What if the most dangerous thing in a teacher's retirement plan isn't market volatility, it's the nice guy with free sandwiches and a terrible annuity contract? Jackie and Bill are joined by Dan Otter and Scott Dauenhauer of 403bwise, the duo who have spent decades exposing how badly K-12 educators get treated in the 403(b) world. What starts as a conversation about confusing vendor lists and a messy system, quickly turns into something bigger.

This episode covers

Why the K-12 403(b) system is fundamentally broken for many educators
How Dan and Scott came together through the early 403bwise movement
Why sales reps were able to roam campuses and sell high-cost products to teachers
How 403(b)s became a multi-vendor mess while 401(k)s evolved under stronger fiduciary oversight
Why newer teacher pension tiers are weaker and make supplemental retirement saving more important
How bad 403(b) vendors can cost teachers hundreds of thousands of dollars over a career
Why the 457(b) is increasingly the better option for many educators
How state-run 457(b) plans can offer lower fees, simpler choices, and more retirement flexibility
How teachers and school employees can advocate for better plans in their own districts

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=== SUPPORT THE SHOW ===

📩 Sign up for our newsletter

🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website

🔗Connect with us

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

Personal Finance Club: Use code CUTOFI to get $30 OFF any investing course

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

403bwise

457bwiser https://457bwiser.org/

Learned by Being Burned (Special) Podcast Series)

Man with the (Better Retirement) Plan (#262)

403bwise and 457bwiser Facebook Group

Banned by the NTSA

Request a Dan and Scott Presentation

Teach And Retire Rich

Meridian Wealth Management

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