What happens when the life you planned no longer fits the person you’ve become?

Retirement planning can create space to reconsider where you live, how you work, and what you want your next chapter to look like.

In this episode, I talk with Meg McKeen, Founder and Principal Consultant at Adjunct Advisors LLC, about the personal and financial decisions that reshaped her life. Meg shares how divorce pushed her to understand her finances and become her own advocate, how she eventually left corporate life and became a full-time traveler, and why she’s learning to balance saving for the future with living today. We also explore practicing retirement, spending after years of saving, and giving yourself permission to choose a path that may look different from everyone else’s.

Meg discusses:

• How divorce became a turning point for learning to make financial and personal decisions independently
• Why understanding everyday expenses helped her see that supporting herself financially was possible
• How leaving corporate life and selling her home eventually developed into five years of full-time travel
• Why practicing a different lifestyle before retirement can help clarify what you actually want from it
• How learning to spend intentionally can be just as important as building the habit of saving for retirement
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• 2026 Tax and Retirement Planning Cheat Sheet
• #17 – Financially Fearless Women with Barb Provost and Maggie Nielsen

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Connect with Meg McKeen:

• LinkedIn: Meg McKeen
• Website: Adjunct Advisors
• Instagram: @megmckeen
• Podcast: Bound & Determined

About our Guest:

Meg McKeen is the founder and principal consultant of Adjunct Advisors LLC and the host of the Bound & Determined podcast. After building a traditional corporate career in the insurance industry, Meg stepped away at 39, took a year away from work, and launched her company in 2018.

Her personal path has included marrying young, divorcing at 30, and building an independent life without children. In 2021, Meg sold her Chicago home and many of her belongings to begin traveling full-time. She has since spent meaningful time in every state except Alaska while continuing to run her business.

Meg’s story encourages women to question long-held assumptions about work, home, success, and retirement. She also brings an honest perspective on the planning, uncertainty, and tradeoffs involved in creating a less traditional next phase of life.

Meg McKeen and Adjunct Advisors LLC are not affiliated with Blake Wealth Management or RFG Advisory.

Life changes, but the beneficiary forms attached to your retirement accounts, insurance policies, and other assets may still reflect decisions you made years ago.

In this episode, I explain why beneficiary reviews should be part of ongoing retirement planning and walk through nine questions that can help you determine whether your current designations still reflect your wishes. I cover primary and contingent beneficiaries, coordinating designations with your estate plan, trusts, minor beneficiaries, charitable giving, inherited IRA rules, and potential tax consequences.

I also share real client situations that show why verifying these details can be so important after divorce, widowhood, and other major life changes.

Key points:

• Why beneficiary forms should be reviewed after divorce, widowhood, remarriage, and other major life changes
• How beneficiary designations can control where certain assets go, regardless of instructions written in your will
• Why primary and contingent beneficiaries should be checked across IRAs, 401(k)s, insurance, and other accounts
• How trusts, minor beneficiaries, charitable gifts, and inherited retirement accounts can require added planning
• How beneficiary choices can affect taxes, distribution options, and what your family ultimately receives
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• Checklist: What Issues Should I Consider When Reviewing My Beneficiaries?
• #52 – I Have Inherited an IRA—Now What? 5 Steps to Avoid Costly Mistakes
• #113 – Inherited IRA Options Every Widow Should Understand
• Ultimate Guide to Women’s Social Security Success

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Retirement investing can bring many questions, especially when your savings need to support your lifestyle for decades. How do you balance growth, income, taxes, and market uncertainty when planning for life after work?

In this episode, I share my recent webinar from the New York Public Library’s Investing A-Z program, in which I discuss seven essential strategies for investing in retirement. I explain how a financial plan should guide investment decisions, why inflation can affect long-term purchasing power, and how retirees can think differently about market risk. I also cover the role of stocks, dividend growth investing, tax planning strategies, Roth conversions, charitable giving, and important questions to consider when working with a financial advisor.

Throughout the presentation, I focus on creating a thoughtful approach to retirement investing that connects financial decisions with the lifestyle you want to support.

Key points:

• How a financial plan can guide retirement investment decisions instead of focusing only on portfolio performance
• Why inflation and rising costs can affect retirement income needs over several decades of life
• How retirees can measure investment risk by considering years of income during market downturns
• The role of stocks, dividend growth investing, and long-term thinking in retirement portfolios
• How tax strategies, Roth conversions, and charitable giving may influence retirement planning decisions
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• Website: Savvy Ladies
• Website: The New York Public Library
• Webinar Recording: 7 Retirement Investing Strategies for a More Successful Retirement

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

For women approaching or already in retirement, Social Security decisions can feel harder when tax questions, funding projections, and proposed legislation all appear in the headlines at once.

How do you separate information that affects your plan from news that simply deserves your attention?

In this episode, I answer a listener’s question about Social Security tax withholding while working at age 70. I explain what it really means when up to 85% of Social Security may be taxable, how withholding choices work, and why your broader tax picture matters. I also break down the 2026 Social Security Trustees Report, what the projected funding shortfall actually means for benefits, and what the proposed PROMISE Act could change. Most importantly, I explain why retirement decisions should be based on your circumstances and current law rather than headlines or predictions.

Key points:

• Why delaying Social Security until age 70 can increase monthly income for life and potentially affect survivor benefits
• What “85% of Social Security is taxable” actually means and how provisional income affects federal taxation
• How the five Social Security withholding options differ and why your full income picture should guide the choice
• What the 2026 Trustees Report says about future benefits and why a funding shortfall doesn’t mean benefits disappear
• How to think about the proposed PROMISE Act without changing your retirement plan based on legislation that isn’t law
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• #54 — How Social Security Gets Taxed: What You Need to Know
• 2026 Social Security Quick Reference Guide
• Ultimate Guide to Women’s Social Security Success

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

If you’re a woman planning for retirement and an annuity has been recommended to you, the hardest part may not be understanding how it works. It may be deciding whether it actually belongs in your retirement plan.

Asking better questions can help you understand what you’re considering before you commit.

In this episode, I explain how to evaluate whether an annuity fits within your retirement plan. I walk through the questions I want you to ask about the retirement need you’re trying to address, other available options, what an annuity actually provides, what you may give up in return, how fees and surrender charges work, and what could happen if your circumstances change. I also explain why reviewing the contract and understanding your free look period can give you time to make a more informed decision.

Key points:

• Start by identifying the retirement need you want an annuity to address before evaluating the product itself.
• Compare an annuity with other ways of accomplishing the same retirement goal before making your decision.
• Understand exactly what the contract protects or provides, including income, principal, and access to money.
• Review rider fees, commissions, advisory fees, and surrender charges so you know what you’re paying for.
• Consider how changing health, family needs, or cash needs could affect whether the annuity still fits your plan.
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• #115 – Understanding Annuities Before You Decide if They Belong in Your Retirement Plan
• #116 – Which Type of Annuity Fits Your Retirement Plan?
• #118 – How Are Annuities Taxed? A Simple Guide for Retirement
• Does an Annuity Fit Within My Financial Plan?
• 2026 Tax and Retirement Planning Cheat Sheet

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Annuities are insurance products issued by insurance companies and involve costs, fees, limitations, and contractual terms that vary by product. Guarantees are backed solely by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Before purchasing an annuity, investors should carefully consider their financial objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and contract features, and consult with their financial, tax, and legal professionals.

Retirement tax planning can feel confusing, especially when annuities enter the conversation.

I’ve found that many people aren’t really asking about the annuity itself. They’re trying to understand what happens to their money, how it’s taxed, and whether an annuity is the right fit for their retirement.

In this episode, I continue our annuity series by walking through the tax rules that often create the most confusion. I explain why the source of your money matters, how qualified and non-qualified annuities are taxed differently, and why buying an annuity inside an IRA doesn’t change the tax treatment of that retirement account.

We also discuss how withdrawals work, how tax deferral fits into retirement planning, and why every annuity decision should begin with one simple question: What do I want this money to do for me?

Key takeaways:

• Understanding how the source of your money determines the way an annuity is generally taxed
• Why placing an annuity inside an IRA usually doesn’t change the retirement account’s tax rules
• The difference between qualified and non-qualified annuities when withdrawals begin
• How tax deferral allows earnings to continue growing until money is withdrawn
• Asking what role an annuity should play before deciding whether it belongs in your retirement plan
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• #115 – Understanding Annuities Before You Decide if They Belong in Your Retirement Plan
• #116 – Which Type of Annuity Fits Your Retirement Plan?
• Checklist: Does an Annuity Fit Within My Financial Plan?

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Annuities are insurance products issued by insurance companies and involve costs, fees, limitations, and contractual terms that vary by product. Guarantees are backed solely by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Before purchasing an annuity, investors should carefully consider their financial objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and contract features, and consult with their financial, tax, and legal professionals.

We’ve learned that many of the most important retirement decisions aren’t only about finances. They’re about family, communication, and preparing for moments that none of us hope will come.

In this episode, I speak with Tami Calais, Aging and Change Coach, owner of Calais Senior Consult, and Motivational Interviewing Practitioner, about why families often delay difficult conversations with aging parents until a crisis leaves them with few choices. We discuss how adult children can approach these discussions with empathy instead of urgency, why connection creates better outcomes than control, how having conversations earlier can help families avoid unnecessary guilt, and practical ways families can preserve a loved one’s voice while planning for future care.

Key takeaways:

• Why waiting for a health emergency often makes family decisions much more difficult and emotional
• How empathy creates safer conversations than immediately offering advice or solutions
• Ways adult children can support aging parents while respecting their independence and choices
• Why preserving an older adult’s voice should remain the priority throughout every planning discussion
• Practical communication techniques that help families prepare before difficult care decisions arise
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Connect with Tami Calais:

• LinkedIn: Tami Calais
• Website: Aging and Change Coach
• Instagram: @agingandchangecoach
• YouTube: Aging and Change Coach
• TikTok: @agingandchangecoach

About our Guest:

Tami Calais is the Aging & Change Coach — a speaker and Motivational Interviewing practitioner who helps families and senior living organizations navigate the hardest conversations about aging with confidence instead of avoidance. With 15+ years in senior living and a methodology built on curiosity over control, Tami teaches a different way to talk about change: one rooted in connection, not confrontation. She is the founder of Hard Conversations, Handled Well, and her work is grounded in a simple belief — resistance isn’t a personality trait; it’s the physics of communication.

When people hear the word annuity, they often picture a stream of retirement income. While that’s certainly part of the story, there are important decisions that come long before those payments ever begin.

How do the different types of annuities work? Which one might fit your retirement goals? And what questions should you answer before comparing products?

In this episode, I continue our annuity series by explaining the different types of annuities and how each one is designed to solve a different retirement planning challenge. I clarify the difference between an annuity as a financial concept and an annuity as a financial product, explain how immediate, deferred, fixed, fixed indexed, and variable annuities work, and return to one guiding question that can bring greater clarity to every retirement decision: What are you trying to accomplish?

Key takeaways

• How viewing annuities as financial products changes the decisions involved before purchasing one
• Why immediate and deferred income annuities serve different retirement income objectives
• How fixed indexed annuities balance market participation with protection from direct market losses
• Why variable annuities may appeal to investors seeking tax-deferred growth opportunities
• How identifying your retirement goal first helps narrow the annuity choices that may fit your plan
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• Understanding Annuities Before You Decide if They Belong in Your Retirement Plan (Ep. 115 | Pt. 1)
• Checklist: Does an Annuity Fit Within My Financial Plan?

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Annuities are insurance products issued by insurance companies and involve costs, fees, limitations, and contractual terms that vary by product. Guarantees are backed solely by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Before purchasing an annuity, investors should carefully consider their financial objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and contract features, and consult with their financial, tax, and legal professionals.