Retiring After 65? The Rules Change (Hint: You Can Spend More)

Retiring After 65? The Rules Change (Hint: You Can Spend More)

Author: James Conole, CFP® December 28, 2025 Duration: 17:00
Retiring after age 65 changes the math and the priorities. You have fewer high-energy years, shorter tax planning windows, and RMDs much closer than most people realize. But you also often have higher Social Security, clearer spending needs, and more flexibility if the plan is built the right way. This episode breaks down how retirement strategy shifts when you retire later. Traditional withdrawal rules are built for 30–40 year retirements. If your timeline is closer to 10–20 years, bl...

Charting a path toward retirement often feels like navigating without a map, filled with complex terms and a fear of making the wrong move. Ready For Retirement, hosted by certified financial planner James Conole, aims to replace that uncertainty with clarity and actionable insight. Each episode breaks down a specific aspect of financial planning, from investment fundamentals and tax strategies to navigating healthcare costs and defining what a secure future actually looks like for you. James draws on his professional experience to translate daunting concepts into practical steps, avoiding generic advice in favor of discussions that address real-life complexities and questions. Tuning into this podcast feels like having a straightforward conversation with a knowledgeable guide who prioritizes your long-term peace of mind over financial industry jargon. The focus is consistently on building not just a portfolio, but confidence in your decisions, empowering you to move from feeling overwhelmed to feeling prepared. Whether you're decades away from retirement or it's on the near horizon, these conversations provide a steadying framework for making informed choices about your money and your life.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Ready For Retirement
Podcast Episodes
The Real Math of Working One More Year (It’s Not What You Think) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:40
"Just one more year, to be safe." I've heard that sentence more times than almost any other in my career. One year becomes two, two becomes five. By the time they finally retire, something has shifted and retirement look…
Why I Told My Client Not to Pay Off Their Mortgage Before Retiring [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:47
Paying off your mortgage before retirement sounds responsible. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it quietly costs you the best years of your life. In this episode, James walks through the story of a client who delayed retiremen…
Here's What Happens to Your Social Security If You Retire at 60 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:10
Retiring at 60 feels like a clean plan. Work ends, savings take over, and Social Security fills the gap later. What most people do not realize is that decision has already changed their benefit. In this episode, James wa…
$15M in Nvidia Stock Case Study | Don't Just "Diversify Everything" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:54
A big single-stock win can feel like freedom one day and a tightrope the next. This plan walks through how a family holding ~$15M in NVIDIA shares can turn concentrated success into stable, low-stress wealth—without torc…
You Don’t Need a Financial Advisor… Until You Do (Here’s When) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:16
You’ve done everything right. You saved consistently. You built a portfolio. You figured it out on your own. So why would you ever need a financial advisor now. That question makes sense. And for many people, the answer…
Stop Overfunding Your 401(k). Do This Instead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:40
You can do everything right and still feel stuck. Save aggressively. Max out your 401k. Build a large portfolio. And then one day realize you can’t actually use it when you want to. In this episode, James explains why th…
Stop Working for Money You’ll Never Spend [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:42
One of the biggest fears people carry into retirement is running out of money. But for many retirees, the greater risk is something else entirely. Running out of time. In this episode, James Conole, CFP®, explains why th…