One Minute Retirement Tip with Ashley

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about savings optimization. How should you prioritize your savings in 2025, saving the right accounts in the right order to get to better financial stability and long-term flexibility.  We've talked about having enough cash on hand, then 401k contributions,then knocking out your non-mortgage debt.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about savings optimization. How should you prioritize your savings in 2025, saving the right accounts in the right order to get to better financial stability and long-term flexibility.  Today, I'm talking about paying off debt.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about savings optimization. How should you prioritize your savings in 2025, saving the right accounts in the right order to get to better financial stability and long-term flexibility.  Today, once you have enough cash on hand for emergencies, big expenses, and if you're close to retirement, that extra cushion for pausing portfolio withdrawals in a downturn, we can move on to longer term goals, like saving for retirement.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about savings optimization. How should you prioritize your savings in 2025, saving the right accounts in the right order to get to better financial stability and long-term flexibility.  Today, I'm talking about the importance of liquidity and building an emergency fund that's adequate for most of what life will throw at you. 

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. I'm a financial advisor and co-owner of True North Retirement Advisors, a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory practice managing over $425M in assets.  For 17 years, I've helped clients retire with confidence, and my goal on this podcast is to simplify the complexities of retirement planning so you can focus on what truly matters—enjoying your retirement years while maintaining financial security. So this week, I'll break down each step in the savings optimization ladder…what to focus on first, and what you should focus on next as you check each box and move up the ladder. If you pay attention to the right savings amounts in the right order in the right accounts, you'll be better off than most Americans and be more flexible with your finances, and set yourself up for more long-term financial stability. 

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: The American Dream Now Costs Over $4 Million

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the American Dream. According to a 2024 report from Investopedia, the American dream now costs $4.4 million.  Today, we're discussing what the American costs when it comes to vacations

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the American Dream. According to a 2024 report from Investopedia, the American dream now costs $4.4 million.  Today, we're discussing what the American costs when it comes to houses and cars

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the American Dream. According to a 2024 report from Investopedia, the American dream now costs $4.4 million.  Today, we're discussing what the American costs when it comes to raising kids and pets

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the American Dream. According to a 2024 report from Investopedia, the American dream now costs $4.4 million.  Today, we're discussing what the American costs when it comes to your retirement

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the American Dream. According to a 2024 report from Investopedia, the American dream now costs $4.4 million.  Today, we're discussing what the American costs when it comes to weddings and funerals.

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. Back in March, I came across a 2024 report from Investopedia that looked at all the things that define the American Dream - getting married, buying a house with that white picket fence, having kids, driving a nice, reliable car, owning pets, taking an annual vacation, saving enough for a comfortable retirement,and having a funeral where they don't throw your body in a pine box (unless you're into that minimal aesthetic).  What does it all cost to live the American Dream over your lifetime? $4.4 million. Can you live a fulfilling life with less? Absolutely! But I think exploring these areas together is a helpful exercise to see how your attitudes and beliefs on spending money compare to what the average American says are what they want to achieve in life.  So this week, I'll break down each of these categories of “livin the dream”, explain how Investopedia came up with their numbers and see how that compares with your own personal definition of the American dream. Come on back tomorrow…where I'm starting at the beginning and the end. We'll talk about wedding and funeral costs.

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Answering Your Questions In case you missed any episodes this week, here are the [1-3] most important takeaways from this week…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm answering your questions.  Today, I'm answering an email question from a listener: I'm in my mid 40s and simply do not feel comfortable with the current political climate and want to safeguard my 401k. I see there is an option to invest in a stable value fund in my 401k, which earns 3% guaranteed. Would it be foolish of me to put a majority of my 401k investments into this fund for the immediate future (4 years)?

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm answering your questions.  Today, I'm answering the question: My life insurance policy is expiring soon. Should I buy more?

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm answering your questions.  Today, I'm answering the question - I'm retiring in 2 years. Should I start social security at retirement or wait longer?

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm answering your questions.  Today, I'm answering the question - I got a big raise, what should I do with the money.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm answering your questions.  Today, I'm answering the question - are we headed for a recession

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. So this week, I'm answering some of your questions - addressing everything from what to do when you get a big raise to figuring out the ideal age to start social security, to whether or not the ultra-safe stable value fund in your 401k is a good idea right now.

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: How to Keep Your Focus (and Your Nerve) Amid Market Chaos

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to keep your focus and your nerve amid market chaos. Today, I'm talking about ways you can build a moat around your finances, so you're not spinning out during market chaos, and tempted to sell when you shouldn't. 

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to keep your focus and your nerve amid market chaos. Today, I'm talking about the fact that the world is always changing, it's a scary place, and there are always reasons not to invest.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to keep your focus and your nerve amid market chaos. Today, I'm talking about how the average investor woefully underperforms the overall market, mostly due to market timing decisions.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to keep your focus and your nerve amid market chaos. Today, I'm talking about staying focused on the long-term…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, how to keep your focus and your nerve amid market chaos.  Today, I'm talking about how the simple act of stopping or significantly curtailing how often you look at your investments is a powerful way to keep your focus amid market chaos.

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. One of my favorite questions that I came across recently that I've started asking clients who are nervous about the current environment now is - what needs to happen for you to feel more in control right now?  It's important to ask the right questions and I find this question to be helpful because it gets to the heart of the issue for most people - you're not in control of the events of the world, yet you're feeling the effects of those events in a very real way as your investments go up and so far this year…down. Sometimes it's a small change that can make all the difference - slightly lowering your allocation to stocks, selling a particular position that is the most volatile, moving more into cash so at least you won't need to sell stocks if things get worse from here.  The key is keeping the long-term view in focus and not let current events cause you to completely abandon your long-term investment strategy. And just doing something - the smallest thing in many cases - is enough to help you stay stick to your plan. So this week we're exploring the topic: How to Keep Your Focus (and Your Nerve) Amid Market Chaos

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: 10 Stupid Things People Waste Money On In case you missed any episodes this week, here are the [1-3] most important takeaways from this week…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about 10 stupid things people waste money on. Today, I'm wrapping up the week by talking about something I see very commonly among my retired clients. 

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about 10 stupid things people waste money on. Today, I'm talking about spending money on something that you might only wear once…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about 10 stupid things people waste money on. Today, I'm talking about overpaying for convenience. This is something that is so pervasive in our culture today. 

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about 10 stupid things people waste money on. Today, I'm talking about 2 very problematic problems that point to a deeper issue among Americans: buy now, pay later & not paying off your credit cards every month.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about 10 stupid things people waste money on. Today, I'm talking about the first 2 stupid things I see people spending money on: luxury handbags & other status symbols

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. I'm a financial advisor and co-owner of True North Retirement Advisors, a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory practice managing over $425M in assets.  For 17 years, I've helped clients retire with confidence, and my goal on this podcast is to simplify the complexities of retirement planning so you can focus on what truly matters—enjoying your retirement years while maintaining financial security. This week we're exploring the topic: 10 Stupid Things People Waste Money On

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Going For The Gold: A Smart Hedge or Bad Investment? In case you missed any episodes this week, here are the most important takeaways from this week…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about gold - is it a smart hedge or a bad investment? Today, I'm talking about IF I were to buy gold or recommend it, here's how I would do it. 

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about gold - is it a smart hedge or a bad investment? Today, I'm talking about the dynamics that really drive gold prices, and the myth that gold is a hedge against inflation…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about gold - is it a smart hedge or a bad investment? Today, I”m talking about reasons why you may want to take a pass on gold, and while I still plan to. 

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about gold - is it a smart hedge or a bad investment? Today, I'm talking about reasons you may way to consider investing in gold…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about gold - is it a smart hedge or a bad investment? Maybe you've heard recently in the news about the price of gold - it's currently hovering close to $3500 an ounce as I record this podcast, up 30% this year alone. It's made strong gains since bouncing around a lot during the Covid era and bottoming out in the fall of 2022. Since that time, it's up over 100%, which is absolutely stunning! 

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. I'm a financial advisor and co-owner of True North Retirement Advisors, a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory practice managing over $425M in assets.  For 17 years, I've helped clients retire with confidence, and my goal on this podcast is to simplify the complexities of retirement planning so you can focus on what truly matters—enjoying your retirement years while maintaining financial security. This week we're exploring the topic: Going For The Gold: A Smart Hedge or Bad Investment?  

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Too Good To Be True: How to Spot & Stop Financial Scams Before It's Too Late

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to spot and stop financial scams.  Today, we're diving into more common sense steps you can take to stop financial scammers in their tracks.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to spot and stop financial scams.  Today, I'm talking about practicing good online hygiene. Unfortunately, data breaches are so common, nobody seems to care and there's no accountability for literally millions of pieces of sensitive information about all of us now available for scammers to use.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to spot and stop financial scams.  Today, I want to talk about the most important common sense response to any unsolicited request - pause before responding.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to spot and stop financial scams.  Yesterday, I talked about how AI is changing the way scammers operate. That's probably the biggest development over the last couple of years. Today I want to talk about some other types of scamming trends to watch out for in 2025.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to spot and stop financial scams.  Today, I'm talking about how AI is changing the way scammers operate, making it harder to spot and stop scammers.

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host and guide, Ashley Micciche. I'm a financial advisor and co-owner of True North Retirement Advisors, a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory practice managing over $425M in assets. For 17 years, I've helped hundreds retire with confidence. My goal on this podcast is to simplify the complexities of retirement planning so you can focus on what truly matters—enjoying your retirement years while maintaining financial security. This week we're exploring the topic: Too Good To Be True: How to Spot & Stop Financial Scams Before It's Too Late

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Navigating markets in turmoil

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about navigating markets in turmoil Today, I'm talking about opportunities during periods of volatility.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about navigating markets in turmoil Today, I'm addressing feelings of anxiousness and hopelessness you might be having…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about navigating markets in turmoil Today, I'm talking about Should I make changes to my portfolio?