Take Back Retirement – Details, episodes & analysis

"This is a generation that is incredibly scrappy. This is a generation that gets it done. We actually know how to find the resources when we need to." – Kerry Hannon

Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, welcome Kerry Hannon and Janna Herron, co-authors of "Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future," for a candid conversation about why this overlooked generation faces unique retirement challenges, and why there's still plenty of time to turn things around!

The timing couldn't be better. With the oldest Gen Xers turning 60 this year, this generation of approximately 64-65 million Americans born between 1965 and 1980 finds itself squeezed between caring for aging parents and supporting adult children while confronting their own retirement reality.

"We were kind of the Guinea pig generation when it came to the 401(k)s," Janna explains. Gen X caught the worst of both worlds: pensions were disappearing while 401(k)s were arriving without proper education about their importance. Early contribution limits were low, automatic enrollment didn't exist, and many default investment options were conservative money markets rather than growth-oriented funds.

But Kerry and Janna reject the doom-and-gloom narrative. "This is a generation that is incredibly scrappy," Kerry insists. "This is a generation that gets it done."

They believe in starting with vision before worrying about numbers. If you don't know what you're saving for, it's super hard to get excited about doing it. Kerry encourages vision boards and refrigerator lists of life experiences you don't want to miss.

Janna shares how she and her husband hold quarterly "financial summits" and maintain a separate savings account for their dream teardrop camper. "It's fun to look at our little savings fund and go, look how much closer we are."

Retirement doesn't mean stopping work entirely, but reimagining what it means to work! Knowledge workers can transition to consulting, pursue deferred dreams, or explore new fields. The key is planning ahead and continuing to learn.

Perhaps most importantly, they stress addressing health now. Retirement is the time when you can get your health together so that you have better health outcomes when you get older, and save money at the same time.

Gen X's cynicism might be legendary, but channeling that scrappy, resilient spirit could be exactly what secures their financial future!

Key Topics:

·       Why a Book for Gen X Now (1:40)

·       The 401(k) Guinea Pig Generation (4:39)

·       Home Equity as a Bright Spot (12:05)

·       Creating Your Retirement Vision (15:07)

·       Working Longer as Strategy (21:43)

·       AI and the Future of Work (28:29)

·       Finding the Right Financial Advisor (30:47)

·       Healthcare: The Hidden Retirement Cost (37:21)

·       Stephanie and Kevin's Wrap Up (38:44)

Resources:

·       Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future (book)

·       Kerry Hannon (website)

·       Janna Herron (LinkedIn)

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.

"Creating safe spaces for people to talk about money is one of the most powerful things we can do right now to make the world better for change." -Meg Wheeler

Our hosts Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines sit down with Meg Wheeler, CPA and founder of the Equitable Money Project, who's on a mission to demolish the shame surrounding money conversations through accessible financial education.

Her approach shows us that the path to financial confidence isn't about becoming an expert. It's about learning to simply talk about money without judgment.

"Why should we know this when we've never been taught it in school?"

Meg challenges the pervasive shame many people feel about their financial knowledge gaps. After all, we don't feel ashamed about not knowing brain surgery or environmental science because we were never taught those subjects either!

The real problem isn't lack of knowledge, but the absence of safe spaces to discuss money openly.

Meg's work centers on creating a community where people can share their financial stories without fear. She emphasizes that most people's situations aren't unique. Whether it's medical debt from our broken healthcare system or struggling with inconsistent business income, the factors contributing to financial challenges are systemic rather than personal failures.

She suggests going for incremental progress rather than perfection.

"Every quarter we want you to pick just one thing within one of those buckets to focus on," she explains, referring to her three-pillar framework: set up foundations, stabilize, and grow. This approach makes wealth-building feel achievable rather than overwhelming.

Perhaps most powerfully, Meg advocates for teaching children about money early. Her eight-year-old has a debit card and checks his bank balance before purchases. Not because he's learning to become a financial professional, but because money should not be feared but normalized.

Financial empowerment begins not with expertise, but with conversation, community, and compassion toward ourselves and others navigating the same challenges.

●      Meg's Path to Financial Education (02:26)

●      The Problem with "Financial Literacy" (04:28)

●      Why We Feel Shame About Money (05:21)

●      Information vs. Quality Education (05:56)

●      Creating Safe Spaces for Money Talk (14:07)

●      Teaching Kids About Money (16:13)

●      Learning the Language of Money (17:43)

●      The Three Pillars of Wealth Building (25:51)

●      Overcoming Emergency Fund Shame (26:54)

●      Business Owner Tips and Avoidance (33:00)

Resources:

• Equitable Money Project 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.

"Body work, brain work, and world work - all longevity habits fit into those three categories." -Allison Davis

When author and naturopath Allison Davis turned 60, she didn't accept it as the "gateway to old age"—she saw it as a turning point. Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, talk with Allison about her transformative journey and her new book, Sixty Is a Good Start: A Powerful Body, A Purposeful Life, and a Plan to Make It Happen.

Allison recounts a yearlong period of reflection that led to saying "yes" to new challenges, most notably, the intense 75 Hard program. But her real insight lies in making change sustainable through what she calls the "self-perpetuating circle of purpose": small, habit-based practices in three categories—Body Work, Brain Work, and World Work.

Drawing on research from Blue Zones and longevity science, she outlines a holistic strategy grounded in baby steps, accountability, and environment. Whether it's putting fruit at eye level in the fridge or walking with a group of friends every (or nearly every) morning, Allison makes the case that aging well isn't about an overhaul, but intention.

Allison's ultimate goal is to help us reimagine our next chapter—not as a slow fade, but as a season of vitality, purpose, and community.

Key Topics:

• Allison's Turning Point at age 60 (03:12)
• The Power of Saying Yes and the Misogi Method (05:42)
• Completing 75 Hard and the Role of Community (07:37)
• Introducing the Body/Brain/World Framework (15:34)
• Blue Zones, Longevity, and Daily Habits (17:21)
• How Environment Shapes Behavior (20:07)
• The Power of Baby Steps and Planning (21:36)
• Optimism, Accountability, and Positive Aging (29:48)
• Key Takeaways (35:25)

Resources:

• Sixty Is a Good Start: A Powerful Body, A Purposeful Life, and a Plan to Make It Happen (book)
• Allison McCune Davis Website + Link to the 60-Day Dare

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.

Today, we sit down with Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, a wealth psychology expert, founder of KBK Wealth Connection, and host of the Breaking Money Silence® Podcast.

Kathleen is a highly sought-after speaker for financial industry conferences and is the author of five books, her latest being Breaking Money Silence®: How to Shatter Money Taboos, Talk More Openly about Finances, and Live a Richer Life.

Listen in as Stephanie, Kevin, and Kathleen dive into the rather sticky topics related to women, money, and power, from dealing with unconscious bias in the workplace, to gathering the courage to ask for a raise, to considerations around money and power dynamics within couples.

Key Topics:

What does money and power for women mean to Kathleen? (2:41)

Our thoughts on how women seek financial advice versus men. (4:47)

Cultural barriers to women's empowerment around their finances. (10:00)

The power of building a support system. (11:29)

Dealing with unconscious bias and gaining the courage - and skills -  to ask for a raise. (13:29)

Psychologically, what gets in the way of women charging what we're really worth? (17:18)

"I don't want to ask for more because it's greedy to do so." (22:55)

Kathleen's advice to spouses around power and money dynamics. (27:43)

Shared goals versus independent goals. (32:15)

Kathleen's upcoming courses and programs. (33:45)

About Kathleen's Creating Wealth From The Inside Out Workbook. (35:05)

Stephanie and Kevin's closing thoughts. (38:00)

Resources Mentioned:

• Use Code: TAKEBACK10 to get 10% off any full priced course!
• Breaking Money Silence® Learning Lab (online courses)

https://courses.breakingmoneysilence.com/

• Negotiating Your Fees with Confidence Master Class

http://www.breakingmoneysilence.com/negotiating-masterclass/

• Negotiating Your Fees with Confidence Course

https://breakingmoneysilence.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1026985

• How to Conquer Your Fear of Negotiating (free online course)

https://breakingmoneysilence.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1023642

• Breaking Money Silence®: How to Shatter Money Taboos, Talk More Openly about Finances, and Live a Richer Life (book)

https://www.breakingmoneysilence.com/books/

• Creating Wealth From The Inside Out Workbook (book)

https://www.breakingmoneysilence.com/books/

• Other books by Kathleen Burns Kingsbury

https://www.breakingmoneysilence.com/books/

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.

A lot of folks believe that there is a magic number that they need to work towards in order to be able to retire.

There is a myth out there that there is some perfect number of dollars you need to accumulate so that you can retire. That it's really all just one mathematical equation with one distinct, perfect answer.

…Except this belief is completely, utterly unfounded.

Listen in as Stephanie and Kevin dismantle the notion that hitting your "magic number" is the key to your retirement success.

They explain why coming up with a specific dollar amount for that next chapter in your life may not be as simple as you think, the psychological dangers of focusing solely on such a number, and how to really diversify your assets to maximize your freedom in your retirement years.

Key Topics:

• Is there really such a thing as a "magic number" to retirement? (2:05)
• Do you really know what the next chapter of your life is going to look like? (5:02)
• We're guessing, and that's OK! (7:06)
• Not all dollars are created equal. (08:18)
• Keys to diversification. (11:20)
• Why the notion of a "magic number" is psychologically dangerous. (13:07)
• "You don't have to have all those dollars in your hand on day one of your retirement." (15:00)
• Why hitting a "magic number" doesn't guarantee smooth sailing in retirement. (16:41)
• "Your money is here for a reason. Don't lose sight of the reason." (18:16)
• Don't just look at how many dollars you're accumulating, but the types of dollars. (22:20)

Resources Mentioned:

• "Doom, Despair and Agony on Me" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IIKE9p5SEw
• Take Back Retirement Episode 7: Here's a Secret: We're Guessing, and That's OK

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.

Today's guest is KT, who speaks on how she was able to retire at the age of 54.

She was inspired to retire early only a decade prior. It wasn't an easy road, but it was absolutely worth it.

Listen in as KT describes her unique retirement journey and the money mindset transformation that she had to undergo to reach her goals. She shares her favorite books and other resources that armed her with valuable knowledge along the way, as well as how her efforts to increase her financial intelligence impacted her own kids' view toward money for the better.

Key Topics:

• Why did KT decide to retire early? (2:30)
• "You found something to retire to rather than retire from." (7:09)
• KT's inspirations for investing her way to retirement. (9:00)
• "I started being really thoughtful about how I spent all of my money." (11:00)
• Getting your kids on board with your financial strategy for retirement. (12:21)
• Defining the "FIRE movement." (15:55)
• Considerations around the Four Percent Rule. (18:38)
• Pivoting away from the bank and investing on your own terms. (20:21)
• KT's advice for women who want to go down a similar path to hers. (23:05)
• How KT established a tax strategy to bring her closer to early retirement. (25:28)
• What KT likes to splurge on. (29:48)
• Stephanie and Kevin's biggest takeaways. (32:57)

Resources mentioned:

• Your Money or Your Life (book by Vicki Robin)
• The Simple Path to Wealth (book by JL Collins)
• I Will Teach You to be Rich – SECOND EDITION (book by Ramit Sethi)
• Taxes Made Simple (book by Mike Piper)
• The Millionaire Next Door (book by Thomas Stanley & William Danko)
• Money Moustache (blog by Peter Jonathan Adeney)
• Take Back Retirement Episode 19: You Want to Retire Before Age 65? Here's What You Need to Know (episode that Kevin references at 1:25)
• Take Back Retirement Episode 22: Why You Spend The Way You Do with Maggie Klokkenga (episode that KT references at 28:45)

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.

What nuggets of wisdom can we take away about retirement planning from a famous baseball contract?

It turns out, quite a few!

Listen in as Stephanie and Kevin unpack Bobby Bonilla Day and the circumstances that led to the former MLB player receiving a $1.19 million paycheck every year for 25 years—and the lessons you can extract from this story to better prepare you for those golden years.

Key Topics:

The story behind Bobby Bonilla Day (2:25)

"Why are we talking about some baseball contract?" (5:00)

Lesson #1: Understand your goals (5:57)

Lesson #2: Embrace the magic of deferred gratification (8:39)

Lesson #3: Build more wealth in the long run via compound interest (11:04)

Lesson #4: Know your risk-reward tradeoff (13:02)

Lesson #5: Note down historical returns (16:20)

Lesson #6: Take inflation into account (20:51)

Lesson #7: Know the value of working with experts (22:53)

"The key is to make an informed decision." (25:44)

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.

We're naturally spenders and not savers. It's just how we're wired. By the time we realize we may have a problem with how we're managing and spending our money, we've already built up intense feelings of overwhelm and shame that are difficult to overcome.

How can we begin to change our negative money scripts and move from a mindset of scarcity to a mindset of abundance starting today?

Today's guest is Maggie Klokkenga, a financial coach with dual credentials as accountant and financial planner. After 20+ years in the financial industry, Maggie recently started her own firm in Illinois and works with clients all over the country, focusing in particular on financial coaching for couples and families planning for college. She views it all through the lens of the psychology of money.

Listen in as Maggie shares how she "reduces overwhelm and shame around money by helping her clients get out of the red and into the black."

She gives us a mini history lesson and science lesson to help us all understand why we've made past spending choices, which can empower us to change our current spending patterns and achieve those financial goals.

Key Topics:

What Maggie does for a living (1:37)

Why we develop "overwhelm and shame" around money (2:21)

Changing your money script (6:16)

Becoming aware of our fight-or-flight response with money (15:33)

Going from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset (27:30)

George Kinder's three questions to change your perspective on money for the better (32:22)

The four categories of money scripts (38:35)

Reach out to Maggie to learn how you can transform your view around money at maggie@makeamoneymindshift.com. Visit her website at www.makeamoneymindshift.com.

You can also find her on her socials:

https://www.facebook.com/makeamoneymindshift/

https://www.instagram.com/makeamoneymindshift/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-a-money-mindshift-llc/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJeDCaRI3Aw7I7W1Xvqq-Kw

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.

Medicare is a huge part of your retirement. Whether you're looking to arm yourself with the information you need in preparation for the next stage of your life, or you're already there and simply want to learn how you can do better with what you currently have, this is the episode for you.

Susan Sloan, a licensed agent and longtime friend, joins us to do a deep dive into everything women need to know about Medicare.

Her passion for her field came about when she noticed that there was a lack of understanding about the ins-and-outs of health insurance not just among patients, but among their doctors, too.

As Susan herself says, "Doctors and hospitals, and insurance companies live on two separate planets."

This drove her to become not just an insurance salesperson, but an insurance advocate.

Listen in as Susan defines the business of the hospitals and insurance companies; exactly when and how to apply for Medicare; what's covered by Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D; the difference between supplemental plans and Medicare Advantage plans; and how insurance agents can represent you.

Key Topics:

How does Susan know so much about Medicare and health insurance? (1:54)

When it comes to Medicare, what exactly do you need? (6:57)

"If you have a retiree program, sometimes you have to take everything or you get nothing." (16:00)

The difference between Medicare Part A and Part B. (17:01)

Always ask your provider what services are covered under your Medicare plan. (23:10)

How Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) work differently. (24:30)

Can you switch Advantage Plans? (31:16)

What if you have health issues heading into retirement at 65? (36:18)

About Medicare Part D. (38:30)

"It costs you nothing to use an agent." (42:15)

Our closing thoughts. (45:54)

Reach out to Susan to learn how to take the frustration out of health insurance. Get in touch with her at www.realhealthquotes.com. Our favorite video from her library covers the strict rules around the marketing of Medicare insurance plans http://www.realhealthquotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Susan-Sloan-talking-about-Fraudulent-Medicare-Solicitors.mp4.

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.

In the United States, we can't talk finances without talking taxes. It shouldn't come as a surprise that taxes are an inevitable part of our reality and are inescapable. The best (and only) way to go about navigating taxes is to, as Stephanie and Kevin like to say, "be smart about it, know what's going on, then make your decisions."

A Roth IRA is a tool that falls under the category of tax planning. So, it's vital to be aware of exactly what it is and how best to make use of it depending on your circumstances and goals.

"What's a Roth IRA, anyway?" you may ask. Basically, it's a special retirement account that was created in 1997 by Senator William Roth as part of one of the tax reform acts that get passed periodically. One of the primary differences between the Roth and the traditional IRA is that, unlike the traditional IRA, you are not taxed on the dividends you earn from the Roth.

Listen in and learn other notable differences between the traditional IRA and the Roth IRA, the rules around taking money out of a Roth, three scenarios in which one would want to open a Roth IRA; and how to prepare your Roth savings for your next of kin.

Key Topics:

"What the heck is a Roth IRA, anyway?" (3:06)

Differences between the traditional IRA and the Roth IRA (5:35)

Can you really take money out of a Roth IRA whenever you want? (14:49)

The five-year clock for IRA accounts (18:40)

Why even open a Roth IRA? (23:05)

Leaving a legacy: Passing on your Roth money to the next generation (32:47)

What is the "deathbed Roth conversion" strategy? (35:22)

Ultimately, what are your priorities? (37:24)

Check out Kevin's video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lloGStTwFdw

Check out our previous episodes for more information on this topic.

12: What Women Need to Know About IRAs with Sarah Brenner

• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/12-what-women-need-to-know-about-iras-with-sarah-brenner/id1534658342?i=1000509034189

15: What Women Need to Know About Social Security

• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/15-what-women-need-to-know-about-social-security/id1534658342?i=1000514954805

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.