Welcome to How to Retire on Time, a show that answers your retirement questions. Say goodbye to the oversimplified advice you've heard hundreds of times. This show is about getting into the nitty-gritty so you can make better decisions as you prepare for retirement. Text your questions to 913-363-1234 and we'll feature them on the show. Don't forget to grab a copy of the book, How to Retire on Time, or check out our resources by going to www.retireontime.com.
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Sep 30, 2026 · 12:04
Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on withdrawing from a $750,000 401(k) at 65, and tells a CVS receipt story he uses to explain wasted tax breaks. The following is…
Sep 29, 2026 · 12:42
Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on an in-service 403(b) rollover, an index annuity, and withdrawal order, and why the real first question isn't about the account…
Sep 28, 2026 · 22:13
Michael Decker, NSSA® walks through how much of the market's growth is riding on a handful of AI-related companies, and shares the story of the day he learned about risk the hard…
Sep 25, 2026 · 3:20
Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on the widow tax, and why a surviving spouse can end up taxed at close to double the rate on roughly the same income. The…
Sep 25, 2026 · 5:34
Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on what a financial advisor can actually offer that you can't get on your own, and where that access matters most. The following…
Sep 24, 2026 · 5:15
Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on how Social Security timing can affects the rest of a retirement plan, well beyond just maximizing the benefit itself. The…
Sep 23, 2026 · 2:33
Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on tax planning for retirement savings under $1 million, and why the right approach is more subtle than it looks. The following is…
Sep 23, 2026 · 7:03
Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on whether he's concerned about the markets right now, and explains why a flat market worries him more than a crash. The following…
Sep 22, 2026 · 13:47
Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on the most common leaks he sees in a retirement plan, and the first one is tied to how much AI exposure people don't realize they…
Sep 21, 2026 · 21:28
Michael Decker, NSSA® runs the same million-dollar IRA forward in two different ways, one converting aggressively to a Roth and one does not. Only one of them still has money…
Sep 18, 2026 · 6:28
How do you fit the large bills in your retirement plan? New roof? New car? Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on planning around a big one-time expense and why it…
Sep 17, 2026 · 6:34
Don’t let yourself auto-renew your current plan. Big changes could cause you to want to shop this season before you commit. Michael Decker, NSSA® covers what's changing with…
Sep 16, 2026 · 6:04
Is there an AI bubble and if so, can you time your exit? Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer's question on whether he believes AI stocks are a bubble, and why he says timing…
Sep 15, 2026 · 7:57
Where your money goes and when you want to pull it out shapes the planning on where you should place it in the first place. The 401(k) is only one place to save for retirement.…
Sep 14, 2026 · 32:17
There is no such thing as a perfect investment, product, or strategy, which is why the comparison between a 30-year treasury vs an indexed annuity is so interesting. Michael…
Sep 11, 2026 · 10:27
Michael Decker, NSSA® walks through the tax risk, longevity risk, healthcare risk, and other risks unique to the spouse who lives longer, and what many people miss when putting…
Sep 10, 2026 · 6:13
Michael Decker, NSSA® takes on a market-crash reserves question and a Roth conversion sizing question back-to-back, and why the right answer to each one depends entirely on the…
Sep 9, 2026 · 5:37
Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on retiring before 65, and how the options for covering healthcare before Medicare actually compare. The following is from Mike’s…
Sep 8, 2026 · 15:52
Michael Decker, NSSA® breaks down complicated investments like non-traded REITs, private credit, structured notes, and gold and crypto pitches, and the risk that gets left out of…
Sep 7, 2026 · 20:06
Michael Decker, NSSA® walks through annuities, options trading, and "be your own bank" life insurance, what that word "guaranteed" does and doesn't actually promise, and much…
Sep 4, 2026 · 8:11
Two viewers ask about protecting their money after death, one from Medicaid and one from the IRS. The answers are more restrictive than either expected. The following is from…
Sep 3, 2026 · 6:10
A high income earner asks about all the Roth conversion hype, and Michael Decker, NSSA® explains why her situation is when that advice falls apart. The following is from Mike’s…
Sep 2, 2026 · 12:07
Michael Decker, NSSA® runs the numbers on a million-dollar retirement account and shows how the advisor fee is twice as expensive as what the government actually charged. The…
Sep 1, 2026 · 9:07
There’s more to tax planning than looking at your income tax brackets Discover the different ways to take income and how to get the most out of your money while navigating…
Aug 31, 2026 · 16:01
Many advisors talk about converting to a Roth before taxes go up. Michael Decker, NSSA® says most retirees with a million dollars or less should be doing something else entirely.…
Aug 28, 2026 · 10:38
Selling a rental property can trigger a bigger tax bill than most landlords expect, and Mike Decker walks through two lesser known ways to exit instead. The following is from…
Aug 26, 2026 · 11:06
One line on your tax return could be quietly costing you thousands a year, and Mike Decker ties it straight into the biggest Social Security filing mistake he sees. The following…
Aug 25, 2026 · 12:23
A question about retiring in your fifties and a question about hyperinflation turn out to have the exact same answer. The following is from Mike’s weekly webinar. Ready to build…
Aug 24, 2026 · 24:51
Every retiree says the same four words about risk tolerance, and Mike Decker says all four of them miss the point. The following is from Mike’s weekly webinar. Ready to build a…
Aug 21, 2026 · 5:24
There's a retirement conversation almost no one wants to have. Skipping it is exactly how a surviving spouse ends up blindsided by taxes and decisions they were never part of.…
Aug 20, 2026 · 15:13
There's a version of the answer that would let you pay the least possible tax on your retirement money. The following is from Mike’s weekly webinar. Ready to build a retirement…
Aug 19, 2026 · 11:05
Live on the show, we asked an AI chatbot whether you should buy long-term care insurance. Its answer says a lot about why this decision trips up almost everyone. The following is…
Aug 18, 2026 · 16:33
There's a specific kind of retirement-income ad that sounds like a great deal, and once you see why it isn't, you'll spot it everywhere. The following is from Mike’s weekly…
Aug 17, 2026 · 14:37
The single biggest factor in whether a retirement plan actually holds up has almost nothing to do with the portfolio inside it. The following is from Mike’s weekly webinar. Ready…
Aug 14, 2026 · 6:39
The withdrawal number most retirees have memorized might be based on market conditions that no longer exist. The following is from Mike’s weekly webinar. Ready to build a…
Aug 12, 2026 · 13:36
There are at least four different ways to plan for long-term care costs, and the one most people assume is the "safe choice" usually isn't the best fit. The following is from…
Aug 11, 2026 · 15:42
An income annuity isn't actually an investment at all, and once you see what it really is, the whole "annuities are good or bad" debate stops making sense. The following is from…
Aug 10, 2026 · 26:11
Most retirement plans start with picking a product. This breaks down why that's backwards, and walks through the order that's supposed to come first, illustrated with a real…
Aug 7, 2026 · 12:10
There's a simple test that separates a real financial planner from someone just collecting a fee to watch your portfolio. Mike lays it out, plus the one line that sums up his…
Aug 5, 2026 · 10:23
From annuity RMDs to inherited IRA deadlines to which spouse should convert first, Mike untangles three of the most confusing tax questions retirees ask him every week. The…
Aug 3, 2026 · 38:34
The economist who won a Nobel Prize for inventing the 60/40 portfolio didn't actually put his own retirement money into it — here's what he did instead. The following is from…
Aug 1, 2026 · 12:16
The following is a clip from Mike’s weekly live show on Zoom. Forget the debate over whether Roth conversions are good or bad — Mike says there's really only one number that…
Jul 30, 2026 · 11:31
The following is a clip from Mike’s weekly live show on Zoom. Mike walks through the entire lineup of tools retirees can use to dodge market risk that has nothing to do with…
Jul 29, 2026 · 13:45
The following is a clip from Mike’s weekly live show on Zoom. A real listener's question about which account to withdraw from first turns into a masterclass on saving tens of…
Jul 28, 2026 · 15:25
The following a clip from Mike's weekly live show on Zoom. Mike breaks down the exact mechanics that could pop the AI bubble, then flips the whole conversation with one line:…
Jul 27, 2026 · 12:11
The following a clip from Mike's weekly live show on Zoom. Mike overhears two very different retirees in a bakery line, and the contrast reveals why the most confident-sounding…
Jul 24, 2026 · 14:25
The following is a clip from Mike's weekly show. A listener defends his annuity rider, and Mike publicly disagrees with him on air instead of just nodding along. Ready to build a…
Jul 23, 2026 · 9:26
The following is a clip from Mike's weekly show. Mike walks through a real dollar-amount scenario showing how a market crash can actually hand you a tax advantage most retirees…
Jul 22, 2026 · 10:48
The following is a clip from Mike's weekly show. The guy who sells annuities just told his own audience not to buy too much guaranteed income, and the reason why flips the usual…
Jul 21, 2026 · 13:57
The following is a clip from Mike's weekly show. One word retirees use to describe their money is quietly costing them thousands. Ready to build a retirement plan around your…
Jul 20, 2026 · 12:34
The following is a clip from Mike's weekly show. One word retirees use to describe their money is quietly costing them thousands. Ready to build a retirement plan around your…
Jul 17, 2026 · 12:50
The real question isn't how much cash you need, it's which of the three reserve strategies fits your retirement so a market crash never forces your hand. Ready to build a…
Jul 16, 2026 · 14:37
When one spouse passes, the surviving spouse doesn't just lose income, they get bumped into a higher tax bracket, lose one Social Security check, and watch their Medicare costs…
Jul 15, 2026 · 10:01
Living off dividends sounds like the perfect retirement plan until Mike shows you exactly where the leak is. Ready to build a retirement plan around your life, not a product? Get…
Jul 14, 2026 · 10:33
Your checking account, your brokerage, and your 401k are three completely different jobs, and treating them the same way is one of the most expensive mistakes in retirement.…
Jul 13, 2026 · 17:14
The CAPE ratio is sitting where it sat right before the 2000 crash, and if history repeats, a 50% drop means you need 100% back just to break even. Ready to build a retirement…
Jul 10, 2026 · 39:26
Your retirement plan has a number, but it doesn't have an answer for the four things you'll lose the day you stop working. Ready to build a retirement plan around your life, not…
Jul 3, 2026 · 56:01
Mike breaks down the bear market protocol live, the three-move strategy that turns a market crash into an opportunity, and explains why most retirees don't have one. Most…
Jun 26, 2026 · 56:02
Most retirement plans aren't derailed by market crashes. They're quietly drained by five small inefficiencies most advisors never mention. Text your questions to 913-363-1234.…
May 1, 2026 · 13:14
“Hey Mike, when does tax planning really make a noticeable difference in a retirement plan?” Discover how tax planning decisions can impact your income strategy and the long-term…
Apr 30, 2026 · 31:07
“Hey Mike, can you retire with $250,000?” Discover how structuring your income, taxes, and portfolio the right way may matter more than the total amount you’ve saved. Text your…
Apr 29, 2026 · 7:54
“Hey Mike, how much should I have saved at 55 years old?” Discover why focusing on a number can be misleading and how your retirement plan should be built around your income…
Apr 24, 2026 · 17:01
Hey, Mike. If you can’t beat the market, then why doesn’t Warren Buffet just invest in the market. Discover why investing with purpose and managing downside risk can be more…
Apr 23, 2026 · 40:49
Mike builds a retirement plan using Claude and ChatGPT. Discover why building reliable retirement income takes more than data and how proper planning makes the difference. Text…
Apr 17, 2026 · 11:30
“Hey Mike. How can you do tax planning when the rules keep changing?” Discover how to balance future uncertainty with today’s tax rules. Text your questions to 913-363-1234.…
Apr 15, 2026 · 16:03
“Hey Mike. I have a rollover IRA account that was set up 15 years ago that has all mutual funds. Is it worth it to switch everything over to ETFs?” Discover which path may be…
Apr 13, 2026 · 15:49
“Hey Mike. How do you know if you should sell something at a loss and move on or if you should hold on and wait?” Discover the guiding principles when trying to decide if you…
Apr 10, 2026 · 11:17
“Hey Mike, Warren Buffett said he would hold stocks even if it were World War three, would you?” Discover how to think about stocks during uncertain times and why having the…
Apr 8, 2026 · 20:12
“Hey Mike, how long does $2,000,000 last in retirement?” Discover why retirement isn’t just about hitting a number. It's about starting with the lifestyle you want and then build…
Apr 6, 2026 · 13:31
“Hey, Mike. I’m having a hard time understanding how income planning affects healthcare planning. Can you elaborate?” Discover how coordinating your income, taxes, and healthcare…
Apr 3, 2026 · 19:13
“Hey Mike, is it better to sell your rental properties with renters in it or when it is vacant?” Discover how local laws, cash flow, and property conditions impact whether…
Apr 2, 2026 · 20:52
“Hey Mike, what’s the best way to plan for rising healthcare costs?” Explore the key strategies for managing rising healthcare costs, including insurance options, investment…
Apr 1, 2026 · 16:57
Description: “Hey Mike, how come my friends are getting better annuities today? Is there anything I can do to switch my payout?” Learn how changing market conditions impact…
Mar 31, 2026 · 9:34
From the comments… “REITs are garbage. Take a look at performance vs any index fund.. VOO, QQQM, anything. Stop it.” Learn how different investments perform in different market…
Mar 30, 2026 · 10:36
Description: “Hey Mike, I am behind on my retirement savings. What should I do?” Learn why taking more risk isn’t the answer and how to strategically catch up on retirement…
Mar 27, 2026 · 4:24
“Hey Mike, I missed my RMD. What do I do next?“ Discover what to do if you missed your RMD in retirement. Text your questions to 913-363-1234. Request Your Wealth Analysis by…
Mar 26, 2026 · 10:23
“Hey Mike, I’m looking to buy my retirement house first, and then eventually sell my current house. How do you line this all up?“ Discover ways to sell your current home and move…
Mar 25, 2026 · 13:35
“Hey Mike, I just got my tax return done. What should I be looking for?“ Discover what to look for when you review your tax return. Text your questions to 913-363-1234. Request…
Mar 24, 2026 · 9:46
“Hey Mike, what’s one tax minimization strategy that often gets overlooked in retirement?“ Discover a few strategic ways you could minimize taxes in retirement. Text your…
Mar 23, 2026 · 22:14
“Hey Mike, what is the easiest way to break through all the jargon and compare income strategies for a soon-to-be retiree?“ Discover three ways you could structure income in…
Mar 20, 2026 · 9:30
“Hey Mike, what do you use to create a retirement income ladder?“ Discover different investments and products that you could use if you wanted to ladder out income in retirement.…
Mar 19, 2026 · 6:57
“Hey Mike, is it worth moving to a tax-free state in retirement?“ Discover how where you live can make a difference in retirement. Text your questions to 913-363-1234. Request…
Mar 18, 2026 · 17:38
“Hey Mike, can you explain why my indexed annuity lowered its rates and now I’m stuck with no growth?“ Discover some of the reasons why an insurance company would lower their…
Mar 17, 2026 · 18:31
“Hey Mike, can you recommend an easy to managed portfolio for a DIY investor about to retire?“ Discover different ways you could design your portfolio in retirement (not…
Mar 16, 2026 · 19:15
“Hey Mike, does it make sense to diversify your retirement income streams? If yes, can you give some examples?“ Discover the benefits and detriments with different retirement…
Mar 12, 2026 · 1:10:04
Special Edition - Join Michael Decker as he discusses the first, and often missed step in retirement planning with Richard Himmer, PhD. Discover the three most important…
Mar 6, 2026 · 9:13
“Hey Mike, I lost my job, I think I can afford to retire, but I don’t what to. How would you build a plan that allows me to go back to work every now and then?” Discover the…
Mar 5, 2026 · 14:04
“Hey Mike, how do you plan for healthcare if you retire before 65?” Discover how tax planning can influence your healthcare expenses before 65 years old. Text your questions to…
Mar 4, 2026 · 11:15
“Hey Mike, what’s the difference between a dynamic buffered ETF and a target outcome buffered ETF?" Discover the benefits and detriments of the different types of buffered ETFs…
Mar 3, 2026 · 6:48
“Hey Mike, should I take Social Security early and invest it instead of waiting for a higher benefit?” Discover when it may make sense to file for your Social Security benefits…
Mar 2, 2026 · 18:00
"Hey Mike, how do you solve for tax efficient retirement income?” Discover various tax strategies you may want to consider in retirement. Text your questions to 913-363-1234.…
Feb 27, 2026 · 20:17
“Hey Mike, I just retired and I completely regret the decision. The problem is the job market is not letting me back in. What should I do moving forward?” Discover different ways…
Feb 26, 2026 · 15:50
“Hey Mike, if I am 10 years away from retirement, but still have some debt, should I pay off my debt first or focus on saving in my IRA?” Discover the difference between good…
Feb 25, 2026 · 17:12
“Hey Mike, I was told to put around 60% of my money into a life-time annuity and that would be basically the same as the 4% rule. Is that true?” Discover a strategy that targets…
Feb 24, 2026 · 10:12
“Hey Mike, I want to start a business in retirement to keep myself busy. What should I know?” Discover why a business may or may not be a good idea in retirement. Text your…
Feb 23, 2026 · 22:04
“Hey Mike, can you provide a practical explanation on how to implement the Bear Market Protocol?” Discover a few ways you can position your portfolio now in preparation for a…
Feb 20, 2026 · 19:40
“Hey Mike, what would you do in your final 10 working years?" Discover some of the main questions you may want to ask so you can prepare now for a more efficient and optimized…
Feb 19, 2026 · 11:24
“Hey Mike, when would private equity play a role in your retirement portfolio?" Discover when it may make sense to include private equity or private credit in your retirement…
Feb 18, 2026 · 12:57
“Hey Mike, why do you minimize the importance of a financial plan?" Discover the purpose of a retirement plan, and why you may want to spend more time on the strategies you can…
Feb 17, 2026 · 10:50
“Hey Mike, what happened to gold and silver?" Discover a basic overview of why Gold and Silver dropped and what could happen moving forward. Text your questions to 913-363-1234.…
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