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Jill Schlesinger
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Mark T. McGowan
Welcome to the Jill on Money Show. It's three Thursday, June 26th and we are delighted to talk to you every day, Monday through Friday about the things that matter to you most. The big changes in your life. Maybe it's just the small little, maybe around the edge changes or maybe you're carrying around a financial burden. Maybe you're worried and you just need another set of ears and eyes on a situation. Mark and I are both certified financial planners and and we really think that this program is a way for us to put the focus on you. We're not selling anything. I mean we are selling a little bit of stuff cause we sell our $45 a year subscription service. But this program is really just about you, what's going on and how we can help you out. So if you've got a question or something, again, it doesn't have to be a big thing or you're confused about something in your financial life. Like hey, somebody, someone tried to sell me a big insurance policy. Do I need that? I don't know. Or something just isn't sitting right. You just need a little bit of feedback. Go to jillonmoney.com in the upper right hand corner, click the contact us button.
Jill Schlesinger
Write us a note.
Mark T. McGowan
And if you'd like to join us live, all you need to do is check the box. Mark will do everything else now while you're on the website, there's all sorts of fun things that are there. There is another podcast, it's called Money Watch that is released on the weekends. There are videos of my television appearances. We have a blog, we've got a newsletter. And when you click on the newsletter link, you'll be able to sign up for that newsletter. That's the Jill on Money substack. And if you're on substack, you can do it right there. So all sorts of fun things right there@the jillonmoney.com website. Okay, now back to you. Today we are talking to Mrs. Minnie Mouse. And she's not from Orlando, but she did self identify as a fan of Disney. Minnie joins us from Pennsylvania. Hello, Minnie. What's going on?
Minnie Mouse
Hello. Thank you so much for having me on the show. I'm super excited to be here. I said I was having a fangirl moment.
Mark T. McGowan
Oh, there's only one way to go from here, and that is down. Okay, Minnie, where are we? What's happening? What can we do for you?
Minnie Mouse
Yeah, so I reached out to you guys because my husband hates his job and he's hated it for a really, really long time, and I don't want to see him so miserable. And so, you know, one of the things that we have been targeting really since we were in our 20s, was being able to retire at 55. But I just don't want him to have to, you know, keep struggling through this career. And. And if he could get another job making about half of what he makes now, would that still keep us on track for retirement at 55, which was our goal?
Mark T. McGowan
And, Minnie, do you have kids?
Minnie Mouse
We do. We have two kids.
Mark T. McGowan
How old are they?
Minnie Mouse
One is 21, so he has one more year left of college. And my other one is also a rising senior, so they're both actually rising seniors. And she's going to be entering college next year.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, so she's what, 18?
Minnie Mouse
She's 17. Yep.
Mark T. McGowan
17. Okay. How have you paid for college?
Minnie Mouse
So both of My kids have 529 accounts. They are both going to go to state schools. So their college is covered with what we have in the 529.
Mark T. McGowan
That makes life a lot easier.
Minnie Mouse
Yeah.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, great. How old are you guys?
Minnie Mouse
I am 47 and my husband is 48, but I always say that he's a year and a half older than me, and I always use the year and a half.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, that's good. So he's much older than you.
Minnie Mouse
So much older. Yeah.
Mark T. McGowan
Minnie, are you working?
Minnie Mouse
Yes.
Mark T. McGowan
How much do you Earn.
Minnie Mouse
My base salary is 238. And then I get bonus every year, which is around 50,000.
Mark T. McGowan
Oh, that's nice.
Minnie Mouse
And then I also get 45,000 of restricted stock units every year, and 15,000 of those vest every year.
Mark T. McGowan
And you let them vest, you sell them, and you take the money and reinvest it.
Minnie Mouse
Um, I've kind of just let them sit.
Mark T. McGowan
Oh, my. Okay, wait, that. That's interesting. That could be an interesting pile of money. How much is the hated job that Mickey has? How much does he Earn?
Minnie Mouse
He makes 80,000.
Mark T. McGowan
Oh, it's tough to hate a job at 80. I feel like we can find something else for him to do. So what we really want to look at is what would happen if he made 40. Right.
Minnie Mouse
Right. Yep.
Mark T. McGowan
All right, so let's do a couple of other things. You own a home.
Minnie Mouse
Yes.
Mark T. McGowan
How much is the house worth?
Minnie Mouse
The house is worth 420,000.
Mark T. McGowan
Is there a mortgage outstanding?
Minnie Mouse
No.
Mark T. McGowan
Oh, so no mortgage. And college is funded. That's good. And you're going to stay in this house, right?
Minnie Mouse
Correct. Yep.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay. And any rental property?
Minnie Mouse
Nope.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, let's talk about the money you've squirreled away. So for his hated job, that $80,000, does he have a retirement account there?
Minnie Mouse
So that'll be one of my questions for. He bounced around a bit since COVID He was laid off during COVID Got another job, then that was downsized, got another job. So where he landed right now is a very tiny company, and they do not offer any retirement plans.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, but does he have money from previous plans?
Minnie Mouse
He does, and it is 100,000.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, got it. All right. What about you?
Minnie Mouse
I have 1.04 million.
Mark T. McGowan
How about if we just say 1 million? And is that Roth or pre tax?
Minnie Mouse
It's a 401k. I do contribute 25% of my salary. I've been doing that for a long time. And the company does the automatic, like, mega backdoor IRA thing.
Mark T. McGowan
Yeah. So does that million include that mega backdoor? It does. Okay. That's total. So some of it is Roth, and some of it is correct. I got you. Okay. Do you have any old retirement accounts anywhere else?
Minnie Mouse
I do not. I've never worked anywhere else.
Mark T. McGowan
You like where you work? Okay. Do you guys have any. Any investments in a brokerage account, for example?
Minnie Mouse
You know, I think I've heard, you know, since I've been listening to you, the word brokerage account enough. I did just open one, but just opened about a month ago, so.
Mark T. McGowan
And where did you do that?
Minnie Mouse
Through Fidelity because that's where my retirement stuff is.
Mark T. McGowan
Did you put any money in there yet?
Minnie Mouse
A couple hundred dollars.
Mark T. McGowan
Yeah, just to open. Great.
Minnie Mouse
Yeah, just to open. We have a CD that has a hundred thousand and we have cash. That's 100,000.
Mark T. McGowan
Great.
Minnie Mouse
And then those stocks that I was telling you about, now RSUs, hold on.
Mark T. McGowan
So restricted stock units, okay, Everyone listening. You get a restricted stock unit, it's given to you as like a chunk. Like here is a restricted unit. And then a certain amount vests over time. And so some amount over time. And every year, as you said, it was 15 grand a year that vests. So now you have unvested and vested RSUs. What I'm interested in is what is the vested RSU value? Because that's what we know we could get our hands on quickly.
Minnie Mouse
140,000.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, got it. I'm not asking you the name of the company for public, but is it a good company? Do you feel comfortable about this company that you're the only company you've worked at for your whole life?
Minnie Mouse
Yes, absolutely.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, so this is what we have. We've got the husband hates his job, making 80, wants to make 40. Minnie likes her job, she makes, let's call it 290 with bonus. I'm not including the RSUs. 290. And you make a big contribution, a 25% contribution into retirement. Now here's your big question, I guess, and that is if you don't count the money that you're saving. If we just look at how much money you spend. Do you know that number?
Minnie Mouse
Yes, it's 10,000amonth.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay.
Minnie Mouse
I believe that that will go down.
Mark T. McGowan
So you say.
Minnie Mouse
So you say, as my children launch. But for now, that is the number.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, if we look at what your future income will be, let's call it 30, $330,000. Your question is, hey, Jill, can we do this? $10,000 a month out of 330? The answer is yes. The question is, can you continue to save as much as you are saving and stay on track for your retirement goal? And I think that it's not like a slam dunk. And I'm going to tell you why, because 55 is coming up. I'm wondering whether you would be able to work longer, especially him, if you knew he liked his job. Like, could you stay on track a little bit longer? How do you think that would land with each of you? Because you said 55. Probably because he's hated his job for a while.
Minnie Mouse
Well, it's also me, I Don't hate it. But I would like to just be done at 55 if I can.
Mark T. McGowan
But then what? I don't know.
Minnie Mouse
We would. You know, we have visions of traveling or. I probably work part time at a bakery. I've always wanted to do that. Just, you know, not what we're doing. It's a bit of a grind.
Mark T. McGowan
That sounds freaking hellish, but okay, whatever.
Minnie Mouse
I do have a pension.
Mark T. McGowan
Oh, hold on a second. I want to talk about that pension. Tell us about the pension.
Minnie Mouse
So my company does offer a pension, and I did model that based on three different ages. So at 55, I have two options. One which is a lump sum, and one I just. Okay. And one is the 100% survivor.
Mark T. McGowan
Yeah. How much is that?
Minnie Mouse
So those are the two. That is $4,284.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay. So you retire, you're age 55. That pension is payable at 55. Do you have to delay it? Do you have to wait to take it?
Minnie Mouse
Nope, payable at 55.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay. That's a huge difference. Okay, what's the next tier that you have for me?
Minnie Mouse
So then I just went to 58, and that goes to 5,188.
Mark T. McGowan
So here's what I got for you, back of the envelope math. That pension's the game changer. Okay.
Minnie Mouse
Okay.
Mark T. McGowan
Here's why I took your 290. I said, okay, let's presume that you're sucking away the money for you continue putting money away for the 401k and the back door, which is essentially like $72,000. It's a lot of money that's coming out of your salary. Okay. I think you can keep maxing out what you're doing, and I think you'll be able to have your $10,000 a month of spend. It's not going to be like you have tons of extra money. You're just not. It's going to be okay that you'll make the 10. You may not be able to. You can't be doing 15. Like, if 10 turns into 15, there's a problem. But you're fine at 10. 10, you can. We can make this work. I'm pretty sure. Okay.
Minnie Mouse
Okay.
Mark T. McGowan
Now if we work, you are 47, and so you guys work until age 55. Hey, Mark, if she's got a million bucks in the 401k and presume another 70 goes in every year, some of it is Roth, some of it is not. But can you give me a basic future value of that 401k, which is both Roth and pre tax in seven.
Minnie Mouse
Years, I will say Fidelity does a little graph for me and they said in a below average, average market, it is 2.5.
Mark T. McGowan
Yeah. All right, so let's, let's say I'll take 2.5 because that's like the money you're putting in and they're giving some growth rate. Let's downgrade the growth a little bit just because we want to make sure you feel comfortable. So let's say it's 2.3 in seven years. Okay.
Minnie Mouse
Yep.
Mark T. McGowan
That money that you have at age 55 and presumably what I hope can happen is that at your age 55, leaving the firm, firm that you're working at, that you would be able to invoke the rule of 55.
Minnie Mouse
I can. I checked.
Mark T. McGowan
Perfect. I love you. Okay, so now we know that you can start at age 55 taking the pre tax portion of that 2.3 million. And when we look at it, do you think most of the million right now, is that mostly in pre tax right now?
Minnie Mouse
Yes.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay, so that's fine. From age 55 until you collect Social Security 67 or 70, you would look at the pre tax number and you would pull to pull money out. We have your income of pension, your pension income that if we did use that 55, 4200, we have to get to 10,000 again, these are all going to have to be inflated. You use your pre tax money, you pull it out, that gets you there. Then when you claim Social Security, you and your husband claim Social Security at either 67 or 70. The money that you guys will have together, plus your pension and the money that you have in the 4401k should get you where you want to go. It would be a slam dunk if markets are performing really beautifully. So if this is 10 years ago and you're today you're like, oh, you said 2.3, it's 3.3. I don't know what's going to happen for the next 10 years. I don't. So I think you're on track to do it. Does the number work so much better with those extra three years? Yeah, I mean, it's almost $1,000 a month. But let's say you don't want to do it. Okay, so now we're back at 55. So the other thing I think is important to do would be to sell your vested RSU and pop it into your Fidelity brokerage account.
Minnie Mouse
Okay.
Mark T. McGowan
Yeah. And you're going to take the, you have to pay tax on it. If they withhold. If they ask, do you want us to withhold taxes? Say yes.
Minnie Mouse
Okay.
Mark T. McGowan
All right.
Minnie Mouse
Interesting. Yeah, yeah.
Mark T. McGowan
Now you're going to take that money and you're going to put it into your just open Fidelity account. So now Instead of having $200, you're going to have $140,200. Okay.
Minnie Mouse
Yeah.
Mark T. McGowan
Now that's going to be a supplemental way that you can have money grow for you. I'm not saying your company isn't great. I'm just saying you're accumulating RSUs all the time. Let's take some money off the table. Let's diversify it and let's get you get another engine of growth for your future age 55 retirement. Okay. Don't have to do anything with the savings, the CD and the cash. It probably makes you feel comfortable if you open that. Since you've opened that Fidelity brokerage account and you have your 401k. Tell me, how are you investing your 401k right now? Do you have some sort of combination of a stock index and a bond index? What do you have?
Minnie Mouse
It is mostly stock. And that is one thing I probably should do.
Mark T. McGowan
Pushing the pedal to the metal.
Minnie Mouse
I know, I know.
Mark T. McGowan
I would say that because you are, I mean, also we're talking to you. Stocks have been quite on a roller coaster this year. I don't know where they're going to be, but I think it would be a shame to go through a real loss. Like if we saw. It is highly likely in the next seven years that you will have a 20% loss in stocks at some point. Okay. It would suck if that happened as you were turning age 55. You will freak out. It's different absorbing loss when you know you're close to needing your money. So I would suggest that you would have less risk in the account that I knew I was tapping first. So in your 401k that has not yet been taxed, I might be like 70, 30. 70.
Minnie Mouse
Okay.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay. In the Roth one, you can go crazy. You're not touching that for a while. And in the brokerage account, I would probably, also probably, probably do like a more like 70, 30.
Minnie Mouse
That. Okay, I did do that for that.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay. So that's what I think, and I think it works. How do you feel about this? Aren't you going to be happy to say to Mickey, mickey, you can get new gloves and go get a new job? What do you think? How are you feeling?
Minnie Mouse
He will be thrilled. Yeah.
Mark T. McGowan
Do you think that works for you guys?
Minnie Mouse
I Think so. I did have two other questions for you if. Go for it. Okay. So one was, as I mentioned, his current tiny company doesn't have a retirement option at all. So we consolidated his previous IRAs into one, and he's just been adding to that. Is that the best thing to do, or should we contribute instead to the brokerage account?
Mark T. McGowan
Brokerage.
You want brokerage?
I see no benefit in putting money into a traditional Iraq.
I mean, and they can't put money into a Roth because they make too much money. Well, he's got an. Yeah, just do the brokerage.
Minnie Mouse
Do the brokerage. Okay.
Mark T. McGowan
Yep.
Minnie Mouse
Okay, great.
Mark T. McGowan
You got a. Plenty of money in your retirement. Okay, next question.
Minnie Mouse
Can you just explain why you don't like the lump sum option? I hear you always say pension, Pension, pension.
Mark T. McGowan
It's not always, but I tell you, in your case, I had a feeling. I mean, the lump sum is fine, but you guys are going to need streaming of income.
Minnie Mouse
Yeah.
Mark T. McGowan
When you retire young, you definitely, definitely, you need that stream of income because it's a long time to get to Social Security, you know? Okay. So I think that that's. Yeah, I would. I would. I would absolutely do that.
Minnie Mouse
Great. Thank you.
Mark T. McGowan
Okay. Anything else?
Minnie Mouse
No, I feel good. Thank you so much for talking through this with me.
Mark T. McGowan
How many times have you been to Disney World?
Minnie Mouse
Oh, I couldn't even tell you.
Mark T. McGowan
Really?
Minnie Mouse
I couldn't even tell you.
Mark T. McGowan
Mark, how many times have you been to Disney World?
You know, I've only been once in my life because I don't know why, but for some reason, when I was a senior in high school, that was the senior trip I was gonna.
Minnie Mouse
That's a. That's a common one. Yeah.
Mark T. McGowan
And have not been back since. And the goal is to, you know, never go again.
Mark, you're gonna go. I'll go, I'll go.
But it'll be in Paris or Tokyo.
Just to be clear and on the record, I went to Disney World the year it opened, which I think was like 1972.
Minnie Mouse
1971.
Mark T. McGowan
1971. Thank you. So I was there. I think I was there the next year, 1972, and a very weird thing happened to me. That's a snort for you all. I'm just remembering this. Okay. So my grandparents took us. So we flew to Sarasota, and my grandparents. Or Tampa, and my grandparents picked us up and whatever. So I was, I don't know, in fifth grade or something, and my sister was in eighth grade or something like that, fourth and seventh grade, so my grandparents picked us up. We drive up to Orlando. There were only two hotels when the Disney first opened. There was the Cosmopolitan and the Polynesian. We stayed in the Cosmopolitan. This was like a massive contemporary. I mean, the contemporary. Sorry, the Contemporary. Thank you. Thank you. And they had this long hallway, and so we were going out, like, the first night, and I was running to the elevator to push the button. I'll never forget this. I wiped out on the carpet because it was so new. And I was wearing patent leather shoes, and I literally blew out my ankle. Like, I had the worst sprain that, like, they were taped me up. And I spent my first trip to Disney World in a wheelchair. Now, the funniest thing about that is it worked out great because we cut every line.
Minnie Mouse
Yeah.
Mark T. McGowan
And they were like, you're in a wheelchair. You can go to the front of the line. So we never waited in a line ever.
Minnie Mouse
And it's you and your whole party, right? So, yeah.
Mark T. McGowan
So it was my grandparents. So also, I'm a. I knew at an early age that I was not meant for theme park, because my two favorite things that I remember about that trip that I loved was It's a Small World after all, and the. And the Country Bear Jamboree, which I think is banned now because it's racist, I'm pretty sure. So those are like.
Minnie Mouse
They redid. They redid it.
Mark T. McGowan
So that's it. And I went back one time in college for, like, three hours. And then I just went to Universal a few years ago.
Minnie Mouse
Okay.
Mark T. McGowan
As a corporate spouse, which was the worst corporate event ever in the history of corporate events. So I, too, am down, thumbs down on Disney. But a lot of people in my family have gone and they've loved it. So, Minnie, I wish you well at your next trip to Disney.
Minnie Mouse
Thank you so much.
Mark T. McGowan
Much fancier now. Okay, if you guys want to tell your Disney adventures, get in touch with us, go to jillonmoney.com, click the contact us button. And more importantly, if you have a rotten job or you have a spouse who has a rotten job and you want to help them find some other way out of that, get in touch with us, go to jillonmoney.com, click the contact Us button, and maybe even buy my book, the Great Money Reset. Because when people want to make big changes like this, we need to give them guardrails so they don't do it and blow up their previously articulated plan. So check that out. Hey, gang. You can subscribe to us here at Jill on Money Money on the Odyssey app, and you can also subscribe to our sister podcast, Money Watch, and you can do that at the Odyssey app or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Listen. A lot of people are going through a lot of stuff right now. I want us to take a deep breath and I want you to reach out to somebody and try to put hands on their back, like metaphorically or really. There are a lot of people who are going through stuff. Please, this is not a time to. To be mean to each other and divisive, like, do something nice. Okay? Change your work, change your wealth, change your life. Thank you for listening. We'll talk to you tomorrow.
Jill Schlesinger
Buying a home in California can certainly feel intimidating. We hear from listeners all the time throughout the state, and they want to know, where can they even start? Many of them find that turning to.
Mark T. McGowan
A Realtor changed everything.
Jill Schlesinger
Realtors can help buyers understand what they can afford. They can explain all of the steps that are involved in purchasing a home, and they can walk you through every detail, from making an offer to closing the deal. Working with a realtor can help you feel less alone or unsure about the process. And that peace of mind, that is the power of having a realtor by your side. Whether you're ready to move or just starting to dream, don't go it alone. Don't let what you don't know stop you from starting your next chapter. Find your realtor@championsofhome.com that's championsofhome.com hey, what's up, flies?
David Spade
This is David Spade. Dana Carvey. Look at. I know we never actually left, but I'll just say it. We are back with another season of Fly on the Wall. Every episode, including ones with guests, will now be on video. Every Thursday, you'll hear us and see us chatting with big name celebrities. And every Monday, you're stuck with just me and Dana. We react to news, what's trending, viral clips follow and listen to Fly on the Wall Everywhere you get your podcasts.
Podcast: Jill on Money with Jill Schlesinger
Host: Jill Schlesinger, CFP®
Episode Title: "Hubby Hates Job, Can He Quit?"
Release Date: June 26, 2025
In this episode of Jill on Money with Jill Schlesinger, host Jill Schlesinger teams up with co-host Mark T. McGowan, a certified financial planner, to address a listener's pressing financial dilemma. The episode delves into the complexities of balancing job satisfaction against financial goals, specifically focusing on the aspiration to retire early.
Timestamp: [03:21]
Minnie Mouse from Pennsylvania reaches out to the show with a heartfelt concern: her husband, Mickey, is unhappy in his current job. Minnie and Mickey have long-term financial goals, notably the ambition to retire at 55. Minnie seeks guidance on whether Mickey can leave his job, even if it means earning significantly less, without derailing their retirement plans.
Key Details from Minnie:
Financial Status:
Minnie’s Concern: "One of the things that we have been targeting really since we were in our 20s was being able to retire at 55. But I just don't want him to have to, you know, keep struggling through this career." ([03:27])
Mark T. McGowan conducts a thorough financial assessment to determine the feasibility of Mickey reducing his income without compromising their retirement objectives.
Income Reduction Impact:
Budget Considerations:
Retirement Projections: Using a conservative growth rate (2.3% annually), Mark projects Minnie’s 401(k) could grow to about $2.3 million by age 55. This, combined with a pension offering $4,284 monthly starting at age 55, positions them favorably for early retirement.
Key Recommendations:
Notable Quote: "If you don't count the money that you're saving, the question is, can you make $10,000 a month out of $330,000? The answer is yes." ([09:22])
Minnie posed two additional questions during the call:
Consolidating Retirement Accounts:
"Is consolidating Mickey's previous IRAs into one the best approach, or should we contribute to a brokerage account instead?" ([17:18])
Advice: Mark advises placing funds into a brokerage account, emphasizing greater flexibility and growth potential over traditional IRA contributions, especially given Mickey’s high income that limits Roth IRA eligibility.
Choosing Pension Options:
"Can you explain why you don't prefer the lump sum option of the pension?" ([18:02])
Advice: Mark recommends opting for the pension stream rather than a lump sum to ensure a reliable income source throughout retirement, especially crucial when retiring early.
Towards the end of the episode, Mark shares personal stories about his experiences with Disney World, adding a touch of humor and relatability to the discussion. This segment, while not directly related to the financial advice provided, serves to humanize the hosts and create a more engaging listener experience.
Notable Quote: "Mark, you're gonna go. I'll go, I'll go." ([21:13])
The episode provides a comprehensive analysis of Minnie and Mickey’s financial situation, offering actionable strategies to achieve their goal of early retirement while addressing job dissatisfaction. Key takeaways include the importance of maximizing retirement contributions, diversifying investments, and leveraging pension income streams to secure financial independence.
Final Advice: "Don’t have to do anything with the savings, the CD and the cash. It probably makes you feel comfortable if you open that brokerage account and you have your 401k." ([15:47])
In "Hubby Hates Job, Can He Quit?", Jill on Money effectively navigates the delicate balance between personal fulfillment and financial stability. By providing personalized advice and actionable steps, Jill and Mark empower listeners to make informed decisions that align with their long-term goals. This episode serves as a valuable resource for anyone grappling with similar financial and career challenges.