The Savvy Investor Podcast

What could a simple deed change save your family from thousands in unnecessary costs? This episode tackles one of the most common retirement concerns: how to handle real estate efficiently in an estate plan. The team breaks down how probate works, why many aim to avoid it, and how tools like transfer-on-death deeds can simplify the process in certain states. They also discuss common mistakes, including adding children as joint owne...

What if the stock market isn’t telling you the full story about your retirement? In this episode, Ryan Herbert breaks down why market headlines and economic signals can feel disconnected and why relying on them alone may create unnecessary stress. They revisit past market cycles to illustrate how volatility can affect withdrawals and long-term outcomes, especially early in retirement. The conversation shifts to a more practic...

Is doing nothing with your money actually a risky decision? In this episode, Mike Canet and Ryan Herbert break down why “wait and see” can create unintended consequences, especially as you move closer to retirement. They explore how fear driven by politics, markets, and headlines can lead to financial paralysis, and why a one-size-fits-all, set-it-and-forget-it approach may fall short in later stages of life. You’...

What happens if you “retire your risk” at the exact moment you need a strategy the most? This episode explores whether pulling back from the market in retirement actually creates new risks, like falling behind inflation or misaligning your goals. Katherine Groce & Lawrence Kiely break down how separating income from growth assets can help shape a more flexible approach, with “buckets” designed for income...

Is diversification really working the way you think or is it missing the bigger picture in retirement? This episode explores why some retirement-focused portfolios outperformed growth models, and what that reveals about strategy versus simple asset allocation. The conversation breaks down how traditional diversification has evolved, why risk management matters differently in retirement, and how income, taxes, and distribution plann...

Mike Canet sits down with Bill Murray and his brothers for a wide‑ranging, unscripted discussion that jumps from the future of their long‑running charity golf tournament to beloved family memories, including famously labor‑intensive fried chicken and the cast‑iron skillet behind it. Along the way, they share offbeat party‑crashing stories, reflections on unforgettable performances, and a few laughs about aging, beards, and movie ro...

Headlines scream disaster, but do they deserve control over your retirement decisions? In this episode, Ryan Herbert and Lawrence Kiely unpack why market predictions, social media takes, and financial fear‑mongering often miss the mark. From bold calls that never came true to hot investing trends pushed for clicks, they explain why reacting to noise can derail long‑term planning. The conversation focuses on understanding context, f...

Most people don’t schedule a retirement checkup because something went wrong—they do it because it’s finally time. In this episode, the team discusses why so many pre-retirees approach retirement without a written plan and what changes when income replaces a paycheck. The conversation covers common assumptions about “winging it,” why even experienced professionals often lack their own plans, and the di...

Choosing a financial advisor can feel overwhelming. Especially when you’re not sure what questions actually matter. In this episode, Mike Canet & Ryan Herbert discuss how investors can better evaluate an advisor or firm before moving forward. The conversation covers what to ask about services provided, planning deliverables, experience with retirement-focused clients, compensation structures, and whether you’ll work...

Retired and still surprised by a tax bill you didn’t see coming? In this episode, Ryan Herbert breaks down why many retirees continue writing checks to Uncle Sam and what’s often being overlooked along the way. From first-year retirement income surprises to how extra IRA withdrawals can trigger higher taxes on Social Security, the conversation unpacks common misconceptions about taxation in retirement. You’ll...

The market can be up 160% over a decade and still feel unsettling when short-term losses show up. In this episode, Mike Canet & Ryan Herbert dig into why market volatility feels so different depending on where you are in life. They discuss long-term growth versus retirement realities, how risk tolerance changes when income matters now, and why percentages don’t always tell the full story. From sequence-of-returns risk to ...

Is there really a “perfect” age to convert retirement dollars? Or is that the wrong question entirely?
In this episode, Ryan Herbert & Lawrence Kiely break down the often-misunderstood idea of Roth conversion “sweet spots” and why timing alone doesn’t equal strategy. They discuss how tax brackets, Medicare IRMAA, account balances, and life events all shape conversion decisions. The conversation ...

Market drops grab headlines, but they’re rarely the biggest challenge facing retirement plans. On this episode, Ryan Herbert & Lawrence Kiely break down the difference between routine market corrections, bear markets, and rare major downturns, while also discussing why short-term volatility often gets more attention than long-term planning realities. They explain how retirement strategies can be structured to separate inc...

What if your retirement plan worked more like a GPS: clear directions, planned stops, and updates when conditions change? In this episode, Mike Canet & Ryan Herbert use a road-trip analogy to explain why retirement planning shouldn’t rely solely on probabilities and projections. They discuss the value of having a written, step-by-step income roadmap that accounts for taxes, inflation, Medicare considerations, and changing...

What if the way you’re told to save for retirement isn’t the smartest option on the table?
A recent comparison between the U.S. retirement system and Australia’s sparks a deeper discussion about taxes, required minimum distributions, and long-term planning. The team breaks down how traditional 401(k)s, Australian-style retirement savings, and Roth 401(k)s handle taxation—both now and later—and why t...

Ryan Herbert & Katherine Groce break down common misconceptions about retirement income, taxes, Medicare premiums, and investment returns. They explore why a 401(k) balance isn’t entirely yours, how Social Security can be taxed, why Medicare costs can rise based on income, and how fees quietly erode returns. Through real examples and plain‑spoken explanations, the episode highlights how taxes, healthcare costs, and fees s...

A Super Bowl commercial sparks a conversation that could quietly reshape how families think about long‑term wealth. Mike and Ryan explore the new “Trump accounts,” a government‑seeded savings option for children that blends features of IRAs with long‑term compounding potential. The discussion breaks down who can open these accounts, contribution limits, tax treatment, and how parents and grandparents might use them alon...

A $5,000 Roth conversion that promises zero taxes sounds tempting but the fine print tells a very different story. In this episode, Mike and Ryan break down a real-world question that raises major red flags in retirement planning. They unpack how certain advisors frame “tax-free” strategies, why bonuses inside financial products can quietly create bigger tax bills, and how time horizons can make or break long-term outco...

What if the biggest retirement surprise isn’t the market but the tax bill you never saw coming? Mike Canet and Lawrence Kiely unpack a real retiree’s regret and dive into why taxes often derail otherwise solid plans. The conversation centers on overlooked strategies tied to 401(k)s, Roth accounts, and after‑tax contributions, including how complexity—not savings discipline—creates costly blind spots.

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