Shows / Align Your Retirement
Align Your Retirement
Align Your Retirement is the retirement podcast for women in their 40s and 50s who've done a lot right with their money and know retirement is too important to wing.
If you're the CFO of your household, whether you're married, single, divorced, or widowed, you already know the voices:
"I'll run the real numbers after Q4."
"My 401(k) is fine. I check it."
"I'll handle Social Security timing when I'm closer."
"The inherited IRA can sit in cash until I figure out the 10-year rule."
Every one of…
Episodes
- Align Your Retirement
Maxing Your 401(k)? The Backdoor Roth, the Mega Backdoor, and the Old IRA Trap
Send us Fan Mail If you already max out your 401(k), can you still do a backdoor Roth? Yes. Your 401(k) limit and your IRA limit are separate. The harder…
- Align Your Retirement
Retiring With $2 Million: Which Account Should You Withdraw From First?
Send us Fan Mail Spend your brokerage account first, then your 401(k) or IRA, and save the Roth for last. It's the standard withdrawal order, and for some…
- Align Your Retirement
Left Your Job This Year? Why Your Tax Bill May Be Higher, and What to Do Before December 31
Send us Fan Mail You stopped working, so your taxes should drop. For many people who leave a high-paying job, the opposite happens. Final pay, last year's…
- Align Your Retirement
Delaying Social Security to 70 Cost This Couple $137,000. One Change Made It Worth $1.5 Million.
Send us Fan Mail Delay Social Security to 70. It's the most repeated retirement advice on the internet, and the check really does get bigger. What almost…
- Align Your Retirement
Retiring Before 65? Why Your 401(k) Could Cost You $9,500 a Year in Health Insurance
Send us Fan Mail A lot of women run the retirement math, know they could stop at 60, then price health insurance for the years before Medicare and decide to…
- Align Your Retirement
I Tested 4 Roth Conversion Strategies on a $2M IRA for a Single Woman
Send us Fan Mail Much of the Roth conversion guidance out there is built on married couple numbers. If you're single, or expect to be, those numbers can be off…
- Align Your Retirement
$2 Million vs. $5 Million: Why 2.5x the Savings Buys Only 1.7x the Income
Send us Fan Mail Two couples, identical in every way except one detail: Paul and Linda have $2 million saved, and Richard and Susan have $5 million. In this…
- Align Your Retirement
Why a $3M Nest Egg Can Mean Higher Taxes in Retirement
Send us Fan Mail Margaret saved $3 million, and every dollar sits in a 401(k) and a rollover IRA. It's enough money. The problem: at 75, she'll pay about…
- Align Your Retirement
You Have Two Social Security Checks. Only One Should Wait Until 70
Send us Fan Mail "Wait until 70 to claim Social Security" is the most repeated retirement advice on the internet. For a married woman who is the higher earner…
- Align Your Retirement
Health Insurance Before Medicare: How Your Income Sets Your Premium
Send us Fan Mail Health insurance before Medicare keeps a lot of women working longer than they need to. Coverage on your own can cost well over $2,000 a month…
- Align Your Retirement
The Medicare Surcharge That Ambushes You Two Years Late (IRMAA, Explained)
Send us Fan Mail Episode Description You did everything right. You saved aggressively, earned well, maybe converted to Roth or sold a property. Then two years…
- Align Your Retirement
Laid Off After 50? Five Clocks Are Already Running
Send us Fan Mail If a layoff lands after 50, it isn't an income problem. It's a structural one. Severance, equity, health coverage, and your 401(k) all start…
- Align Your Retirement
Same $200,000 a Year in Retirement, One Woman Pays About $1,000 in Tax
Send us Fan Mail Two women, both 62, both retired, both spending $200,000 a year. One pays tens of thousands in federal tax. The other pays about $1,000. The…
- Align Your Retirement
The New Roth Catch-Up Rule: Earning $150K+? Your 401(k) Just Changed
Send us Fan Mail If you're over 50 and earned more than $150,000 last year, a SECURE 2.0 rule that took effect this January changed your 401(k): your catch-up…
- Align Your Retirement
Can You Retire at 55 With $2 Million? (Single, No Pension)
Send us Fan Mail $2 million sounds like a finish line. At 55, single, with 35 years of retirement ahead of you, it's a starting number, and the distance…
- Align Your Retirement
Why "Just Max Your 401(k)" Stops Being Good Advice in Your 50s
Send us Fan Mail Maxing your 401(k) was one of the best habits you ever built. In your 50s, at a $200K+ income, it deserves a second look. Every pre-tax dollar…
- Align Your Retirement
The RSU Tax Trap: Why You'll Owe the IRS Five Figures Next April (and How to Fix It Before December)
Send us Fan Mail Your RSUs vested. Taxes came out of every vest. And you may still owe the IRS five figures in April, because your employer withholds a flat…
- Align Your Retirement
The Cheapest Tax Years of Your Life: Roth Conversions Before Social Security Starts
Send us Fan Mail There's a short stretch in early retirement when your paycheck has stopped, Social Security hasn't started, and required withdrawals haven't…
- Align Your Retirement
The Widow’s Penalty: Why Taxes Rise After a Spouse Dies and How Roth Conversions Can Help
Send us Fan Mail Hazel Secco explains the “widow’s penalty,” where a surviving spouse, usually the wife, often pays more tax after a husband’s death despite…
- Align Your Retirement
Inheriting an IRA? The 10-Year Rule That Can Quietly Cost Your Kids Six Figures
Send us Fan Mail You just inherited an IRA. Somewhere in the grief and the paperwork, a clock started, and almost no one tells you it's running. Since the…
- Align Your Retirement
Where You Hold Investments Changes What You Keep (Asset Location)
Send us Fan Mail Your investment allocation might be fine, but your account structure could be quietly shaving thousands off your retirement over time. I’m…
- Align Your Retirement
Sequence of Returns Risk: Same $2 Million, One Runs Out at 82
Send us Fan Mail Two women retire at 62 with the same $2 million, the same index funds, the same 7% average return, and the same $80,000 a year. One dies at 92…
- Align Your Retirement
When to Claim Social Security: Why the Math Is Different for Women
Send us Fan Mail Most Social Security break-even calculators give women the wrong answer, because the life expectancy table they use isn't yours. In this…
- Align Your Retirement
Roth Conversions With $1.5 Million in Pre-Tax Accounts: When the Window Opens and Closes
Send us Fan Mail If you have $1.5 million or more in pre-tax retirement accounts, the years between your last paycheck and your first required minimum…
- Align Your Retirement
When Should You Hire a Financial Advisor? A 3-Part Test
Send us Fan Mail Is it finally time to hire a financial advisor? The answer usually has less to do with your net worth and more to do with how much complexity…
- Align Your Retirement
You Know What to Do With Your Money. Why Aren't You Doing It?
Send us Fan Mail You know what you should be doing with your money, and you're still not doing it. That gap between knowing and doing is one of the most common…
- Align Your Retirement
Fee-Only vs. Fee-Based Financial Advisor: What's the Difference?
Send us Fan Mail Financial advisors aren't all paid the same way, and how your advisor is paid can shape the advice you get. In this episode, I explain what…
- Align Your Retirement
Why Financial Plans Fail When They're Built on Someone Else's Values
Send us Fan Mail Most financial plans don't fall apart because the math was wrong. They fall apart because they were built around what you thought you should…
- Align Your Retirement
Why You Still Worry About Money When You Earn Plenty
Send us Fan Mail Earning more doesn't always make money stress go away. If you feel guilty spending money you can afford, save far more than you need, or worry…
Align Your RetirementHow Much Is Enough to Retire? Finding Your Enough Number
Send us Fan Mail How much is enough? Your enough number is the amount that lets you stop chasing someone else's idea of success and build a retirement that…
Align Your RetirementWhat Your Money Is Really For: Building a Life With Options
Send us Fan Mail What is your money actually for? In this short episode, I talk about why a plan built around options, the freedom to choose how much and…
Align Your RetirementHer journey to becoming a mission-driven financial advisor
Send us Fan Mail Join Hazel on "Her Honest Money Talk" as she goes into her journey of becoming a financial advisor. She shares how it has shaped her into the…
Align Your RetirementEP 06. Finding Your Financial Wellness: Tips for Choosing the Right Financial Planner
Send us Fan Mail In today's episode of "Her Honest Money Talk," we're diving into the critical process of selecting a financial planner or advisor. The episode…
Align Your RetirementHer Honest Money Talk with Hazel Secco Trailer
Send us Fan Mail Introducing "Her Honest Money Talk" with Hazel Secco, CFP, CDFA, where financial clarity meets candid conversation. Join Hazel as she…
Align Your RetirementEP 05. Barbie Unboxed: Financial Advocate and Feminist Views
Send us Fan Mail Join us in this candid episode of Her Honest Money Talk as we dissect the movie 'Barbie' from the unique vantage points of a financial…
Align Your RetirementEP 04. Financial Advisor vs. Financial Planner
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of "Honest Money Talk," host Hazel Secco, founder of Align Financial Solutions, delves into the crucial question of finding…
Align Your RetirementEP 3: Emotions and Financial Decisions
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of "Her Honest Money Talk," we delve deep into the significance of comprehending the intricate connection between emotions and…
Align Your RetirementEP 2: Financial Advisor Compensation Demystified
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of "Her Honest Money Talk," we take a deep dive into the intriguing world of financial advisor compensation. Join us as we…
Align Your RetirementEP 1. Navigating Market Realities: Unveiling the Unspoken Truths
Send us Fan Mail Join Hazel Secco, founder of Align Financial Solutions, in this eye-opening episode of "Honest Money Talk." In a world where financial…