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Take Back Retirement

Take Back Retirement

De : Stephanie McCullough & Kevin Gaines
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 You're a woman on the cusp of "retirement" naturally feeling some anxiety. We are two financial planners who take this subject seriously (but ourselves less so). We will help you feel more confident about your choices by cutting through the myths and mysteries. Through conversations and interviews with both subject-experts and women who have gone through what you are approaching, you will have the correct information and motivation to be in control of your future.Take Back Retirement ©
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  • 130: Planning to Age Well: Life Care, Long-term Care, and Advocacy with Laura Lynn Morrissey

    130: Planning to Age Well: Life Care, Long-term Care, and Advocacy with Laura Lynn Morrissey
    Feb 16 2026
    "A lot of women feel as though this is 'my role, this is my job, and if I have to ask for help, there's something wrong with me.' It doesn't mean failure. It just means that you're taking care of yourself as well as your loved ones." - Laura Lynn Morrissey Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, sit down with Laura Lynn Morrissey, founder of Silver Savvy. She brings a unique perspective, combining two decades at Fidelity Investments with hands-on experience building and selling home care companies in Boston! Laura Lynn's journey into senior care began while simultaneously climbing the corporate ladder and serving as a caregiver for her mother since age seven. Through both experiences, she learned the magic of putting clients first and treating aging individuals with dignity. She discovered that many professionals would direct conversations to family members while ignoring the person actually receiving care. That's a dynamic she intentionally reversed in her own practice. The centerpiece of her work is life care planning, a comprehensive approach treating the aging process as thoughtfully as planning a wedding or college education. This framework examines seven key areas: purposeful living, lifelong learning, social connections, healthcare planning, financial confidence, exercise routines, and home safety. Most homes aren't built for aging, and simple issues like losing ankle mobility can cascade into dangerous falls. She also talks long-term care insurance, revealing surprising complexities most policyholders don't understand. The elimination period (essentially a deductible) requires paying out-of-pocket for 30-120 days before benefits begin. It's a shock to many families expecting immediate coverage. Laura Lynn stresses the importance of honest assessments, noting that proud individuals often minimize their limitations during evaluations, potentially jeopardizing their claims. With physician shortages looming and assisted living facilities facing two-to-three-year waitlists, Laura Lynn advocates for proactive planning before emergencies strike. Her advocacy services include filing claims, coordinating with doctors, preparing clients for assessments, and writing follow-up letters clarifying what proud individuals might downplay during evaluations. Key Topics: ● Lessons from Caregiving and Home Care Business (6:11) ● What is Life Care Planning? (10:18) ● Aging in Place: Exercise and Home Safety (15:04) ● Assisted Living Realities and Wait Lists (18:12) ● Long-Term Care Insurance Misconceptions (29:09) ● Understanding the Elimination Period (32:29) ● Benefit Triggers and Activities of Daily Living (43:12) ● The Assessment Process and Advocacy Role (45:01) ● Appealing Denied Claims (51:47) Resources: Laura Lynn Morrissey in LinkedInSilverSavvy Website If you like what you've been hearing, we invite you to subscribe on your favorite platform and leave us a review. Tell us what you love about this episode! Or better yet, tell us what you want to hear more of in the future. stephanie@sofiafinancial.com You can find the transcript and more information about this episode at www.takebackretirement.com. Follow Stephanie on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. Follow Kevin on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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    56 min
  • 129: What Women Need to Know About Charitable Giving and Retirement

    129: What Women Need to Know About Charitable Giving and Retirement
    Jan 30 2026

    "There are ways to get some more net dollars to the charity, having a smaller financial impact on your own situation. It just takes a little bit of looking at [your financial situation]."

    Our hosts Stephanie McCullough of Sofia Financial and Kevin Gaines of American Financial Management Group tackle the ins-and-outs of charitable giving, and reveal how strategic planning can maximize impact while preserving your financial security. While charities treat all dollars equally (they pay zero taxes), how you give dramatically affects your bottom line!

    First up, they cover critical 2026 tax changes, including a new above-the-line deduction ($1,000 single, $2,000 married) and an unfortunate 0.5% AGI floor for itemizers.

    Donating appreciated assets (stocks or mutual funds held over a year) beats cash donations, because you avoid capital gains taxes while deducting the full current value, not just what you paid.

    Donor-advised funds emerge as timing powerhouses, letting you bunch donations in high-income years while distributing to charities over time.

    For those 70½ and older, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs offer tax-efficient giving that doesn't count as income. That's crucial for avoiding Medicare IRMAA surcharges and Social Security taxation pitfalls. The 2026 QCD limit is $111,000 per person.

    Estate planning gets attention, too. Naming charities as IRA beneficiaries saves heirs from devastating tax bills on inherited retirement accounts. Stephanie and Kevin also offer creative strategies involving life insurance policies and charitable trusts.

    The key takeaway is the importance of consulting professionals early in the year. Tax laws change constantly, and thoughtful planning transforms charitable impulses into maximum impact without jeopardizing your retirement security.

    Key Topics:

    • New 2026 Tax Rules for Cash Donations (5:44)
    • Donating Appreciated Assets and Capital Gains (08:08)
    • Donor-Advised Funds: Timing and Flexibility (14:09)
    • Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs (18:41)
    • Estate Planning: Beneficiary Designations for Charities (26:05)
    • Creative Strategies: Life Insurance and Charitable Trusts (30:22)

    Resources:

    • Women + Roth IRA's – What Should You Be Aware Of? (episode)

    If you like what you've been hearing, we invite you to subscribe on your favorite platform and leave us a review. Tell us what you love about this episode! Or better yet, tell us what you want to hear more of in the future. stephanie@sofiafinancial.com

    You can find the transcript and more information about this episode at www.takebackretirement.com.

    Follow Stephanie on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

    Follow Kevin on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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    37 min
  • 128: Scripts, Frameworks, and Real Talk: Mastering Money Conversations with Erika Wasserman

    128: Scripts, Frameworks, and Real Talk: Mastering Money Conversations with Erika Wasserman
    Jan 15 2026

    "My goal in life, my purpose in life, is to spark conversations. And in 2026, my goal is to spark 10,000 financial conversations." -Erika Wasserman

    Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, welcome back financial therapist Erika Wasserman to discuss her groundbreaking new book Conversations with Your Financial Therapist.

    Invited by Wiley Publishing to write about the emotional side of money, Erika created a practical guide wrapped in storytelling, featuring seven composite characters navigating real financial conversations throughout their lives.

    The heart of the book is the Money Mindset Method. It's a five-step framework using the word MONEY itself: Make the conversation comfortable (setting matters!), One question at a time (resist throwing in the kitchen sink), Nurture shared goals (understanding the "why" behind decisions), Evaluate practical solutions (brainstorm separately, then share), and Yes to compassion (for yourself and others).

    This repeatable approach gives people tools to practice at home once they've built the confidence.

    Erika emphasizes that talking about money is a skill most of us never learned. With 81% of people taught not to discuss finances (without even knowing why), we're left without the vocabulary or framework for these crucial conversations.

    Our money mindsets come from our backgrounds, religion, culture, and personal experiences, yet we merge finances with partners who have completely different histories without ever discussing them.

    The book includes incredibly practical nuggets such as actual conversation scripts for specific scenarios, visual diagrams showing different ways couples can structure their finances, and the wisdom that what works at 23 won't necessarily work at 40.

    When we normalize talking about money, we create ripple effects, modeling healthier relationships with finances for the next generation watching us!

    Key Topics
    • The Money Mindset Method Framework (07:33)
    • Make the Conversation Comfortable (13:34)
    • Using "Passwords" to Take Breaks During Hard Talks (21:36)
    • Practical Scripts for Real Conversations (24:43)
    • Visual Diagrams: Different Ways to Merge Money (27:35)
    • Where Money Mindsets Come From (30:34)
    • Kevin's and Stephanie's Wrap Up (38:49)

    Resources:

    • YourFinancialTherapist.com

    If you like what you've been hearing, we invite you to subscribe on your favorite platform and leave us a review. Tell us what you love about this episode! Or better yet, tell us what you want to hear more of in the future. stephanie@sofiafinancial.com

    You can find the transcript and more information about this episode at www.takebackretirement.com.

    Follow Stephanie on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

    Follow Kevin on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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    44 min
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