you've been living under a rock, that's obviously not the case today. Average student loan debt is now $39,075. Repayment usually takes 10-20 years at $500+ per month.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast, I'm talking about why most Americans never reach financial independence and become wealthy. Today, I'm talking about one of the main reasons why most Americans don't reach financial independence - poor spending decisions made early in life that put you in a debt cycle that most people just don't get out of.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast, I'm talking about why most Americans never reach financial independence and become wealthy. Today, I'm talking about an inconvenient truth behind why so many Americans never reach financial independence.

Welcome to The Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, your daily guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and this week, I'm sharing with you some shocking money statistics that when you put it all together, solve the puzzle why most Americans never become wealthy.

your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and in the week of Thanksgiving, I'm sharing just one episode with you so I can take time to peel potatoes and make sure our turkey brine is doing it's job. I wish you many blessings this Thanksgiving, and I'm grateful for the time you choose to spend with me on this podcast. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your retirement planning journey, and I wish you and your loved ones a joy-filled Thanksgiving! If you're new to the podcast - Hi there! I'm a financial advisor and co-owner of True North Retirement Advisors. For the last 18 years, I've helped my clients navigate the challenges and incredible opportunities of retirement….and this podcast is dedicated to helping you do the same! With this week being thanksgiving, I want to share with you how gratefulness helps you make better money decisions, as well as 5 things I'm most thankful for in 2025.

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Big Changes Coming For 401(k) Savers Over 50 In 2026 In case you missed any episodes this week, here's what we covered.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the new rules for catch up contributions for higher earners over 50, going to effect in 2026: If you're participating in your 401k plan at work, if you're over 50, you're planning to maximize your contributions including the additional catch-up contribution, and you're going to make more than $145,000 in wages from your employer in 2025 - the rules for making catch up contributions are changing for you in 2026. Today, I'm talking about your action plan for successfully implementing this rule change in 2026 in your own savings plan.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the new rules for catch up contributions for higher earners over 50, going to effect in 2026: If you're participating in your 401k plan at work, if you're over 50, you're planning to maximize your contributions including the additional catch-up contribution, and you're going to make more than $145,000 in wages from your employer in 2025 - the rules for making catch up contributions are changing for you in 2026. Today, I'm addressing some special circumstances and some frequently asked questions around this change.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the new rules for catch up contributions for higher earners over 50, going to effect in 2026: If you're participating in your 401k plan at work, if you're over 50, you're planning to maximize your contributions including the additional catch-up contribution, and you're going to make more than $145,000 in wages from your employer in 2025 - the rules for making catch up contributions are changing for you in 2026. I spent the last couple days explaining this in detail, so if you missed those episodes, be sure to go back and have a listen. Today, I'm talking about the tax implications of this change and how you can prepare for it if you're used to getting a tax deduction on your 401k contributions.

If you're participating in your 401k plan at work, if you're over 50, you're planning to maximize your contributions including the additional catch-up contribution, and you're going to make more than $145,000 in wages from your employer in 2025 - the rules for making catch up contributions are changing for you in 2026. Yesterday, I explained more details about who this change is going to impact, and today I want to focus on some special catch-up rules for those of you who are age 60-63.

If you're participating in your 401k plan at work, if you're over 50, you're planning to maximize your contributions including the additional catch-up contribution, and you're going to make more than $145,000 in wages from your employer in 2025 - the rules for making catch up contributions are changing for you in 2026. Today, I'm talking about the basics of this new rule change so you can better understand how the change might impact you…

Welcome to The Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, your daily guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and this week, we're exploring an important change coming to 401k plans in 2026. If you're participating in your 401k plan at work, if you're over 50, you're planning to maximize your contributions including the additional catch-up contribution, and you're going to make more than $145,000 in wages from your employer in 2025 - listen up! This is going to impact you! Here's the change: Starting in 2026, all of your catch up contributions must be made into a Roth 401k.

Valuations for many stocks in the S&P 500 are at sky high levels, and for many of these companies, the math on the growth projections simply doesn't add up, which historically has been catastrophic for investors when the music stops playing. Welcome to Retire with Ashley, your guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and today, I am joined by Kevin Caron, senior portfolio manager and co-founder at Washington Crossing Advisors. Here's is today's interview segment with Kevin Caron…

Valuations for many stocks in the S&P 500 are at sky high levels, and for many of these companies, the math on the growth projections simply doesn't add up, which historically has been catastrophic for investors when the music stops playing. Welcome to Retire with Ashley, your guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and today, I am joined by Kevin Caron, senior portfolio manager and co-founder at Washington Crossing Advisors. Here's is today's interview segment with Kevin Caron…

Valuations for many stocks in the S&P 500 are at sky high levels, and for many of these companies, the math on the growth projections simply doesn't add up, which historically has been catastrophic for investors when the music stops playing. Welcome to Retire with Ashley, your guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and today, I am joined by Kevin Caron, senior portfolio manager and co-founder at Washington Crossing Advisors. Here's is today's interview segment with Kevin Caron…

Valuations for many stocks in the S&P 500 are at sky high levels, and for many of these companies, the math on the growth projections simply doesn't add up, which historically has been catastrophic for investors when the music stops playing. Welcome to Retire with Ashley, your guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and today, I am joined by Kevin Caron, senior portfolio manager and co-founder at Washington Crossing Advisors. Here's is today's interview segment with Kevin Caron…

Valuations for many stocks in the S&P 500 are at sky high levels, and for many of these companies, the math on the growth projections simply doesn't add up, which historically has been catastrophic for investors when the music stops playing. Welcome to Retire with Ashley, your guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and today, I am joined by Kevin Caron, senior portfolio manager and co-founder at Washington Crossing Advisors. Here's is today's interview segment with Kevin Caron…

Valuations for many stocks in the S&P 500 are at sky high levels, and for many of these companies, the math on the growth projections simply doesn't add up, which historically has been catastrophic for investors when the music stops playing. Welcome to Retire with Ashley, your guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and today, I am joined by Kevin Caron, senior portfolio manager and co-founder at Washington Crossing Advisors. Here's is today's interview segment with Kevin Caron…

Valuations for many stocks in the S&P 500 are at sky high levels, and for many of these companies, the math on the growth projections simply doesn't add up, which historically has been catastrophic for investors when the music stops playing. Welcome to Retire with Ashley, your guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and today, I am joined by Kevin Caron, senior portfolio manager and co-founder at Washington Crossing Advisors. He published a piece on his website back on September 9, 2025, called the Illusion of perpetual growth, and that was really the catalyst for this discussion today. I wanted to have him on to talk more about what the market is assuming today about the growth trajectory of stocks, and what that means for investors. Kevin - welcome to the podcast! It's an honor to have you here!

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Smart Retirement Withdrawals: 10 Principles for Lasting Financial Security Actually this theme ran for 2 weeks because it was such a big topic. In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about planning for RMDs at the onset of retirement.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about the importance of paying attention to taxes. If you don't manage your tax situation and pay attention to how portfolio withdrawals and capital gains, and RMDs will impact your tax situation, you'll end up paying more in taxes throughout your retirement, which just means that you'll drain your portfolio faster.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about prioritizing income with your investment portfolio to help you maintain and grow your withdrawals.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about the importance of maintaining discipline in your portfolio so that you're taking on the right amount of risk for your withdrawals.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about another retirement withdrawal strategy in retirement that I really like, and is easy to set up and implement - spending guardrails.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about another strategy to help you manage your withdrawals during times of economic and market difficulties - using your bond portfolio for withdrawals when the stocks are down.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about keeping your powder dry. One of the most important aspects of maintaining and growing your withdrawals without sacrificing financial security is maintaining flexibility…cash is king!

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about carefully selecting your retirement withdrawal rate. If you took the steps I already suggested in creating a budget and making sure that was realistic, then next step is to determine how much of your portfolio you would need to withdraw on a monthly and annual basis so you can support your spending goals.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about the last step in setting yourself up well for retirement withdrawals: test drive your retirement expenses.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about creating a retirement spending budget.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about smart retirement withdrawals - 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals in retirement, while maintaining financial security and not running the risk of running out of money. Today, I'm talking about simplifying your expenses and cutting out the extras that will weigh you down in retirement. I recommend doing this before you retire to make the transition easier, but you can also wait until after retirement to start cutting the fat.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about 10 principles to help you sustain and grow your retirement withdrawals, while maintaining financial security and not risk of running out of money. Today, I'm sharing with you the #1 thing you should do if you're still a few years out from retirement: pay off your mortgage.

Welcome to The Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, your daily guide to preparing for and living your best retirement. I'm your host Ashley Micciche, and this week, we're exploring: The big topic of retirement withdrawals. It's such a big topic that I'm taking 2 weeks to share with you 10 principles for lasting financial security. Managing your withdrawals is key to making your money last in retirement while at the same time spending in a way that brings you happiness and satisfaction. I'll share with you what to consider as you prepare for retirement. Like nearly everything else in life, we need to measure twice and cut once. Actually when it comes to home improvement projects, my motto is measure never and put 12 extra nail holes in the wall, but I digress. So we'll talk about how to set yourself up for smart retirement withdrawals in the last few months and years before retirement, what you'll need to do around the time of retirement to get started on the right foot, and how to manage your withdrawals in retirement to balance your various financial needs and goals with the limited resources that are your retirement nest egg in order to make it last.

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: I'm Worried About The Stock Market In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction. Today, let's talk about an action plan and how to make sure your portfolio is positioned well for both scenarios of continued growth, and a possible economic downturn and a bear market.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction. Today, I'm talking about the problem with timing.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction. Today, I want to dig a little deeper into the valuation problem, particularly for the big tech stocks.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction. Today, let's look at the economy, because understanding where the business cycle is headed is very challenging, but it's the key driver for the stock market.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about why I'm growing increasingly worried about the stock market - high stock valuations colliding with a recession is historically a recipe for steep losses - and it is looking more and more like we're moving in that direction. Today, I'm talking about the core issue that inspired this week's theme: Source: Washington Crossing Advisors. (2025, September 9). The illusion of perpetual growth. "Over 60% of the S&P 500 index value is priced as if superior growth can be sustained forever, with a meaningful slice (about $8 trillion in market value) priced with an implied perpetuity growth assumption above 10%." "Here is the central problem: no company can grow faster than the economy forever. The math simply will not allow it. A firm compounding at 10 percent while the economy grows at 5 percent eventually overtakes the economy itself — an impossibility."

Driven by FOMO and the narrative that AI will completely change the world, investors have bid up stock prices to new all-time highs and stretched valuations. AI will no doubt change the world, but the AI arms race carries significant risks for investors at this time. Especially as the economy shows signs of deteriorating. Historically, high stock valuations colliding with a recession has been a recipe for steep losses, and that is as the heart of why I'm so concerned right now. So this week on the podcast, I'll be talking about why I'm worried about the stock market right now - the valuation problem, the cracks in the economy that are appearing, why timing is everything and just because stock valuation look stretched doesn't mean the music will stop tomorrow, and lastly, how can investors - especially if you're getting close to retirement or already retired - protect themselves and take profits in a wise and prudent way.

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: How Rich People Accidentally Destroy Their Wealth In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the most common ways rich people accidentally destroy their wealth, and how you can avoid falling into these traps. One of my favorite Warren Buffett quotes—one I only recently came across—is: "Don't risk what you have and need in order to pursue what you don't have and don't need." This quote perfectly captures the essence of growing and preserving wealth and how to avoid accidentally destroying your wealth. This week, I've talked about the dangers of over-concentration, bad financial advice, letting ego drive decisions, and confusing the accumulation of assets with the accumulation of stuff. All of these cautionary themes boil down to Buffett's wisdom: don't jeopardize what's essential for something that's completely unnecessary.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the most common ways rich people accidentally destroy their wealth, and how you can avoid falling into these traps. Many people build significant wealth through a successful investment or by owning a thriving business. But what often happens is that the majority of their net worth—sometimes 90% or more—ends up concentrated in that one asset.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the most common ways rich people accidentally destroy their wealth, and how you can avoid falling into these traps. Another common way rich people lose everything is by following bad financial advice. You see this a lot with professional athletes or lottery winners—they invest heavily in a business that fails or take advice from friends or advisors who either don't know what they're doing or are acting in their own self-interest.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the most common ways rich people accidentally destroy their wealth, and how you can avoid falling into these traps. One of the most common ways I see people lose their wealth is by letting their ego drive their financial decisions. They reach a certain level of success, start spending like everyone around them. Suddenly, it's not enough to fly first class—they're chartering private jets. They're buying exotic cars and massive homes, financed with debt.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the most common ways rich people accidentally destroy their wealth, and how you can avoid falling into these traps. Today, let's talk about the difference between owning assets and owning stuff, and when people don't understand the difference they tend to light their money on fire and lose their wealth.

One of the biggest reasons people lose their wealth is that making money and keeping money require two very different skill sets and mindsets. You might earn your wealth through a high-paying job, a successful business, a lucky investment, or even an inheritance—but holding onto that money is a whole different challenge. Some people are naturally good at making money. It seems to come easily to them. Others struggle to keep a steady balance in their bank account throughout their lives. And then there are those—more common than you might think—who climb the financial ladder only to fall back down because they didn't know how to preserve what they had. So this week on the podcast, I'm diving into the most common reasons why people who get rich don't stay rich. I'll share some recurring themes and pitfalls to avoid, along with stories and insights from my own experience watching people let wealth slip through their fingers—losing a lifestyle they could have easily maintained with better decisions.

The signs of an imminent recession are everywhere, yet the markets keep marching on to new highs! What gives? What's going on? In this week's episode of the Retirement Quick Tips podcast, I'm breaking down what happened in the markets over the last quarter, what's going on in the economy, and how we're positioning client portfolios moving forward…

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: I'm a Financial Advisor—Here's Exactly How I Manage My 401(k) In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm pulling back the curtain and telling exactly how I manage my 401k as a financial advisor. Today, I'm talking about: a few other tips to make the most of your 401k.