Retire Sooner with Wes Moss

Concerned about retirement planning in a market full of uncertainty and noise? In this episode of the Retire Sooner Podcast, Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase bring practical context to today’s financial headlines and common retirement questions.

• Analyze movements in gold prices and the U.S. dollar to clarify what currency shifts may indicate for markets and everyday economic conversations.

• Explain why a modestly weaker dollar is not inherently negative and how it can affect U.S. company competitiveness.

• Break down how the 4% retirement withdrawal rule of thumb is commonly discussed and why flexibility is central to long-term planning.

• Compare viewpoints from prominent financial commentators on sustainable retirement withdrawals and why results may differ by household.

• Outline considerations for retirement drawdowns, including when cash reserves versus equities are often referenced during market stress.

• Evaluate diversification considerations for investors concerned about concentrated exposure to technology- and AI-focused funds.

• Address the widespread concern about running out of money in retirement using commonly referenced planning frameworks.

• Review how pension cost-of-living adjustments work and the factors considered when comparing lump-sum and annuity options.

• Discuss the potential role and risks of high-yield bonds within balanced, income-focused portfolios.

• Highlight why aligning brokerage account registrations with a living trust is frequently referenced in estate planning discussions.

Listen to the Retire Sooner Podcast for clear, educational context on the retirement topics investors are talking about right now. Subscribe to stay connected to ongoing conversations focused on long-term planning, discipline, and perspective.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the American middle class actually shrinking, or evolving? In this episode of the Retire Sooner Podcast, Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase offer educational context on widely discussed economic, investing, and retirement planning topics shaping today’s financial conversations.

Listen as long-term data, market history, and household-level considerations are used to frame—not forecast—how these issues connect.

• Examine why the U.S. middle class is often described as shrinking and how income mobility, inflation-adjusted thresholds, and household dynamics influence that narrative.

• Review how artificial intelligence is commonly discussed in relation to productivity, workforce demand, and labor market participation.

• Outline general considerations around emergency savings, including income consistency, job stability, and insurance coverage.

• Explain factors households often weigh when deciding whether to engage a financial professional for planning support.

• Provide historical context on gold, market corrections, and why gold is sometimes referenced in diversification discussions.

• Summarize why dividends are frequently included in long-term investing conversations across market cycles.

• Highlight planning considerations for investment club assets, including potential capital gains implications during account or custodian transitions.

• Examine variables that may influence retirement spending needs, reinforcing that planning outcomes vary by household.

• Compare commonly discussed perspectives on dollar-cost averaging versus lump-sum investing during periods of market volatility.

This episode focuses on education and perspective—not individualized recommendations. Listen and subscribe to the Retire Sooner Podcast for ongoing conversations that place investing and retirement topics into long-term context.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gain clear, educational context on today’s investing and retirement planning topics with the Retire Sooner Podcast, hosted by Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase. This episode places market trends, investor behavior, and retirement account considerations into long-term perspective using historical data and widely referenced research.

In this episode, you’ll hear discussions that:

• Define the differences between small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap stocks and explain how market-capitalization classifications are commonly discussed in retirement planning.

• Examine why individual investors have historically experienced returns that differ from market benchmarks, referencing behavioral research frequently cited by DALBAR.

• Compare recent performance trends between the S&P 500 and small-cap indexes while reinforcing that market leadership shifts across cycles.

• Explain how trillion-dollar companies have reshaped modern definitions of large-cap and mega-cap stocks.

• Review the types of investment options typically available in employer-sponsored retirement plans and discuss why chasing recent performance is often identified as a behavioral risk.

• Discuss why small-cap equities remain part of long-term market history conversations while acknowledging higher volatility and variability.

• Compare Roth IRAs and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) by outlining differences in tax treatment, eligibility, and planning considerations.

• Explain how dividend-focused ETFs are commonly referenced in retirement income discussions and the historical role of dividends in total return.

• Reinforce the importance of diversification and disciplined decision-making by addressing behavioral tendencies such as fear of missing out, or FOMO.

• Address listener questions on market timing, lump-sum investing, Roth versus traditional 401(k) contributions, and Roth IRAs for younger earners using educational frameworks rather than personalized guidance.

Listen to the Retire Sooner Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast platform—and subscribe to stay connected to conversations designed to provide context, discipline, and long-term perspective on retirement and investing.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Retire Sooner Podcast welcomes Clark Howard alongside Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase for a special episode focused on market history, long-term investing principles, and today’s most talked-about financial transitions. The conversation emphasizes context over commentary and highlights how investors often think through uncertainty, change, and market structure.

• Highlight Clark Howard’s perspective on Warren Buffett stepping down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at age 95 and the transition to Greg Abel.

• Review Berkshire Hathaway’s long-term role in markets and why its history is frequently referenced alongside the S&P 500.

• Frame why long-term market participation is commonly emphasized during periods of leadership change at iconic companies.

• Discuss why Clark Howard views this transition as the close of a defining chapter in modern investing history.

• Explain how Berkshire Hathaway’s conglomerate structure differs from traditional private equity, including transparency and fee considerations.

• Examine growing market concentration and the shrinking number of U.S. public companies—and why those trends continue to matter.

• Outline how exposure to both public stocks and privately held businesses is often discussed when considering diversification.

• Summarize several big-picture themes shaping 2026 conversations, including artificial intelligence, tax-refund dynamics, and election-cycle uncertainty.

• Clarify what “dry powder” means and how cash, money market funds, and select bonds are commonly described in retirement safety discussions.

• Address listener questions by reviewing general considerations around investing settlement proceeds, tax-advantaged accounts, and dividend-oriented ETFs.

This episode offers a thoughtful conversation featuring Clark Howard with Wes Moss, focused on long-term perspective rather than short-term reaction. Listen and subscribe to the Retire Sooner Podcast for ongoing discussions that bring clarity and context to retirement and investing topics.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Start the year with structured context around today’s most frequently discussed retirement planning questions on the Retire Sooner Podcast, hosted by Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase. This episode presents an educational review of real listener scenarios, placing retirement, investing, and planning topics within a long-term analytical framework.

• Review current U.S. wealth statistics by discussing commonly cited data on net worth, retirement account balances, and generational financial trends.

• Outline household risk considerations by examining how families often think about emergency savings, retirement contributions, and income stability.

• Discuss real estate planning considerations by evaluating factors involved in purchasing a condo for college-bound children, including cash flow and potential resale dynamics.

• Describe fiduciary planning relationships by outlining services commonly associated with comprehensive retirement planning, tax coordination, and advisory fee structures.

• Explain the “Rule of 55” by clarifying how early access to employer-sponsored retirement plans is typically referenced.

• Summarize shared characteristics of long-term savers by highlighting recurring themes reported by listeners with higher household savings levels.

• Compare buffered ETFs by discussing how downside buffers and capped upside features are typically weighed within diversified portfolios.

• Examine mortgage buyout scenarios by outlining considerations for co-owned property, interest-rate assumptions, and loan structure implications.

• Analyze bond duration risk by discussing how interest-rate changes and yield-curve movements may influence long-duration bond pricing.

If you’re searching for clear, educational discussions around retirement planning, investing considerations, and household financial decision-making, this episode may add perspective. Listen and subscribe to the Retire Sooner Podcast for ongoing conversations that help place financial topics in a long-term context.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices