How to Build an Inflation-Proof Portfolio (And 3 Mistakes to Avoid)

The 6 Money Moves to Make Before You Retire

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://tylergardner.com/book] and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st! And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://facet.com/tyler]⁠⁠⁠ [https://square.com/go/tyler]⁠ [https://superpower.com]DeleteMe⁠ → joindeleteme.com/tyler20 [joindeleteme.com/tyler20]⁠ Use code Tyler20 for up to 20% off! * Caldera+ Lab⁠ → CalderaLab.com/TYLER [CalderaLab.com/TYLER] and use code TYLER for 20% off your first order. * ⁠Facet⁠ → ⁠⁠facet.com/tyler⁠ [facet.com/tyler] for an exclusive $550 kickstart offer! * Gelt → ⁠⁠joingelt.com/tyler⁠ [https://joingelt.com/tyler] because having the right tax strategist changes the game entirely. If you're a business or a high-net worth individual, you might want to check this one out today. And on to the show notes!! Most financial advice is about building wealth. Far less is about what comes next. In this episode, Tyler kicks off a five-part series on the art of decumulation—the transition from saving for retirement to confidently spending what you've spent decades building. Because retirement isn't just a financial shift. It's a life shift. In this episode, Tyler covers: * Why the first year of retirement is often the most emotionally challenging * How to build a 12–24 month cash buffer before leaving work * What to do with your 401(k) when you retire * How to think about Social Security and the healthcare gap before Medicare * Why every retiree should review beneficiaries and prepare their spouse to manage the finances * How to reposition your portfolio before retirement—not after The core idea: A successful retirement starts long before your last day at work. The more decisions you make in advance, the less likely you'll be forced into emotional ones later. This is Part 1 of Tyler's five-part series on retirement spending. Next week, he dives into one of the biggest decisions retirees face: which accounts to withdraw from first—and why the order matters. If the show's been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps. Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

The $2 Million Portfolio: Two Funds, Three Funds, or Five?

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://tylergardner.com/book] and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st! And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://facet.com/tyler]⁠⁠⁠ [https://square.com/go/tyler]⁠ [https://superpower.com]⁠Fabric⁠ → ⁠meetfabric.com/tyler⁠ [meetfabric.com/tyler] Made for busy parents like you; all online, on your schedule, right from your couch. You could be covered in under 10 minutes, often with no health exam required. * LMNT⁠ → ⁠drinklmnt.com/tyler [drinklmnt.com/tyler]⁠ Become an INSIDER, just order the INSIDER Bundle–four boxes for the price of three, best value they offer–and get early access to limited time flavors and cool surprise gifts along the way. * ⁠⁠⁠ [https://livemomentous.com]Copilot Money → ⁠⁠www.copilot.money/tyler [https://www.copilot.money/tyler]⁠⁠ — use code TYLER2 for two free months.⁠ * ⁠Bilt⁠ → ⁠joinbilt.com/tyler⁠ So you can choose the card that fits your lifestyle without missing out on points and exclusive benefits. [joinbilt.com/tyler] And on to the show notes!! Most investors think a better portfolio is a more complicated portfolio. It usually isn't. In this episode, Tyler revisits his retirement portfolio framework and answers one of the most common questions he's received: How many funds do you actually need? From a simple two-fund portfolio to more complex five-fund allocations, Tyler explains where diversification adds real value—and where it simply adds complexity. In this episode, Tyler covers: * The differences between two-, three-, and five-fund portfolios * Why simplicity often outperforms complexity over the long run * The difference between bond funds and money market funds * Whether international stocks are actually necessary * When adding more funds becomes an active bet, not diversification * Why rebalancing once a year is usually enough * The behavioral advantage of owning a portfolio you can actually stick with The core idea: The best portfolio isn't the most sophisticated. It's the one you'll hold through the next bear market. Because long-term investing isn't won by finding the perfect allocation. It's won by keeping costs low, staying invested, and resisting the urge to tinker. If the show's been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps. Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

5 Money Milestones and the Lie Each One Tells

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://tylergardner.com/book] and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st! And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://facet.com/tyler]⁠⁠⁠ [https://square.com/go/tyler]⁠ [https://superpower.com]Thrive Market [thrivemarket.com/tyler]⁠: → ⁠⁠thrivemarket.com/tyler [thrivemarket.com/tyler] for⁠ $20 off your first three orders plus you’ll get a FREE $60 gift! * ⁠Gelt [https://joingelt.com/tyler]: → ⁠⁠⁠joingelt.com/tyler⁠⁠ [https://joingelt.com/tyler] because Q3 is where strategic businesses make game-changing tax moves before the yearis over. If you're a business or a high-net worth individual, check out Gelt today. * Anthropic [claude.ai/tyler]⁠: → ⁠⁠claude.ai/tyler [claude.ai/tyler] ⁠to experience AI for minds that don't stop at good enough. * ⁠Facet⁠⁠ [https://facet.com/tyler]: → ⁠⁠⁠facet.com/tyler [https://facet.com/tyler]⁠⁠ for an exclusive $550 kickstart offer! And on to the show notes!! We spend a lot of our lives chasing financial milestones. A six-figure salary. Coast FIRE. Retirement. The next big achievement. But what if those milestones were never meant to make us feel complete? In this episode, Tyler steps away from spreadsheets and investment strategies to explore what literature can teach us about money, ambition, and the illusion that one more milestone will finally make everything click. Drawing on works by C.P. Cavafy, Samuel Johnson, Kazuo Ishiguro, and David Foster Wallace, Tyler reflects on why so many financial goals feel strangely empty once we reach them—and what that means for how we should build our lives. In this episode, Tyler explores: * Why a six-figure salary often changes less than we expect * What Coast FIRE really gives us—and what it doesn't * The hidden myth at the heart of retirement planning * Why major achievements rarely deliver lasting fulfillment * The importance of always having another "Ithaca" on the horizon * The one financial milestone that genuinely does transform people's lives: getting out of high-interest debt The core idea: Financial milestones matter—but not because they complete us. They give us direction. The real value isn't in arriving. It's in the person you become on the way there. If the show's been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps. Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

How to Build an Inflation-Proof Portfolio (And 3 Mistakes to Avoid)

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://tylergardner.com/book] and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st! And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors: * LMNT⁠: → ⁠drinklmnt.com/tyler⁠ [https://drinklmnt.com/tyler] Become an INSIDER, just order the INSIDER Bundle–four boxes for the price of three, best value they offer–and get early access to limited time flavors and cool surprise gifts along the way. * Wispr Flow: → wisprflow.ai/tyler [http://wisprflow.ai/tyler] for one free month of Wispr Flow Pro free! * ⁠⁠⁠ [https://livemomentous.com]⁠⁠Copilot Money⁠ [https://www.copilot.money/tyler]⁠: → ⁠⁠www.copilot.money/tyler⁠⁠ [https://www.copilot.money/tyler] — use code TYLER2 for two free months.⁠ * ⁠⁠Fabric [https://meetfabric.com/tyler]⁠⁠: → ⁠⁠meetfabric.com/tyler [https://meetfabric.com/tyler]⁠⁠ because if someone depends on your income, term life insurance is the next step you should take today. And on to the show notes!! Inflation doesn't usually destroy wealth overnight. It does it slowly. A little bit each year. A little less purchasing power. A little more expensive to maintain the same lifestyle. And over a long retirement, those small changes add up. In this episode, Tyler breaks down how investors can build portfolios that are designed to keep pace with inflation, rather than slowly fall behind it. Because protecting your money isn't just about growing it. It's about preserving what it can actually buy. In this episode, Tyler covers: * Why inflation is one of the biggest long-term risks retirees face * The asset classes that have historically done the best job of outpacing rising prices * Why stocks remain the most powerful long-term inflation hedge * How TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities) work * The role of real estate and infrastructure in an inflation-resistant portfolio * Why traditional bond-heavy portfolios can struggle when inflation rises * The hidden cost of holding too much cash * How overreacting to inflation headlines can hurt returns more than inflation itself Tyler also walks through three increasingly sophisticated portfolio approaches, ranging from a simple stock-and-TIPS allocation to a more diversified strategy incorporating real assets. The core idea: Inflation isn't a market event. It's a permanent feature of the system. The goal isn't to predict it. The goal is to build a portfolio that's prepared for it. If the show's been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps. Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

13 Money Moves They're Betting You Won't Make

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://tylergardner.com/book] and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st! And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors: * Keeper [keepersecurity.com/tyler]: → keepersecurity.com/tyler [http://keepersecurity.com/tyler] for 60% off personal and family plans for our podcast listeners only! Use this link, so they know we sent you. * ⁠ [https://facet.com/tyler]⁠Bilt⁠ [joinbilt.com/tyler]: → ⁠joinbilt.com/tyle [joinbilt.com/tyler]r⁠ to find the card that fits your lifestyle! * ⁠⁠⁠ [https://livemomentous.com]⁠⁠ [https://www.copilot.money/tyler]Gelt⁠⁠ [https://joingelt.com/tyler]: → joingelt.com/tyler⁠ [https://joingelt.com/tyler] because Q2 is where strategic businesses make game-changing tax moves. If you're a business or a high-net worth individual, you might want to check this one out today. And on to the show notes!! Most people assume the listed price is the real price. It often isn't. In this episode, Tyler shares a collection of practical money-saving strategies he's used himself — from negotiating internet bills to appealing property tax assessments — and explains why so many financial opportunities come down to one simple skill: Asking. Because companies routinely offer discounts, credits, and incentives that never appear on their websites. In this episode, Tyler covers: * Why calling the retention department can save hundreds per year * How often to shop auto insurance for the best results * The medical bill strategy that can dramatically reduce healthcare costs * Why HSAs may be the most underrated retirement account available * How Roth conversions can create major tax savings in low-income years * The surprisingly effective property tax appeal process * Hidden consumer tricks involving credit cards, Costco pricing, and price protection policies * Why unclaimed property databases are worth checking at least once The common thread through all of these strategies is simple: Most savings opportunities aren't hidden because they're complicated. They're hidden because most people never ask. The companies know it. The people who save money know it. And now you do too. If the show's been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps. Hope this gives you something to think about this week.