Annuity Awareness Month: Separating Fact from Fiction About Annuities

Annuity Awareness Month: Separating Fact from Fiction About Annuities

June is Annuity Awareness Month, and that means it's time to tackle one of the most misunderstood topics in retirement planning. Matt and Josh dive into the world of annuities, breaking down common myths, explaining the different types available, and helping listeners understand how these products may fit into a retirement income strategy. Are annuities all the same? Do they lock up your money forever? Are they only for wealthy investors? Matt addresses these questions and more while explaining how annuities can help create reliable retirement income—especially for LGBTQ+ retirees who may face unique financial planning challenges due to career interruptions, delayed family formation, or reliance on chosen family. Whether you've heard great things about annuities or horror stories, this episode focuses on education rather than sales pitches, helping you understand the facts so you can make informed decisions about your retirement future. -- Request your free RSSA Roadmap for Social Security optimization Watch full episodes on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow [https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow]Follow on BlueSky, Threads, Facebook, Instagram — just search Take Pride in Retirement --  Take Pride in Retirement is proud to be named one of the top Pride podcasts on the internet by FeedSpot. For more, go to https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts [https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts] About Take Pride in Retirement: Take Pride in Retirement is a podcast dedicated to retirement planning solutions for the LGBTQ community. Host Matt McClure, a licensed fiduciary financial advisor, shares strategies to protect your hard-earned money while pursuing market-like growth. Matt holds the RSSA® credential as a Registered Social Security Analyst®, helping clients optimize their Social Security filing strategies to potentially increase lifetime income. He’s also a Certified Annuity Specialist® (CAS®), a designation earned through a 135+ hour graduate-level program in fixed-rate and variable annuities from the Institute of Business & Finance. Based in Georgia with his husband and two dogs, Matt spent over a decade in New York City, working with The Wall Street Journal Radio Network, NY1, and WCBS Newsradio 880. A career highlight includes reporting from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Retirement Q&A Part 2: More Answers to Your Biggest Retirement Questions

In this second installment of our listener-inspired retirement Q&A series, Josh is back with another round of some of the most common questions I hear from LGBTQ+ individuals and couples preparing for retirement. We tackle important topics including the biggest retirement mistakes people make, how often you should really be checking your investment accounts, what happens if one partner handles all the finances, whether you should pay off your mortgage before retirement, concerns about Social Security's future, and what a truly successful retirement actually looks like. Along the way, we discuss why retirement planning is about much more than investments, why communication between partners matters, and why retirement success is ultimately about creating a life you love—not simply accumulating the largest account balance possible. If you're looking for practical retirement guidance delivered in a straightforward and relatable way, this episode is for you. No matter who you are, where you come from, who you love, how you identify, or how much money you have, you deserve a retirement you can take pride in. -- Request your free RSSA Roadmap for Social Security optimization Watch full episodes on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow [https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow]Follow on BlueSky, Threads, Facebook, Instagram — just search Take Pride in Retirement --  Take Pride in Retirement is proud to be named one of the top Pride podcasts on the internet by FeedSpot. For more, go to https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts [https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts] About Take Pride in Retirement: Take Pride in Retirement is a podcast dedicated to retirement planning solutions for the LGBTQ community. Host Matt McClure, a licensed fiduciary financial advisor, shares strategies to protect your hard-earned money while pursuing market-like growth. Matt holds the RSSA® credential as a Registered Social Security Analyst®, helping clients optimize their Social Security filing strategies to potentially increase lifetime income. He’s also a Certified Annuity Specialist® (CAS®), a designation earned through a 135+ hour graduate-level program in fixed-rate and variable annuities from the Institute of Business & Finance. Based in Georgia with his husband and two dogs, Matt spent over a decade in New York City, working with The Wall Street Journal Radio Network, NY1, and WCBS Newsradio 880. A career highlight includes reporting from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Retirement Q&A: The Questions LGBTQ+ Couples Ask Most Often

What are the biggest retirement questions LGBTQ+ individuals and couples are asking right now? In this special Q&A episode of Take Pride in Retirement, Josh puts me in the hot seat as we tackle some of the most common retirement planning questions I hear from clients and listeners. We discuss Social Security claiming strategies for married couples, how marriage equality impacts retirement planning today, how much cash retirees should keep on hand, estate planning considerations for people without children, the truth about annuities, and whether it's ever too late to catch up on retirement savings. Along the way, we explore some of the unique financial planning challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, including survivor benefits, chosen family considerations, and the importance of keeping estate documents up to date. If you've ever wondered whether you're making the right retirement decisions—or if you're worried you may be behind—this episode is packed with practical guidance designed to help you move forward with confidence. No matter who you are, where you come from, who you love, how you identify, or how much money you have, you deserve a retirement you can take pride in. -- Request your free RSSA Roadmap for Social Security optimization Watch full episodes on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow [https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow]Follow on BlueSky, Threads, Facebook, Instagram — just search Take Pride in Retirement --  Take Pride in Retirement is proud to be named one of the top Pride podcasts on the internet by FeedSpot. For more, go to https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts [https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts] About Take Pride in Retirement: Take Pride in Retirement is a podcast dedicated to retirement planning solutions for the LGBTQ community. Host Matt McClure, a licensed fiduciary financial advisor, shares strategies to protect your hard-earned money while pursuing market-like growth. Matt holds the RSSA® credential as a Registered Social Security Analyst®, helping clients optimize their Social Security filing strategies to potentially increase lifetime income. He’s also a Certified Annuity Specialist® (CAS®), a designation earned through a 135+ hour graduate-level program in fixed-rate and variable annuities from the Institute of Business & Finance. Based in Georgia with his husband and two dogs, Matt spent over a decade in New York City, working with The Wall Street Journal Radio Network, NY1, and WCBS Newsradio 880. A career highlight includes reporting from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Podcast Extra: Hearing Loss with Dr. Ryan Potter

Retirement.Radio’s Matt McClure speaks with Dr. Ryan Potter about the growing issue of hearing loss among first responders and why protecting hearing health is so important in high-pressure emergency situations. Dr. Potter explains that long-term noise exposure impacts an estimated 80% of law enforcement officers, 40% of firefighters, and 45% of EMS providers, creating challenges that can affect both job performance and quality of life. The conversation also highlights practical ways everyone can protect their hearing, from using hearing protection in loud environments to getting baseline hearing evaluations and taking a proactive approach to long-term hearing health. Dr. Potter shares the personal story that inspired his career in audiology and discusses how Hearing Life [https://www.hearinglife.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] is helping people improve their hearing through assessments, treatment options, and special savings opportunities for first responders. -- Request your free RSSA Roadmap for Social Security optimization Watch full episodes on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow [https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow]Follow on BlueSky, Threads, Facebook, Instagram — just search Take Pride in Retirement --  Take Pride in Retirement is proud to be named one of the top Pride podcasts on the internet by FeedSpot. For more, go to https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts [https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts] About Take Pride in Retirement: Take Pride in Retirement is a podcast dedicated to retirement planning solutions for the LGBTQ community. Host Matt McClure, a licensed fiduciary financial advisor, shares strategies to protect your hard-earned money while pursuing market-like growth. Matt holds the RSSA® credential as a Registered Social Security Analyst®, helping clients optimize their Social Security filing strategies to potentially increase lifetime income. He’s also a Certified Annuity Specialist® (CAS®), a designation earned through a 135+ hour graduate-level program in fixed-rate and variable annuities from the Institute of Business & Finance. Based in Georgia with his husband and two dogs, Matt spent over a decade in New York City, working with The Wall Street Journal Radio Network, NY1, and WCBS Newsradio 880. A career highlight includes reporting from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Why LGBTQ+ Retirement Planning Requires More Than Saving Money

On this episode of Take Pride in Retirement, Josh and I dive into a new study from Goldman Sachs that found something incredibly important: people with a written, personalized retirement plan tend to feel more confident, save more consistently, and experience better financial outcomes overall. We talk about the difference between simply having retirement accounts and actually having a strategy — and why that distinction matters so much, especially for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples navigating retirement without a traditional template. We also discuss the emotional side of retirement planning, the importance of financial confidence, and the role consistency and “financial grit” play in long-term success. If you’ve ever wondered whether your current retirement approach is enough — or if you’re simply “winging it” — this episode is for you. -- Request your free RSSA Roadmap for Social Security optimization Watch full episodes on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow [https://www.youtube.com/@TakePrideinRetirementShow]Follow on BlueSky, Threads, Facebook, Instagram — just search Take Pride in Retirement --  Take Pride in Retirement is proud to be named one of the top Pride podcasts on the internet by FeedSpot. For more, go to https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts [https://blog.feedspot.com/pride_podcasts] About Take Pride in Retirement: Take Pride in Retirement is a podcast dedicated to retirement planning solutions for the LGBTQ community. Host Matt McClure, a licensed fiduciary financial advisor, shares strategies to protect your hard-earned money while pursuing market-like growth. Matt holds the RSSA® credential as a Registered Social Security Analyst®, helping clients optimize their Social Security filing strategies to potentially increase lifetime income. He’s also a Certified Annuity Specialist® (CAS®), a designation earned through a 135+ hour graduate-level program in fixed-rate and variable annuities from the Institute of Business & Finance. Based in Georgia with his husband and two dogs, Matt spent over a decade in New York City, working with The Wall Street Journal Radio Network, NY1, and WCBS Newsradio 880. A career highlight includes reporting from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.