ChooseFI | Financial Independence Podcast

Most people treat retirement as a numbers game. Hit your target, claim victory, and coast into the sunset. But 85% of retirees crash into a wall of disorientation two years in—not because they ran out of money, but because they never planned for what comes after the paycheck stops: identity, purpose, structure, relationships. The spreadsheet can't solve those problems. Key Topics Make Your Numbers Real (3 Years Out) 00:05:30 Track every dollar for a full year to capture one-off expenses spreadsheets miss. Project retirement costs with granularity—model RV trips, healthcare scenarios, travel frequency. Build cash flow projections to age 95, not just to retirement day. The goal: eliminate guesswork and replace fear with data. Start to Experiment (3 Years Out) 00:18:45 Test potential retirement activities now. Don't wait until you retire to discover what you actually enjoy versus what sounds good in theory. Experimentation builds identity beyond work before the structure disappears. Most retirees skip this step and pay the price in phase two disorientation. Prepare for Withdrawals (2 Years Out) 00:28:20 The psychological shift from accumulation to spending is brutal after decades of saving. Build liquidity buckets to handle sequence of return risk. Develop a drawdown strategy that accounts for market volatility. Practice spending before you retire—buy the RV or boat while you still have paycheck confidence. Schedule a Mini-Retirement and Build Your Dream (2 Years Out) 00:38:10 Take a week-long break with your partner to envision retirement together. Discuss "he time, she time, we time"—how much individual versus shared activity each person wants. Align expectations before conflicts arise. This conversation prevents the retirement disappointment that ends marriages. Pursue Your Four C's (1 Year Out) 00:48:00 Dan Hallett's framework: Contribution (being needed), Creation (making things instead of consuming), Curiosity (exploring and learning), Connection (relationships). These four pillars replace what work provided beyond money. Retirees who nail the Four C's thrive; those who don't struggle. Build a Life Outside of Work (1 Year Out) 00:55:30 Work gives you 60+ hours of weekly structure. When that disappears, what fills the void? Design your post-work life intentionally—hobbies, volunteering, learning, relationships. The transition only works if you've built something to transition to. Fill Your Activity Jar (1 Year Out) 01:02:15 A practical exercise: each week, both partners write one retirement activity idea on an index card. After a year, you have 100 things to do in retirement. Planning is half the joy. The jar becomes a tangible reminder that retirement is abundance, not void. Enjoy Crossing the Starting Line 01:08:40 Retirement isn't the finish line—it's the starting line. Savor your final month of work. Express gratitude to colleagues. View retirement as the beginning of your best years, not the end of your productive ones. Notable Quotes Fritz Gilbert: "Only five of the twenty steps are financially related. The other fifteen are about everything the spreadsheets cannot solve." Fritz Gilbert: "Retirement isn't the finish line—it's the starting line." Fritz Gilbert: "My two favorite words in retirement are curiosity and experiment." Fritz Gilbert: "Both physical fitness and FI get you more years of freedom." Fritz Gilbert: "Eighty-five percent of retirees go through phase two—loss and disorientation—because they haven't thought about replacing what work gave them beyond a paycheck." Brad Barrett: "Much of FI success is psychological, not mathematical. Conservative estimate stacking often stems from fear rather than necessity." Key Takeaways Track a full year of spending three years before retirement to understand actual costs and project expenses accurately Start experimenting with potential retirement activities now—don't wait until you retire to discover what you enjoy Schedule a mini-retirement with your partner to envisi…

You've reached financial independence. The spreadsheet says you're ready. But you still can't pull the trigger on retirement—or spending. A couple with $10 million sits paralyzed, unable to retire despite every calculator saying they're fine. What's happening isn't a math problem. It's a psychology problem. Key Topics Discussed 00:00:00 Introduction and Guest Background Cody Garrett shares his journey from musician to CFP® and his deep dive into financial psychology, including CBT, ACT, motivational interviewing, and financial therapy—exploring why people who've reached FI still can't enjoy it. 00:08:30 The Paradoxical Pattern: Objective Reality vs. Subjective Identity Case study of a couple with $10 million who feel paralyzed about retiring. Your financial reality can change much faster than your identity, and more information often makes the problem worse rather than better. 00:15:00 Five Sources of Information-Seeking Behavior Why FI-minded people default to seeking better analysis, conservative assumptions, hiring authorities, optimization, and indefinite research when stuck—and when learning becomes postponement rather than progress. 00:24:00 What Creates Ambivalence: Seven Push-Pull Factors Permission, control, identity, responsibility (the invisible balance sheet), protection, values and time (the values vacuum), and flexibility—how these factors create decision paralysis even when the numbers work. 00:35:00 The Invisible Balance Sheet and Open-Ended Obligations Most people carry invisible obligations to family members that create endless anxiety. Cody asks: would the people you feel responsible for actually agree with your obligations? Brad reflects on responsibilities to his kids and parents. 00:45:00 Six Therapeutic Approaches That Actually Help Values clarification, decisional balance, acceptance and willingness, behavioral experiments (exposure therapy), mechanical devices (systems and structures), and hiring support without outsourcing agency. 00:55:00 Live Decisional Balance Exercise: Buying vs. Renting Brad and Cody work through a real decisional balance exercise exploring Brad's decision to rent versus buy after his divorce. Brad discovers how location and proximity to his daughters fits both options, challenging his initial mental model. 01:15:00 Behavioral Experiments and Progressive Exposure How to design small experiments to build confidence through action rather than waiting for certainty. Examples include selling investments, withdrawing cash, and spending it to complete the psychological loop. 01:22:00 Mechanical Devices: The Retirement Paycheck Creating a retirement paycheck system that mimics working paychecks makes spending easier and less dependent on willpower. Discussion of dedicated accounts and mental accounting made real. 01:28:00 Closing Thoughts and Resources Resources available at measuretwicemoney.com/choosefi including values clarification and decisional balance worksheets. Notable Quotes "The behaviors that helped you become financially independent can eventually become the behaviors that prevent you from enjoying financial independence." — Cody Garrett "How much money does your identity think you have?" — Cody Garrett "Someone will spend your money. It's you, family and friends, charitable organizations, or the government." — Cody Garrett "More information doesn't resolve those emotional goals of wanting to feel confident and secure and free moving into retirement." — Cody Garrett "Confidence often comes after action rather than before it." — Brad Barrett Key Takeaways Download the values clarification exercise at measuretwicemoney.com/choosefi and complete it individually, then with your partner if applicable Identify one open-ended obligation on your invisible balance sheet and define it in specific dollar terms or timeline Design one small behavioral experiment to test a spending decision you've been avoiding, documenting your predictions beforehand Set up a retirement paycheck system …

The federal government just split student loan borrowers into two groups: those who borrowed before July 2026 keep access to income-driven repayment and forgiveness strategies, while everyone after gets strict caps, fewer options, and tax bills on forgiven debt. If you're on the wrong side of that line—or helping someone navigate it—the math on graduate school, Parent PLUS loans, and even retirement contributions just changed. The July 2026 Dividing Line – 00:05:30 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act created two distinct classes of borrowers. Pre-July 2026 borrowers retain access to Income-Based Repayment (IBR) with payments at 10-15% of discretionary income and forgiveness after 20-25 years. Post-July 2026 borrowers get the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) with 1-10% payments based on income but forgiveness only after 30 years. Anyone who takes out even one loan after the cutoff loses access to the old system entirely. New Borrowing Limits – 00:12:00 Federal loans are now capped at approximately $65,000 total for undergraduates (via Parent PLUS), $20,500 per year for graduate students, and $50,000 per year for professional programs like medical, dental, and law school—with a $200,000 lifetime cap for professional degrees. These limits fundamentally change which graduate programs remain financially viable without substantial family wealth or private loans. The Death of Parent PLUS Loans – 00:35:00 Parent PLUS loans have become a loan of last resort. They now carry roughly 9% interest rates, offer zero income-driven repayment options, and place all legal responsibility on parents alone. Students are morally but not legally obligated. For parents with good credit, private loans offer better rates and the option to cosign, putting responsibility on both parties. Private Loans About to Surge – 01:10:00 With federal borrowing caps forcing graduate students to seek alternative funding, the private loan market is poised for massive growth. Rate spreads can reach 7 percentage points between best and worst offers. Students should establish credit history at least three years before grad school by opening a credit card early and rate shop aggressively across multiple lenders. IBR vs RAP: Know Your Repayment Plan – 00:18:00 Pre-July 2026 borrowers can access IBR with payments capped at 10% or 15% of discretionary income and forgiveness after 20 years for undergrad debt or 25 years for graduate debt. Post-July 2026 borrowers get RAP, which starts at 1% of income for those earning under $15,000 and scales up to 10% for higher earners, with forgiveness only after 30 years. The difference in both payment structure and timeline is substantial. The Tax Bomb Returns – 00:28:00 Forgiveness through income-driven repayment in the private sector is once again taxable as income starting in 2026, after being tax-free from 2021-2025 under the American Rescue Plan. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) remains tax-free. For someone who has $100,000 forgiven while earning $75,000, they could face a tax bill on $175,000 of income in the year of forgiveness. PSLF and Current Litigation – 00:52:00 PSLF remains the strongest forgiveness option for qualifying public service and nonprofit employees, requiring 120 qualifying payments while working full-time. The PSLF Buyback program allows workers to purchase credit for months spent in forbearance or deferment. Current litigation primarily affects niche groups rather than broad populations, though ongoing challenges to Department of Education rules create uncertainty. AGI Manipulation as Tax Strategy – 01:02:00 Since income-driven repayment calculates payments based on Adjusted Gross Income, maximizing pre-tax 401(k) contributions, HSA contributions, and other above-the-line deductions directly reduces required loan payments. For borrowers paying 24% federal tax + 5% state tax + 10% to student loans, that's a 39% effective marginal rate—making traditional pre-tax contributions far more valuable than Roth accoun…

Most retirement calculators assume your money needs to last until age 95. But if you're 55 years old today, average life expectancy is actually 79 for men and 82 for women. This single hidden assumption could mean the difference between retiring five years earlier or leaving millions unspent. Key Topics Discussed 00:00:00 - Introduction: The Hidden Assumption Brad introduces the concept that retirement calculators make an invisible assumption about longevity—typically planning to age 90-95—and explains why this matters for financial independence planning. 00:05:30 - Why Planning to 95 Is the Default Dr Bobby Dubois and Aubrey Williams explain why financial advisors default to age 95, the fear of running out of money, and how this ignores the risk of over-saving and under-living. 00:12:00 - Layers of Financial Conservatism Brad discusses multiple layers of conservative assumptions in retirement planning: lower returns, lower withdrawal rates, zero Social Security, and now longevity assumptions. 00:15:45 - Real Life Expectancy Numbers Dr Bobby provides actuarial data showing average life expectancy from birth (71-76) versus age 55 (79-82), and the probability of reaching age 90. 00:21:00 - The Financial Impact of Longevity Aubrey presents modeling showing how nest egg requirements change dramatically based on longevity assumptions—from $714K at age 79 to 41% higher at age 90. 00:28:30 - Dynamic Planning and Annual Updates Discussion of how mortality-adjusted planning changes over time and why annual plan updates are essential rather than lock-and-load strategies. 00:35:00 - Tools to Estimate Your Longevity Dr Bobby outlines practical methods: actuarial calculators, family history, cardiovascular risk calculators like the AHA Prevent tool, and genetic testing including APOE for dementia risk. 00:45:00 - Biological Age vs Chronological Age Discussion of biological clock testing and why these tests aren't ready for prime time, despite heavy marketing in the longevity space. 00:50:00 - Extending Your Healthspan Dr Bobby covers evidence-based interventions to reduce risk of heart disease and dementia: exercise, sleep, blood pressure control, weight management, and avoiding smoking. 00:58:00 - Wrap-up and Resources Final thoughts on updating assumptions, where to find Dr Bobby and Aubrey, and invitation for community feedback on future analysis scenarios. Notable Quotes Brad Barrett: "Every financial calculator has to make assumptions... but there's one assumption that's almost never discussed, even though it might be the single biggest one in the entire model. How long does your money need to last?" Dr Bobby Dubois: "The nest egg you need depends a lot on how long you're going to live. Imagine you're sixty-five and you're only going to live five years. Well, you don't need a whole lot of money. Imagine you're sixty-five and you're going to live to be one hundred five." Aubrey Williams: "Planning to ninety-five does answer one question, but by far, it's not the only question we should be looking at... it completely ignores the opposite risk that we live a shorter life and either we've saved too much, worked too long or spent too little." Dr Bobby Dubois: "If you are 60, what's the likelihood you'll live to be 90? For men, it's about a third, meaning two thirds won't. Women, it's about half might live to be 90." Aubrey Williams: "If hitting FI at 65, you live to age 79, you need $714,000. But if you live to 90, 11 years longer, then that nest egg needs to be 41% higher." Key Takeaways Calculate your own life expectancy using actuarial tools from the Society of Actuaries rather than accepting calculator defaults of 90-95 Research your family history of longevity—genetics account for roughly 50% of how long you'll live, especially for those reaching 100+ Use the American Heart Association's Prevent calculator to assess your 10-year and 30-year cardiovascular disease risk Consider genetic testing for APOE status to understand dementia ris…